Getting ready for a mini cleanse/detox using the TTM

Hello friends,

Okay, so we’ve all heard about a detoxification or a cleansing before.

Detoxification and Cleansing is an internal cleaning that aids the body in removing toxins and adding much needed nutrients to the cells.

Think of you digestive system as a drainage system; drainage systems gets clogged and dirty and so does our bodies. Detoxification & Cleansing of the body will get it cleaned and unclogged. The benefits of detoxifying and cleansing the body of toxic waste are numerous:

• Helps to clear the skin

• Purify the blood

• Improve digestion and bowel movements

• Improve immune function

• Improve function of all body organs

The TTM or the Transtheoretical Model. 

The Stages of Change of the TTM looks at a person’s readiness to change behavior(s). There are 5 stages of Change:

1. Precontemplation -  This stage involves not even considering changing a behavior; may be in denial
2. Contemplation – Thinking about changing behavior (s) in the distant future.
3. Preparation – This change involves actively thinking about changing behavior(s) in the near future; steps have been taken to prepare for the behavior change.
4.   Action – this stage involves recently changed behavior; an overt change.
5.  Maintenance – In this change, behavior(s) has been changed; old behaviors are the things of the past.

 So, where am I on the stages of change as I embark on this mini fruit & vegetable juice detox?

I’m currently at the Preparation stage. To prepare I’ve generated several juice and green smoothie recipes (may be salads). If you want me to share some of those with you, please let me know. 

I think it’s important to determine the length of a detox. I’m doing this for a minimum of 3 days. Fruit & vegetables only! I’ve only done this for 24 hours before and to be honest this is not an easy task and I don't think think it's crazy!

Are you ready to begin a cleansing and detox program?

 

**Please be sure that I am not qualified to give medical or nutritional advice.**

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Why do we need 'Men's Health Fairs' in the Caribbean?

Hello my beautiful friends,

I am very excited to bring this video to you. The video pretty much speaks for itself; therefore, I won't add too much writing.

The video that you are about to watch is a 'Men's health fair' put together in St. Lucia today to encourage men to participate in regular health screenings and check-ups.

Men on average are less likely to engage in regular health screenings. I know this is especially true in the Caribbean. 

While conducting interviews for my graduate thesis, one of the participants who is Jamaican, shares this, which is echoed throughout this video:

"I really don’t know and the thing with that is that back at home, they have this thing where men, you would almost never see a man at the hospital, unless it’s really severe. So, primary healthcare for men is deemed as something that women do; and unless you are really, really sick, you’re (i.e. men) not going to get your regular check-up. So, even though they have it (i.e. diabetes), I don’t even think they would know per se, but that’s all I can say."

So, yes I was delighted to see that programming is looking to encourage men to take more of an active role in their health. As a Public Health professional like me, this is so exciting!

What do you think? I would love to hear what you think?

Take Care,

Slavery, Segregation, Racism at the root of race-based health disparities in the U.S.

SLAVERY, SEGREGATION, RACISM  at the root of race-based HEALTH-DISPARITIES in the U.S.

The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story 

- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I wrote a blog post on race-based health disparities entailing how blacks and other non-white groups continue to suffer disproportionately from almost every disease and illness imaginable. This blog post will shed light on how history, mainly the institution of slavery has contributed to race-based health disparities visible within the black community today. 

This is a sensitive topic, but as a Black woman (Afro-Caribbean) and upcoming professional in the health field, I wanted to provide sound research to dispel some myths that state black people do not care about their health, or that these disparities are solely a result of personal health behaviors, because that is just FALSE.

It is simply FALSE to say that people of color don’t care about their health. Do we really think that people prefer sickness as opposed to being happy and healthy?! No. Therefore, to direct assault on an entire group of people, is to ignore the institution of slavery and other acts of oppression, colonization, and exclusion that have been supported by governments here in the U.S. and around the world.

I think it is important to state that American politics, laws, policies and programs did not exist to serve the interests of everyone, especially that of Black folk. Slavery created a power dynamic that resulted in Black individuals experiencing high levels of oppression and exclusion that’s has a direct impact on socioeconomic status, health, and overall well-being.

To engage in debates and discussions on race based health disparities, we must get at the root cause of the issue and we must acknowledge and highlight slavery, because health disparities did not happen overnight. Disparities in health and health care have existed for centuries. Black people in the U.S. and in the diaspora have experienced poorer health than other groups from the very beginning of slavery. I think it’s important to put health disparities in this historical context that many researchers and academia seem to never mention.

The end of slavery was followed by the Reconstruction Era and the “Jim Crow’ period. During this period, laws limited and prohibited Black people from living. They could not exercise their voting rights and were reduced to substandard education, employment, and healthcare. Segregation in health care played a significant role in the health status of American Blacks. Black hospitals and nurse training schools existed in the 1920s, because black people experienced pervasive racism and discrimination in white hospitals at the time. In the early part of the C.20^th, medical schools for Black doctors were created, because most existing medical schools would not admit Black students.

In 1932, 399 Black men thought they were being treated for syphilis, only to realize that 40 years later, that they part of an immoral experiment by the United States Public Health Service to examine how syphilis run its course if left untreated. They were never told that they were infected with syphilis, nor were they ever treated for it. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the men were told they were being treated for "bad blood," a local term used to describe several illnesses, including syphilis, anemia and fatigue. The men were intentionally not treated and were refused medication to cure this disease even when a cure was found for it. As a result, they infected their wives and wives then infected their children upon birth. In 1947, when the story was leaked to the media, the Public Health Service were forced to stop, but by that time dozens of the men had died, and many wives and children had been infected. The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is a prime example as to why Blacks are distrustful of health professionals and institutions. 

So, please let’s not pretend that health status of Black people in this country is the fault of their own, because it is NOT. The systems put in place during and after slavery has created opportunities where Black individuals are disproportionately affected by illness and diseases in comparison to other racial groups, especially their White counterparts. The reasons for race-based health disparities have been documented by many researchers in the U.S., and they all stem from the institution of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, discrimination, and racism.  It is necessary to examine and bring into context the root causes of those disparities that we see so clearly today. Unfortunately, these health disparities will continue to threaten and hamper efforts to improve the nation’s health if they are not addressed.

These are my thoughts.

Sources:

http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~epihc/currentissue/fall2002/williams-johnson.php

Mwachofi, A., & WaMwachofi, N. (2010). Modeling health inequities research in context and the minority researcher’s role. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 3(3), 21-42.

 http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/jul/tuskegee/

http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume82003/No1Jan2003/RaceandHealth.html

Zinn, H. (1980). A people’s history of the United States covering the period 1945-60. New York: Harper & Row publishers, 1980.

It’s Diabetes Alert Day. Take the CDC quiz

Hello guys,

 

 According to the CDC, an estimated one of every three U.S. adults has pre-diabetes, yet just 7% of those with pre-diabetes know they have it. Pre-diabetes increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This widget helps users learn whether they are at risk for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. For more information visit the CDC site here.

CDC Pre-diabetes Screening Test Widget

 I took the quiz and I am very low risk? What's did you find out about your risk for pre-diabetes?

Hydrating Fruit & Vegetable Juices + Juice Recipe

Hey guys, 

I really wanted to share this bit of information with you that I've been researching, because I know you like me and you visit my blog on a regular basis.

In this post, I wanted to share the benefits of hydrating you body again, NOT with water but with FRUIT & VEGETABLE JUICES instead.

www.liliashealthbook.blogspot.com

It is essential  that you stay hydrated so as to keep you energized, feeling well and removing waste from the body. Fruit and vegetables juices are packed with essential minerals and nutrients that you might not necessarily get from plain ole water.

The best hydrating vegetables are the ones with a high water content. These include:

Cucumber                             Celery

Iceberg Lettuce                          Tomatoes                  Zucchini

The best hydrating fruits with a high water content include:

 Melon                              Apricot                    Orange              

Pineapple                    Peach                             Cantaloupe

Foods like these with a high water content are nutrient dense, meaning that you get more nutrients for the fewest amount of calories. 

Now the Recipe:

In a juicer combine:

stalks of celery

apples

1-2 lemons ( no need to peel)

 cucumber(s)......Enjoy!

Take care,

Tips on Eating Healthier

Hello lovely people,

In this post, I have outlined a few tips for anyone who's ready to make healthier changes to their diet. These tips still hold true for me even though I eat a relative healthy diet each day.

Now that you've made the change to eat healthier, you want o make sure that you keep it that way. I hope these tips are helpful for you.

1. Make a conscious decision to eat an extra fruit or vegetable each day, whether that they are eaten in their whole form, blended or juiced. For example, I eat at least 2 fruits each day (usually a banana and orange or a banana and an apple). I've made the decision to  berries in my diet.

2. Dedicate a day to not eating any processed foods. That's no junk food, fries (unless you made them yourself), or fast food. Pretty soon you can extend that day to 2 days or more. Personally, I dedicate Saturday to only juicing and green smoothies.

3. Choose healthier snack options. I always gravitate to fruits, nuts or low fat yogurt.

4. Drink more water throughout the day instead of sugary drinks, sodas etc. Your body will thank you!

5. Plan out your meals ahead of time. This way you're more likely to eat healthier, instead of getting any and everything during your lunch break because you're hungry. I've been there and I don't like the feeling.

6. Make small changes to your diet. I don't recommend 'cold turkey,' because you're more likely to feel frustrated and overwhelmed, making it easier to gravitate to old habits. Reward yourself at each successful change. Doing so will motivate you to make more changes.

It requires discipline, dedication and focus to drastic changes to one's diet and lifestyle. However, the more you practice you have the easier it becomes, and eating healthier becomes second nature.

Stay tuned for an awesome juicing recipe using beets. I was skeptical at first...until I tried it.

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On the journey to clear skin (update): Getting rid of acne (with food)

Hello lovely people:

Remember this blog post on the connection between food and acne.

 

Well, it has being about 2 months now and I have to say that with daily fruit and vegetables juices and fruit and vegetable smoothies, I can say that I have seen a difference in a my skin. For the most part, I have less acne and what I'm working on right now is getting rid of acne scars (which is another beast). I have incorporated Aloe Vera gel  and weekly exfoliation in my healthy skin care regimen to fade the scars.

I wanted to elaborate a bit on that post to shed more light on the subject and help others take care of their skin: 

Acne is an internal problem, as in what you put inside your body, as well as what you don't put in does have a dramatic effect on the appearance of skin.

 

There are two ways that the body works to get rid of waste and toxins in our body:
1. through the colon (bowel movements)
2. through the kidneys (urination)

When it comes to the colon, diet plays a huge role in allowing the body to properly eliminate waste. This is the whole deal with fiber. Fiber helps waste move through the digestive tract to be eliminated. You want to eat foods high in fiber, such a whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to help with this process. Water is also very important. I'm sure you've heard people often say how important water is as well. Water helps the kidneys to properly get rid of waste. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. Every organ and cell in the body needs water and there's a lot of them. So drink up on water!

How acne affects the skin

The problem lies when the body is not getting enough water and fiber via the diet. As a result bowel movements are not regular (should be everyday if you are eating the right stuff) and the kidney are not able to function optimally. If the kidneys and bowels are not able to eliminate waste efficiently, it uses the skin to do so. Elimination via the skin often manifests in bumps, cysts, pustules, acne, pimples, inflammation etc. This is why I am using quality, raw and highly nutritious foods to get at the root of this issue.

Of course there are other factors that play a role in the development of acne, such as stress, lack of sleep, hormones, certain medications etc. Find out what's causing your acne. Here's a link below.

The Clear Skin Diet: Foods that bring acne relief.

I  hope this was helpful to you. Take care. Please Comment and Follow for more posts.