Friday, July 29, 2011

Is It a Migraine or Headache?

This is it people, the final installment of our four part series on Health concludes with a topic very dear to me and possibly some of you all. The very painful, debilitating, and sometimes crippling MIGRAINE commonly referred to as a headache. Now, I am not talking about one of those headaches you wake-up to after a long night of downing several rounds of vodka & cranberry at the club or taking shot after shot of your favorite tequila in celebration of some big occasion.  Back home in Nigeria, my peoples can attest to what several rounds of Guinness, Stout and Gulder beer can do to your equilibrium. So you ready? Let’s Go!

Ok people; let me get focused…

Every man, woman and child has suffered from a migraine or headache at some point in their existence. Take a moment and think about the last time you personally suffered from migraine or headache. Was it stress related? Was it Hunger (I think this is my issue)? Maybe fatigue from working long hours? All three will remain facets of our lives as long as we have air to breathe, so we better learn how to manage and cope better. Did you know that migraine headaches are estimated to be one of the most costly neurological disorders in the world? And its cost is estimated to be in the billions of dollars per year worldwide.

Here are some quick Migraine facts:
  • The usual migraine can last anywhere from 4-72 hours in adults and 1-48 hours in children.
  • It is believed that women suffer from migraine three times as much as men
  • Migraines still remain largely under-diagnosed and undertreated. Less than half of individuals with migraines are diagnosed by their doctors.
  • Over 1 billion people worldwide have given testimonial of having a migraine at least once in their lives.

So research has proven that we all suffer from headaches. The usual throbbing pain somewhere around your head (front, back or sides).  But a Migraine is different. Migraines have been described and defined by physicians as a recurrent headache that has multiple symptoms. The pain mirrors that of a headache but accompanied by dizzying spells or vomiting that makes the body sensitive to light, noise or smells. The magnitude of the pain intensifies to the point that it often leads to loss of time at work, school, family and household responsibilities. No matter what part of the globe you belong to, you will come across someone you know that has had a bout with a migraine at some point.

Common Migraine & Headache Triggers consist of:
·         Caffeine
·         Chocolate
·         Alcohol
·         Tobacco
·         Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
·         Allergies
·         Stress
·         Sleep Deprivation
·         Bright Lights
·         Strong scents (Air Fresheners, Colognes & Perfumes)
·         Menstrual Cycles

CHEESE-HEADS Listen Up!
Have you ever heard of the food debate about headaches? Apparently one of the most common triggers for migraines is aged cheese. According to Dr. Seymour Diamond, MD founder of The Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, USA the trouble with aged cheese it that it’s high in tyramine, a substance that forms from the breakdown of protein in certain foods. The longer the food ages, the greater the tyramine content is. The Cleveland Clinic has warned against the following types of cheese for people sensitive to tyramine: blue cheese, brie, cheddar stilton, feta, gorgonzolla, mozzarella, muenster, parmesan, Swiss, processed Cheese. Other foods high in tyramine include processed meats, pickles, onions, olives, certain types of beans, raisins, nuts, avocadoes, canned soup and red wine. Obliviously, we are not going to be able to avoid all of these foods but to fight off a migraine or headache episode you can try some of these remedies that could help  manage the pain better;

The Ice Wrap – Used around the head or neck, one of the most popular home remedies for migraine headaches is the use of ice wraps. Many stores and pharmacies sell these inexpensive wraps. It is usually effective at soothing the body and improving blood flow, which helps to ease the pain almost instantly.

Deep Massages – Such quick and easy to do treatments work best when done in a dark room where someone other than yourself is messaging the head and neck area.

Food & DrinkSome people have credited the positive effects of eating salty food as one of the fastest and best home remedies for migraine headaches. You could perhaps give it a try with things like chips or snacks which are particularly salty. It is also recommended that one drink large quantities of water, juices packed with vitamin C.

Have No Worries...

Friday, July 22, 2011

Fast Foods = Bad Habits

So I started to work on this week’s post on a hot summer evening here in the DMV (Its Afrika Hot this week!) contemplating what I was going to eat for dinner. And let me just say, I was dying for a burger, fries and milkshake like my man “Tyrone Biggums” from the Chapelle Show. Naturally, the next thing that came to mind was how much and how bad we all have become slaves to fast foods worldwide. Fast foods do not only conjure up images of popular franchises like McDonald’s or Kentucky Fried Chicken but fast food is also anything that you pay for that arrives through the window of your car. So for this week’s HEALTH topic on the blogspot, I want to share with you some of the risk associated with our poor eating habits.

BTW; I just killed a juicy a** cheeseburger and chips for dinner.  Looool.

Ok people; let me get focused…

In doing some reading about our addiction to fast food, I came across a very good article that helped to simplify things a bit. Just stop for a minute and think about how many times you have eating in your car, office desk, in front of the television, delivery or heated up a frozen meal. Was it the taste? Was it because it was fast and cheap? Ahhhhh, the CONVENIENCE… This is a global trend, be it Africa, Europe or here in the United States. Fact is more people, first and third world countries included spend a lot of money purchasing prepared meals and eating out at restaurants. If there truly is a Global Recession going around then the fast food industry never got the memo or was simply EXEMPT from the discussion.

If anybody tries to make the case or tell you that it saves time and cost less to eat sensible then he/she is LIAR.  Why is it that the foods that are deemed healthy for you are the most overpriced items at the supermarket? Don’t forget the fact that your local health food store is across town in the middle of nowhere by Timbuktu, so now you going to fight traffic and gas prices just to get what is considered a “Healthy Gourmet”. Ever noticed how the coupon advertised by your local grocery store is never for the desired healthy food items on the shelf but more for things like soda, chips and dip. And the whole eating organic foods bulls**t was nothing more than just a big ploy cleverly constructed to generate revenue and boost the economy as far as am concerned. Organic foods are not healthier or better for the environment as originally claimed. Look it up…

Even back home in Nigeria I saw clearly the vast difference in the quality of food we ate when prepared at home versus outside. There is always a “Miss” So/So or “Aunty” that has started a fledgling restaurant business either straight out of her home or is a moving kitchen parading the neighborhood soliciting young boys/girls to try out her homemade dishes. I can’t even front, that food always taste better primarily because of all the extra oil, salt and food additives. And as we Africans continued to drink the Kool-Aid over the years on everything western or European, our health and eating habits have deteriorated.   

Anonymous; “people who are fat don’t want to blame themselves for pigging out, instead of eating normal, at home etc. So they go eat out, and blame McDonald’s for having fatty foods, and being overweight”.

I used to think just like anonymous until I started educating and holding myself accountable for my poor decision making when it comes to what I eat.  Now there is some truth in the statement because neglecting to pay attention to what you put inside your body will significantly increase your chances of obesity, heart disease, hypertension and more.

The key is striking a BALANCE. There are NO short cuts or quick fixes to sustaining a long and healthy lifestyle. Our food intake only represents a small segment of what we have the ability to influence and control in order to reach our desired outcome. I will never take the position that all fast foods are bad for you but if we do not limit or manage how often we eat out and improve on our portion control then there is NO  place for indulgence in our diets.  I reckon more with the logic of “It’s not the fast food… It’s the eaters of the fast food”. So once you start on that track, you better have the resolve and mental toughness needed to combat such self destructive behavior.

You are what you eat.

Friday, July 15, 2011

There Must Be Something in the Water…

So the summer is moving along as anticipated HOT HOT HOT! We have now reached our third installment of the Health series here on the blogspot and would like to shift our attention and focus to that good H2O aka WATER. Water is essential in our everyday lives, without it truly very little would exist. So it would be impossible to share with you facts, tips and themes surrounding good health and not mention the importance of water. Let’s Go!  

Ok people; let me get focused…

So early in the week here in the DMV, the temperature outside was clocked at nearly 100 degrees. DAYUUUUUUM! Don’t know about you all but once the conditions outside reach a certain point I am pretty much useless for the rest of the day. As I proceeded to turn on the radio, I got the status quo report, “It’s gonna be a HOT ONE TODAY! So make sure you drink lots of WATER to keep from dehydrating”. My first thought was why do they always say the same gibberish? And you hear the next day TWO people died from heat exhaustion. So it got me to my next point, who would have ever believed 15 years ago, the water we drink today would be such a big commercial enterprise and still pose so many unknowns.

As stated in my earlier blogs, I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria in my early years and now live in United States. So having that frame of reference, I can attest first hand the blow of unavailable and inaccessible WATER can have in home, community and nation. In Nigeria we have two types of water; the one pumped underground from the well used for everyday means and the water purchased in a plastic 2 liter bottle only used for drinking. Now fast forward to my adult years in America the past 10-15 years and all people drink is bottled water. At first this was not the case, especially when I was in junior and senior high school where we would drink from a water fountain in school and pour from the tap in the kitchen sink when thirsty.

By now everybody is well aware of the long debate over what is better for you to drink bottle water vs. tap water. Safe and pure water is easily recognized as a luxury in my native homeland of Nigeria and other parts of Africa but surprisingly this resource is also valued here in America. Water as we know of course is essential to maintaining good health and we must drink enough of it in order to replace whatever is lost through bodily functions.

The water industry is such a cash cow all over the world that people simply can’t get enough of it. I even have a good friend of mine that refuses to give her dog “Zion” water from the tap. She says to me, “I refuse to have my baby drink from the tap cuz only God knows what is inside that DC water”. SMH! Now if dog owners and pet lovers are out here buying water for animals you know that this is no laughing matter and people take this seriously.

Over the years, I have heard so many debates on both sides citing that one is better than the other. So I would like to share with you all some basic information that you should always remember when presented with the decision “drinking from the tap or drinking out of the bottle”

Point I: Did you know that bottle water is governed far less that ordinary tap water?

Point II: Why is bottle water far more expensive when compared to tap water? Water in a bottle can cost you much more than a gallon of gas at times in some places.

Point III: The convenience, with bottle water you can take it with you wherever you go. You save yourself having to use, change and clean cups by not using tap water.

Point IV: So many of us have heard this before but it is worth mentioning again, bottled water can generate bacteria pollution if not used the right way. For example, once the bottle has been opened up, bacteria may go in if not consumed immediately and when left in the sun or heated the chemicals in the bottle end up in your water. This has been traced and linked to the cause of cancer and other diseases.

Point V: Let’s use the recent flooding in Lagos, Nigeria this past weekend as a great example of why it is important to have bottled water. During such a disaster, tap water may not be available nor would anyone recommend its consumption. This is when water in a bottle can be considered a benefit and having a few cases stored away would be in your best interest.

It seemed like only light years ago when we all got our water from the tap. But in recent years, we buy bottle water at work, at the local fitness center or at any point during the day as if we were junkies trying to satisfy a “FIX”.

A Toast to a Clean Bill of Health…

Friday, July 8, 2011

Black People & Our Fear of Hospitals

What's good people? This week's post on HEALTH here on the blogspot tackles our lasting phobia of hospitals, emergency rooms and modern medicine. You ready? Let's Go!

Ok people; let me get focused...
  
Very few know and others lack the knowledge or the exposure necessary to living a healthy and fit lifestyle. There are many factors that impact our health; genetics, environment, health care and culture to name a few. Every ethnicity or race is plagued by particular health risks more than the others. According to a study completed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention some of the leading causes of death amongst people of color and the African American community are; heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Now with all these tell tale signs running rampant in our communities, we still do not like to visit the hospitals. WHY? Even a simple check-up or an annual physical is deemed a burden or an inconvenience. Go Figure! I can attest to this because I too hate visiting hospitals and try to avoid them at all cost.  

Quick story; the other day, I had a really bad deep cut on the bottom of my heel after accidently stepping on a piece of broken glass in the bedroom. So what do you think happened next? Not once did I even consider a visit to the emergency room by calling 911. Instead, I found a way to make a call to my brother in Nigeria as he played “Dr.” via international text on BBM. LMAO! And for many others like me, unless we have lost a limb, even if I am glouting blood severely in my situation as I was, I still would rather be put to sleep like “Mr. T” on the A-Team before anyone can convince me that a trip to the hospital is in my best interest.

If you like me, then you hate sitting and waiting in the emergency room for 4 hours just to get checked-in by the front desk. Wait a minute; this is the “EMERGENCY ROOM” Right? And I have an E-MER-GEN-CY!!! Heeeeello… WTF? See if any of you can relate to this scenario:

Panko – Doc, I think I broke my hand during my fall
Doc – You just sprained your wrist
Panko – My wrist is ok, but please can you have an x-ray done on my hand
Doc – Just wrap it up and take 2 aspirins every 4 hours and ice it. And come back in 2 weeks.

SMH! How many of you all have been put through that anguish and incompetence by a Doctor before? I mean this example giving above is routineand common practice by Doctors. 

SCARY - has anyone ever noticed or experienced a doctor/nurse taking different positions on a diagnosis, treatment, etc. If this has ever happened to you, best look and find that buzzer and beep the mess out of it until you get moved to another location. There are a growing number of people who believe that more people are killed by doctors/hospitals than are killed on highways, planes, firearms, lighting. You know what; I actually think this claim is legitimate. And just because he got a white coat on don’t mean some doctors aren’t morons or idiots which is why you might be better off hoping to be “Dead on Arrival” (DOA) before anyone could ever wheel you in.

Psychologically, I believe that people of color have been scared after learning about historical government funded projects like the Tuskegee experiment and for that alone are extremely wary of modern medicine in certain circles. In late 2010, Wikileaks exposed the global drug company Pfizer who “hired investigators to find evidence of corruption against the Nigerian attorney general to pressure him to drop a $6 billion lawsuit over fraudulent drug test on Nigerian children. Researchers did not obtain signed consent forms, and medical personnel said Pfizer did not tell parents their children were getting the experimental drug. Eleven children died, and others suffered disabling injuries including deafness, muteness, paralysis, brain damage, loss of sight and slurred speech”.

The reason is ECONOMICS! The status of African and black health worldwide is insolvent at best. Being uninsured or underinsured is easily explained by being unemployed or underemployed. Therefore; another reality is sometimes the bill for your visit hurts and creates far more pain when you receive it in the mail than when you went in for the check-up in the first place.

And then there is my Beloved Nigeria, despite having highly trained doctors and physicians, the reality about the hospitals and facilities operating in Nigeria is that they are poorly maintained and kept in substandard conditions.  The diagnostic equipment available to staff are in shambles and many medicines are overpriced or unavailable all together. Too the point that black market medicine is a big industry which creates multiple problems when unregulated. Most discouraging of all is the fact that everything in Nigeria is “Cash & Carry” business including health care so when you have limited resource and no financial means to address you health needs its pretty much a WRAP!

The truth is our human instincts often at times connects hospitals to the state of death or dying and this makes us all very uncomfortable.  

It’s Your Health - Make it a Priority

Friday, July 1, 2011

Come Experience “The Wellness Studio with Ange”

Summer is NOW!

It’s hot outside, so let’s turn up the heat and shift the focus and attention to our health summit for the month of July here on the blogspot. Kicking things off in the first week is a young lady here in the “DMV” that those some phenomenal and motivational work on health and fitness. The self prescribed ambassador for healthy living Ms. Ange Anglade.

OK people; let me get focused…

When she’s not working with clients, you can find her conducting workshops on nutrition for weight loss where she shares her incredible weight-loss strategies and tips on how she has been able to maintain a 50+ weight-loss for 8 years while managing a hectic schedule. Ms. Anglade is extremely passionate about helping moms reach their personal, fitness, healthy lifestyle goals. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Mercy College, NY; Master’s degree in Social Work from Howard University; Board Certified Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Certified Nutrition Coach from The International Board of Nutrition and Fitness Coaching, and Certified Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness Instructor from Healthy Moms® specializing in Prenatal Fitness and Wellness.  Her education and experience allows for her to provide quality services and resources to clients. She is also the Baltimore Family Fitness Examiner for examiner.com ™.

I caught up with the very busy mother, professional and health guru recently and we chopped it up. Sapase Let’s Go!

Hit the cut for the interview…


Panko:            Tell me about yourself? (A little Background Info)

Ange:              My name is Ange Anglade, I’m originally from Haiti; I spent all of my childhood and most of my adult life in New York. I currently reside in Maryland with my husband and three children. I am the founder of The Wellness Studio, LLC created to support the busy lifestyle of working moms who want to become fit and healthy. My mission is to help moms create a well-balanced healthy lifestyle without sacrificing family time, dieting, deprivation or spending countless hours exercising. 

Panko:         How did the Wellness Studio with Ange Project come
                   about?

Ange:              I am a fitness fanatic, I love to exercise and eat healthy but this wasn’t always the case.  After having my last child, I found myself tipping the scale at 200lbs on a 5’3 frame.  Carrying that amount of weight on my small frame was extremely painful for me, not just physically but mentally as well. I was extremely unhappy with the way I looked; I was depressed, felt lost and wanted to make a change. I didn’t know where to start or knew how to start. I was juggling home, career, 3 active children and I was tired all the time. I didn’t have time to exercise, didn’t have time to eat healthy but knew I wanted to make a change.

After failing miserable at quick fix diet programs, I finally figured out a system that worked for me. I was able to lose 50 plus pounds and have successfully kept it off for 8 years.  After working my system, moms and women were asking me for advice on nutrition, weight-loss, and wanted me to help them lose weight as well.  I wanted to help women not only lose weight but regain their body confidence that’s how The Wellness Studio came into existence. 

Panko:            What is your vision?

Ange:              The Wellness Studio specializes in helping working moms regain their pre-pregnancy body without sacrificing family time, dieting, deprivation or spending countless hours exercising.  As women we live very multi-faced lives, balancing career, home, personal goals and it’s not always easy to fit exercise and healthy eating into an already hectic schedule. The responsibility and demands of caring, nurturing others can become overwhelming, that your own health becomes an afterthought.  The Wellness Studio recognize that moms are busy and have designed a program that makes losing weight and eating healthy easy, fun and effective. 

Panko:            Your themes of Nutrition, Fitness & Holistic Health to change families, tell us about it.

Ange:              I strongly believe that a mom cannot successfully change her lifestyle to become healthy, lose weight, without changing the way her family eats and lives as well.  Most programs focuses on the mom’s health and weight-loss journey, however, The Wellness Studio with Ange  recognizes that moms do not live in isolation from their families, they play a major role in how their family eat, buy groceries and prepare family dinner. In order for mom’s to lose weight permanently the entire family must serve as her support system and allow her to be the role model of optimum health. Healthy Nutrition and fitness starts with mom but includes the entire family network which will ultimately change the entire family. The Wellness Studio doesn’t focus on a “mommy project” but a “family affair”.  

Panko:            What are some myths or stereotypes people of color have bout nutrition, fitness and health in general?

Ange:              Some of the myths and stereotypes that most people of color have about nutrition, fitness and health in general is the belief that they have to give up the foods that they love in order to lose weight, which is not true. A person can still lose weight enjoy the foods they love, they just simply have to cook it differently. Instead of frying all the time, try baking, switch to olive oil; small changes like what I mention will make big impact. Most people of color especially women have issues when it comes to exercise and their hair. This may cause them not to exercise in order to preserve the beauty of their relaxed hair. Intense exercise is really not necessary when one is starting out a fitness program; simply taking walks will do the trick. 

Panko:            You’re a product of immigrant Haitian parents, what/how was you’re up bringing with nutrition, fitness and health growing up?

Ange:           Growing up in a Haitian home my parents took pride of not having “junk food” in the house.  My mother cooked daily and made a point to provide us with hot well-balanced meals that would help us grow strong and healthy.  Eating at fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Denny’s, Wendy’s White Castle to name a few was unheard of and was a complete disrespect to my mother’s labor of love meals. Although we almost never ate junk food, my Haitian diet was primarily based on white flour, white flour products, fats and Sugar (lots of it). Needless to say, I was a chubby child growing up and exercise was never part of the equation. 

Panko:            What is the one snack/food you still can’t walk away
                    from?

Ange:              It’s funny that you ask this question, the one snack that I thought I would be never be able to  give up was a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream on top but after changing my diet, my taste buds have changed and I no longer crave brownies. However, I truly enjoy a very warm chocolate chip cookie and will not turn one down if it’s offered. 

Panko:            What are some basic daily healthy tips that you can share to help those ready and wanting to make that change with their health?

Ange:              My best healthy tips for those ready to make the changes to live vibrant healthy lives are the following:

1.) Make nutrition your #1 PROIRITY, prepare and plan all off your meals.

2.) Don’t tie yourself into a “diet” game and restrict
foods from your nutrition plan.

3.) Eat every 3-4 hours and make sure that you are
getting Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat in every single meal. 

4.) Aim for at least 20-30 minute workouts per week. 

                        5.) Have a positive attitude

Panko:            How can our viewers contact or reach you with their questions or interested in learning more about your work?

Ange:              I would love to talk to anyone who is interested in receiving tips, resources and information on how to get their sexy body in “sexy momma.”  I can be reached at ange@thewellnessstudiowithange.com, to learn more about The Wellness Studio, please visit www.thewellnessstudiowithange.com


Change is Never Easy...

Na Wa O (NWO)!

Na Wa O! - is slang or a pidgin term used back home in Nigeria and other parts of Africa that simply illustrates something unbelievable, makes you speechless or leaves you flabbergasted.


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