Trends in Obesity Among Early Age Children

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Patricia Thao

CDC

Obesity is a present health concern in the US and it’s important that it is continued to be discussed about. In order to prevent and decrease obesity rates in the US, there have been many attempts and programs to help people better understand what causes obesity, how to prevent it, and the ways we can educate people on it.

Some quick facts from a research conducted by CDC:

“Childhood obesity is associated with negative health consequences in childhood (1) that continue into adulthood (2), putting adults at risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers (1). Obesity disproportionately affects children from low-income families (3).

Overall obesity prevalence increased from 14.0% in 2000 to 15.5% in 2004 and 15.9% in 2010, and then decreased to 14.5% in 2014. During 2010–2014, the prevalence of obesity decreased significantly overall, among non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, American Indian/Alaska Natives and Asians/Pacific Islanders, and among 34 (61%) of the 56 WIC state agencies in states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.” – CDC

Who is generally at risk for obesity:

Low-income families
Young mothers
People without access to healthy food/alternative food options

What can we do to prevent obesity?

Spread the knowledge of obesity among friends, families, peers, co-workers, etc. through various use of communications and social media platforms
Encourage people to live a active, balance, and healthier lifestyle by:
- Encouraging healthy habits
- Participating in activities outside of home/schools/work environment
- Buying produces at local markets/groceries or partaking in a community garden or growing your own produces
- Using other methods of transportation such as walking, biking, skating, etc.

Find recommended resources for minorities here.

Health Topic of the Day: Breastfeeding

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Patricia Thao

www.thehindu.com

Today’s health topic is all about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is usually defined as a mother providing her infant with food/milk from her breast. It was commonly practiced in the past (nowadays it is more prominent poor/rural areas) in when mothers had to provide for their babies with their own milk and the availability of baby formula or food was not as common. The practice of breastfeeding gradually faded in human society as it advanced. But recent studies showed that we should get back to breastfeeding as it was proven to be more nutritious and beneficial to both the mother and child.

What are the benefits of breast feeding?

Breastmilk has all the nutritions and antibodies passed from the mother to the infant which can contribute to the baby’s overall health and growth
Builds a bond between the mother and child
Breastmilk is easy for the baby to digest
Mothers can choose on how long they want to breastfeed
Breastfeeding can help reduce cost for baby formula/food for a period of time
For more info on the benefits of breastfeeding, click here!

According to CDC:

4 out of 5 (81.1%) started to breastfeed. High breastfeeding initiation rates, or the percentage of infants who start out breastfeeding, show that most mothers in the U.S. want to breastfeed and are trying to do so.
In Minnesota :
- Breastfeeding rate at 12 months increased from 35.8% to 41.0%, a total of 15% increase.
- Exclusive breastfeeding at three months went from 48.6 to 53.9 percent, an 11-percent increase.

“These rates make Minnesota a top breastfeeding state in the nation, ranking seventh for beginning breastfeeding (initiation) and fifth for breastfeeding at six months.

Though the percentage of women initiating breastfeeding in the Minnesota WIC Program has risen from 63 percent to 80 percent since 2001, some women face more barriers to breastfeeding and are initiating at lower rates. Minnesota breastfeeding rates vary significantly by race and ethnicity. MDH and partners promote public health strategies that make it easier for all Minnesota women to breastfeed. This work includes supporting peer counseling and breastfeeding friendly policies and practices in hospitals, workplaces, childcare settings and the community.” – http://www.health.state.mn.us/

Spread the Awareness of Obesity!

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Patricia Thao

AMA STEP UP Youth

“Physical education programs are being cut from schools due to competing priorities. And unfortunately, this not only hurts kids’ health, but it hinders their ability to learn as well. In order to help #ProtectPE, we all need to be informed about the state of physical education across the country and in our own communities.” – Rightful owner

Nowadays, kids are less active compared to the past due to the recent technology advancement and less funding for physical ed programs. More kids are staying inside at their school and home without getting much opportunity to be active outside and during school hours.

http://www.ncsl.org/

“Obesity rates have soared over the past four decades. Today, more than 23 million kids and teenagers — nearly a third — are overweight or obese.” – http://www.preventobesity.net/

It’s important to remember that physical activity is very important for not only your health, but also to your well being. This is the true goal of help kids stay active! What are the positive benefits of being physical active:

Burning off energy = stress level decrease, burn calories
At schools, it helps students concentrate during class and in their studies when they are able to have breaks in between.
Test your knowledge of physical activity in schools linked here!

Language Learning at Home

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Patricia Thao

http://mplswtg.org/

Many people today are born and raised in a bilingual home. It not only enhances the communication within the family, but help build the concept of diversity and acceptances towards different people. Also, it helps English language learners in their education when they have something to reference to and therefore, can build a better understanding of English. By being to recognize that learning at home is a resource, children and adults can use it more often

“Research suggests children educated initially in their home language learn a second language more proficiently and achieve more academic success than those who have not had such a solid foundation. Once students have built basic literacy skills in their home language, they will be able to apply those skills to the new language.” http://mplswtg.org/

Here are some tips on how to learn your language at home:

Have daily conversations with your family members that speak to you in your native language. Try to have meaningful and deep conversations that can actually help you become better.
Listen/watch TVs, dramas, and music! By listening to your native language, you’ll learn how to speak it better. It naturally enhances your speaking skills without you trying.
Reading articles/books in your own language can help you with grammar and writing. One problem with being bilingual is not being able to to read and write in both languages. So only by practicing can it help the technical components in a language.

Anorexia & Bulimia

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Photo credit: www.deardoctor.com

Anorexia and bulimia are among some of the most common type of eating disorder. Factors are often associated with or can cause eating disorders are low-self esteem, bullying, distorted body images, food phobias, social or/and peer pressure, and more. Eating disorders are treated in combinations of doctors, therapists, consultants, and nutritionists. Also, the support of family and friends are crucial to helping someone overcome their eating disorder.

What is anorexia? It is a eating disorder where the individual does not want to eat food or not enough to keep their body weight. They often think of themselves as overweight and see themselves to not be thin enough. This can be accompanied by excessive exercising or starvation. People with anorexia are usually very underweight.

What is bulimia? It is a eating disorder where people binge eat and then either throw up the food or do extreme amount of exercises to burn the large amount of calories. People will binge eat and purge on a regular basis, which can cause serious health issues. Bulimia can cause people to develop compulsive behaviors and damage their teeth and esophagus along the way due to stomach acid. People with bulimia are usually at their body weight or overweight.

So what can you to help yourself if you are experiencing a eating disorder or someone with it?

Always seek out professional help who can help diagnosed the eating disorder, prescribed medications, provide consultations, and if needed, get more help from other professionals.
Get support from family and friends. They can help provide comfort and additional advices.
The road to recovery is changing your perspective towards a more positive outlook. Learn to accept yourself for who and what you are. It is not as easily done as said, but time will heal any insecurities that you may have.

Living is a State of Mind

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Your perspective on life is a very important part of how you may think about the world, society, people, and more. It is up to you to decide whether you want to go through life negatively or positively. Although you can’t control everything that happens to you, you can control how you feel about them. It is all about perspective and what you are going to do that can make your life better.

Take the time to appreciate all the things you already have and don’t worry about what you don’t have. Whether it is your bed, your pets, your books, your family, or anything. It is the little things in life that can make you happy.
Don’t compare yourself to others. You are always going to be you and you can’t change that. Trying to be like others or comparing your social status (in real life, on social media, academics, sports, etc.) won’t make you feel better. Everyone goes through their own journey and challenges to find themselves. So be who you are as an individual and focus on yourself.
Change is inevitable and unavoidable. Some things may stay the same, but remember that many things will change. You’ll experience changes within yourself and the people surrounding you. It’s about embracing the changes and not avoiding it.
Surround yourself with positive people. Being with negative people are going to make you feel negative. They will do you more harm than good. It is best to leave those people behind and move on. Sometimes, you need to evaluate who are the right people for you. They are the people that can help better improve yourself and are going to support you along your way.
Having more responsibility means you are growing as a person. Don’t think of it as a hassle or a burden. Everyone will eventually grow up, but not everyone will be able to mature. Also, if you feel stressed out about it, then break things down step by step. See what you need to do and what you want to do.

Bicultural Healthy Living Can Help Memory Loss

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Patricia Thao

(NaturalNews) As we grow older, we tend to worry more and more about our memory. Lapses in memory that we didn’t give much importance to when we were younger now seem to have a new meaning. It is common to do such things such as misplace things like car keys, eyeglasses and cell phones, to draw a blank on a friend’s name, to walk into a room and forget why we went there in the first place. However, although we all have had these experiences, as we age, we tend to worry about what these lapses could mean. It is important to realize that, contrary to popular belief, memory loss is not a natural process of aging. Our brains are capable of making new brain cells at any given age.

Memory loss becomes serious when it interferes with our daily activities

Examples of this are:

Not being able to perform daily tasks, such as paying bills, dressing properly, tending to daily hygiene, etc.
Getting lost in familiar places, such as an immediate neighborhood
Repeating the same phrases and questions in the same conversation
Being unable to recall recent events
Repeatedly misusing or garbling words
Difficulty in making choices
Exhibiting socially inappropriate behavior.

In these cases, a diagnosis is needed to determine the root of the cause.

Often though, there is a physical reason for these memory lapses. For example, there may be a nutritional deficiency or it could be due to a faulty thyroid. In older adults, dehydration could be the cause. Excessive alcohol consumption creates brain toxicity and increases the risk of such conditions as Alzheimer’s and dementia. By the same note, smoking can cause vascular disorders that can limit oxygen to the brain.

Keeping cognitive functions in a healthy state entails leading a healthy lifestyle

Making sure that the body gets the nutrition it needs includes:

Regular physical exercise which decreases the risk of memory loss and encourages the production of new brain cells.
Exercising the brain is also important. Activities such as reading, working crossword puzzles, and playing strategic games such as chess or scrabble will lower the risk of mental decline.
Proper nutrition that focuses on lots of fruits, vegetables, and foods containing Omega 3 fatty acids. The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables serve to help keep the brain healthy and Omega 3’s help to retain memory.
Giving the body the rest it needs. Sleep is necessary for all aspects involving cognitive function. Sleep deprivation leads to poor memory, concentration and decision-making.
Avoding stress. Stress is a very common cause of memory loss. Stress dramatically increases the ability of toxins to pass through the blood-brain barrier. Also, prolonged stress results in high cortisol levels in the body which results in impaired memory. Efforts should be made to alleviate stress. One effective way is by laughing. As opposed to emotions that affect only specific areas of the brain, laughter affects wider areas. After all, they say that laughter is the best medicine.

Supplements that prevent and help to reverse memory loss

Ginkgo Biloba has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years to treat memory loss.
Colloidal Gold improves memory, concentration, and mental focus.
Acetyl-I Carnatine also improves mental focus, as do amino acids such as L-Tryptophan, 5HTP, and Tyrosine.
B-Complex Vitamins help to prevent memory loss.
Inositol helps the brain to process information.
Choline helps in overall brain function.
Fortify your brain with antioxidants which include carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine).Sources:
http://helpguide.org/life/prevent_memory_loss.htm
http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html

About the author:
Luella May is a natural health advocate helping people to heal naturally. She partners with Tony Isaacs, who authors books and articles about natural health including “Cancer’s Natural Enemy” and “Collected Remedies” Luella contributes to The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Luella co-moderates the CureZone “Ask Tony Isaacs featuring Luella May” forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group “Oleander Soup” and hosts her own yahoo group focusing on the natural wellbeing of pets “The Best Years in Life Natural Health for Pets“

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035394_memory_loss_natural_remedies_alternatives.html#ixzz3b07zTfV8

Credits to original author.

A Chinese Way of Living

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Patricia Thao

In this day, many Asian cultures have some Chinese influences in them whether it is food, religion, holidays, lifestyles, and such. You don’t have to be a certain race or ethnicity to live a bicultural lifestyle. It is about combining cultures together in positive ways. Here are some things you can do to incorporate some Chinese ways of living:

A common thing found in across Asian cultures that originated in China is tea. There are many varieties of them and ways to consume tea. Teas can be enjoyed during different occasions and are versatile in what you can do with them. Also, they are easily found anywhere and can be made at home.
Many Chinese cuisine nowadays are Americanized so they don’t taste as well and authentic. So other ways to enjoy them is seeking out local small Chinese owned restaurants, Asian groceries, flea markets/towns, and having connections to Chinese communities/friends/families. You may be able to see how they’re made and will be more likely to taste true Chinese cuisine.
Chinese medicines are very popular, especially among the older generations because of its healthy benefits. Many traditional Chinese medicines are a mix of herbs, plants, roots, and such. Trying them out could be an healthier alternative and more natural process of eliminating sicknesses.
Tai Chi is a form of Chinese martial arts and is known to be good for the body and mind. It helps the body exercise, relax, and destress. Anyone can take part of it and it can be done with a group or solo.

Building a Better Community

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Our environment impacts our life in many ways that we are unaware of. Sometimes, the environment we live in can do good or bad thing to us such as our health, perspective, feelings and more. If you grow up in a neater community with a more nature, pedestrian, and family friendly environment you are more likely to have better health and a positive outlook on life. The same applies if you grew up in a poor condition community with little sidewalks, greens, and pollution you are more likely to have a poorer health and less likely to have a positive perspective.

There are things we can do to make our community a better place. It is about teamwork and commitment to make healthy change occur where you live. So how can you help your own community?

1. Attend community meetings. The most informative way to know what needs to change and improve about your community is understanding the problems. Get to know your community members and share your ideas on how the community can be improved.

2. Organize a team effort. Whether it is planting more trees or picking up trashes or starting a community garden, a small difference can make the community change. When people start to see improvement in their community, they are more willing to participate and be involved in their community.

3. Raise awareness. Try publishing interesting topics in your neighborhood newspaper, campaigns, and charity events where you can allow the residents and other people to know about the change you are pursuing.

Making Future Decisions

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Patricia Thao

Are you wondering what is your next goal or step to take at the moment? Well, making an decision can help you in ways that could be either or both positive and negative. But don’t worry too much because every choice you make should reflect what you want/need at the moment. It doesn’t mean you’ll always get what you want, but you will at least the after effect of your decision. Here are some advises on how to make your future decisions:

1. Weigh the outcome. If you are looking for a result, make sure you are aware of any consequences. Are there going to be more positive than negative results? Or otherwise? Sometimes, some decisions requires you to think more deeper.

2. Who is going to be affected? Sometimes your decisions may not just affect you, but other around you as well. Such as friends, family, teachers, and more. So if it’s going to be about yourself it would be easier, but it involves many people than go to 3.

3. Talk to others about it. If it’s a hard decision that may affect others, it is probably best to hear about other people’s perspective that you value. They could influence to make better choices or help you avoid making mistakes.

4. How will it change you? So will your choice give you the opportunity/chance that you are looking for? Is it to change, to deliver, to make new friends, to get a better grade, or become a better athlete? You may want to think about the different outcomes of how your decision in different ways.

5. Be true to you. Remember that at the end of the day, your decision should reflect who you are as person. Don’t make a choice that you wouldn’t want to do. It will never be the way that you want it to be or have a good outcome. So think about what you want and how you would it to be like.

Bicultural Healthy Living

A Balanced Approach to a Bicultural Healthy Life

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