About three months ago, I came across a post from a young woman on BlogHer who was encouraging women to write letters to their bodies. She was suffering from fibroids and it was taking a toll on her body. It was phenomenal and so inspiring, that I wanted to share the idea with my readers. I know many of you don’t blog so you wouldn’t hear about it unless you were a member or frequent visitor of BlogHer.  So I have provided you a snippet of my letter to my body and encourage you to write one, share it with the rest of us and/or pass on the idea to other women. You will soon realize a new appreciation for this amazing shell of skin, bones, organs, limbs and arteries that get you through on a daily basis. One way of truly taking care of our health as women, is really learning to love who we are - both physically and mentally. How we feel about it, can be a determining factor of how we take care of it. Remember, it’s the only body we have and it’s on loan. So, tell me how do you feel about your body? Here’s how I feel about mine:

Dear Body,

Thank you for always being strong for me, even when I didn’t treat you as well as I could have. I am trying really hard to take care of you now because I know that without you, there is really no me. You help me get to work EVERYDAY. You help me to breathe, eat, sleep, laugh, cry, feel, love and the list goes on. Wow, what would I do without you? I really don’t know. I think about how helpless I would be without you. I think about how blessed I am that I have two great working legs, two working arms, that I have vision, smell and touch. I think how blessed I am to be able to hear so well (sometimes too well) and that my feet keep me going, going and going. How do you it? How do you stay intact, even when I am not doing what I am supposed to at times?  

I have to tell you, I have really turned over a new style of eating to ensure you get what you need, so you can give me what I need. It’s not easy, but I guess being my body isn’t easy either. At the age of 35, I am finally learning to love you and appreciate all of the curves you have bestowed upon me. Yes, my hips frustrate me at times, but I know that they are there for a reason. Oh and my thighs, well I just keep trying to run so those stay toned and firm. Oh yeah, my feet? They are still a tiny bit of an inner struggle, even though I know at 5′10″ I would look awkward with size 8s instead of a size 10.5. But I thank you for those too, so I can stand tall with pride. Well, like I said in the beginning, I don’t know what I would do without you. I have so much more I can say about you, but know that I will spend the rest of my life taking care of you and keeping you healthy. I have to thank my mother though for taking care of her body when she was pregnant with me, to give me what I needed in the womb to have such a strong and amazing body!

Love, Savvyhealthgirl

While I think everyday should be about women’s health, it’s great that the U.S. Office on Women’s Health designates, annually, a week in May to highlight the importance of women’s health. This year National Women’s Health Week begins on May 11 (Mother’s Day) -17th, with National Women’s Check-Up day being on Monday, may 12. This week is about empowering women to take action around their health, taking the steps to a healthier lifestyle and making healthier choices. Monday specifically is about encouraging women around the country to get check-ups, whether it is your annual Pap smear, breast exam, cholesterol, physical exam, oral check-up or eyes. This is the day for you to pay special attention to your body, your health and your wellness. 

In addition to the week, the Office on Women’s Health is also launching the WOMAN Challenge which also starts on the 11th but goes through July 5. It is an eight-week physical (exercise) challenge for better health among women and girls. The great thing is it’s free and you can start your own team at work, with friends or family. There are some great tools on the website to get you started on your challenge. All you have to do is register! The website is http://4women.gov/woman/index.cfm 

I hope that you will use the next week to pay even more attention to your health. If you have been procrastinating and saying oh this is the month I am going to eat healthier or work-out more, here’s your opportunity and a great time to start. Get some other women involved too, you never know who may be wanting to do the same thing as you, but need a partner or extra push too. 

Happy National Women’s Health Week!

Annually the Tom Joyner Morning Show stresses the importance and urges the Black community to go and obtain necessary screenings for chronic disease such as diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as screenings for prostate cancer and others. This campaign is called Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day and it’s today. So much fear lies within the community about what the screenings will reveal or what the doctor will say, that individuals would rather just not know. As a result, they allow a lot of unnecesary illnesses or health issues languish or evolve. When in fact, the health issue could have resolved by the screening/test or caught early on to prevent further health complications. This of course, is one reason why the Black community has some of the highest rates in obesity, heart diease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension than any other ethnic group. So often, these health issues go unseen and unknown, when many of them can be prevented.

I urge and encourage you to not only overcome your own fear, if it exists, but help someone you know overcome their fear by going together to get screened. For me the fear is NOT knowing what I can do to prevent an illness or problem, or how I can improve it. I would rather know what I can do now so I can lead a healthier life in the future. Remember, your body is on loan, it is your temple and it must be taken care of better than you would your house, car or business. Without your health, what do you have?

Take a loved one to the doctor today and experience what an impact you can have on someone else’s life and yours.

“Who if not us, will be responsible for our children?”

I am sure many of you heard on the news Monday night or read the paper yesterday morning about the results of the first national study looking at the four common STDs among girls and young women. To say the least, the results were startling. Especially for young African American adolescents and young women. Just in case you need a recap of the results or didn’t hear about it yet here is some information.

• The study found that 1 in 4 girls/young women are infected with at least one of the diseases — HPV (human papillomarvirus), chlamydia, genital herpes and trichomoniasis, a common parasite.
• Nearly half (48%) of the African American girls, ages 14-19 that particpiated in the study, were infected with at least one of the diseases.  This figure is compared with 20% of white adolescents. 
• The two most common STDs were HPV (18%) and chylamyida (4%). 
• Among the infected women, 15 percent had more than one of the diseases.

I actually called CDC yesterday to get some clarificaiton of the numbers and statements released by the NY times, because I felt some of the data revealed was unclear and could be confusing to those outside of the public health world. Like this statement for example  – “Nearly half of the young African-American women (48 percent) were infected with an STD, compared to 20 percent of young white women.” - This is a direct quote from CDC’s press release and the NY times. It just didn’t sit well with me so I dug deeper. CDC was gracious enough to provide me with the presentation slides of the individual who led the study (it’s now accessible to the public). Did it provide clarity? Yes! Are the results still startling for young, black girls? Unfortunately, yes. 

Out of 587 girls, aged 14-19, who were found to have a STI;  221 (47.7%) of them were Black, non-Hispanic. Although the data from this study was taken from 2003-2004, there is still reason to be concerned TODAY about ALL of our young girls. From my experience, I don’t think the numbers would change much it were 2007 data. So I ask you again, “who if not us, will be responsible for our childlren?”  We have to ask ourselves are we making our girls a priority? Some of us may say yes and some of us may not know. But what we should all know is that an epidemic is upon our young girls and many of them will die of cervical cancer or HIV/AIDS before they are 40, if we don’t address it now! That possibility, truly breaks my heart.

The reality is so much of it is preventable. It truly starts with teaching our young girls and women about self respect, self worth and self love.  As we teach them these things, the health information should be folded in, so they are not ignorant on what is going on in their worlds. The world of today’s youth is so different than our world at their age. Accessibility is beyond what we could have ever imagined and it starts earlier! I urge you to seize a teachable moment whenever you are around a young girl or woman that you know. For those who work with young people, everyday is a teachable moment. For those who work on behalf of young people, continue providing quality programs and resources. For Moms, Dads, grandmothers, guardians and so on… don’t be afraid to have a discussion about these issues with your teen. Someone lied when they said “Ignorance is bliss.” The more you let them talk to you, the more you will know and the better guidance you can provide.

Let’s make our girls a priority in 2008 and beyond.

Why is it that you seem to get “the blahs” more in the winter than in the spring or summer? It’s not like there is anything necessarily wrong with your life or in your life, but you just sometimes feel like you have less energy than usual. Well at least that is how I feel and I am sure many of you can relate. Sometimes you just don’t feel like doing anything . . . cleaning the house, working, or reading a book. Lying on the sofa or in the bed is just so much more appealing, isn’t it? The paranoia in me got me to thinking “am I depressed and don’t know it?” I haven’t even had the urge to write, which is why the blog has been slightly lacking over the last two weeks. I always know there is something wrong when I don’t want to write and my only desire is to consume chocolate chip cookies and watch Hitch for the 7th time.  

So I started doing a little research and found that what I have been feeling is extremely common. According to a Canadian study, 90% of the people they surveyed indicated they had the winter blahs. Not to be confused with the winter blues or seasonal affective disorder, which is a form of depression.  With shorter days in the winter, we get less sunshine and less Vitamin D, which is known to improve individuals’ moods and reduce depression. (Just think how great you feel on a beautiful sunny day). Did you ever wonder why you may be more cranky, moody and sluggish from November to March? Well it has a lot to do with not so many sunny days to wake up to, lots of nasty weather, and less opportunities for being outside. It’s also a time where we are not as physically active. Almost everything I read indicated that some form of exercise is great for curing the “winter blahs.” I must say the last couple of days I have worked out and it has helped a bit. So as I try to kick these blahs, I thought I would share with you my thoughts on what may help us all through these not-so-great days. Here are a few of my suggestions and a few from different sources that I thought were good.   

• Find something that you like to do that will get you up and moving, or just take your mind off of feeling blah. Try a new recipe or give your bedroom a new look. A new activity may improve your mood.
• Open the blinds or curtains for some sunshine and crack the windows for a bit of fresh air. Release the stale and dry air that is lingering in your house that may be making you feel cooped up and sluggish. 
• Exercise or do some form of physical activity. Try a new exercise class like Power Yoga or Cardio Funk. Salsa dancing is on my list! The energy you will get from exercising is definitely a mood-lifter.
• Visit friends you haven’t seen in a while. Catching up with friends just makes you feel good, especially when there is laughter involved. A good laugh is priceless.
• Take your vitamins. We need our vitamins even more in the winter months to help fight off viruses and colds, as well as maintain our energy. We are definitely more sluggish in the winter and vitamins help a lot.
• Meditate and massage. Do both! Clearing your mind and releasing tension from your body can help increase your positivity. The blahs can often lead us into negative thinking. So staying positive is important.
• Do something different with your look. Get a haircut, try a new hair color or wear a color you don’t usually wear. This will surely brighten your mood and get people to notice that certain “Je ne sais quoi” about you.

Friday, February 1st is National Wear Red Day in honor of raising awareness about women and heart disease. So ladies (and men) pull out your best red outfit and show your support for this very important cause and health issue that is the number one killer of women in the United States. Of course you know I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t give you a few statistics. Here are some very important things you need to know about women and heart disease.

•  Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.
• One in every three women dies of heart disease. One in 30 dies of breast cancer.
  African American women are more likely than other groups of women to die from heart disease.
• Heart disease is the #1 killer for Latina/Hispanic women in the U.S. (High rates of diabetes, lack of exercise and obesity put this group at a higher risk for heart disease).
• Women’s heart disease risk starts to rise in middle age.
• About 3 million American women have had a heart attack.
• Two-thirds of American women who have had a heart attack don’t make a full recovery.
• Nearly two-thirds of American women who die suddenly of a heart attack had no prior symptoms.
• Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent just by leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Only 20 percent of women consider heart disease to be their own greatest health risk.

If you have heart disease or know someone that does, the National Wear Red Day website has some great fact sheets focusing on women with heart disease. Also, if you want to get one or a bunch of those cute, red dress pins, go to the National Wear Red Day website to order them.

Like breast cancer, this is a very important issue to me because it hits very close to home. In 2000, my mother suffered a mild heart attack and had to receive an angioplasty to reopen her clogged heart arteries. She was and to some extent still is on several different types of medication to keep her heart “in check.” Like many women suffering from heart problems, she has to take aspirin everyday for the rest of her life, in addition to exercising regularly, eating healthy and reducing stress.  A small price to pay for having a longer and healthier life. But as we all know, making significant life changes is not easy and often a challenge no matter how healthy we want to be. Needless to say, my mother has her moments of weakness where cheesecake is a must have, but she has not had a recurring attack. Which is an absolute blessing!

The fact sheet I suggested above discusses medication and is important to read if you have heart disease or know someone who does. I say this because my mother suffered from so many different types of symptoms (i.e. depression, bruising, weight gain) as a result of the medication, that it became frustrating to her. Who wants to take medication when it causes you other problems? I urge you to ask as many questions as you want with your physician. If you don’t understand something tell them. Remember, you are your best health advocate! 

My mother and I will both be wearing red on Friday, February 1st in honor of all women and their families affected by heart disease. I hope you will do the same, because not one of us is truly exempt from heart problems or heart disease.

I have so many girlfriends who have either had babies within the last six months or who are having babies within the next six months. I am so happy for each of them and their wonderful new blessings. I am even happier that they are saving me $35 a month because they are truly the BEST birth control any single woman could ever have!!

Seriously, some of them are on their very first and a few are already on their second. Each is having different pregnancy experiences than the other, but they are all experiencing one of the most wonderful yet stressful life events ever. One of my girlfriends who is having her first baby asked me to write a post about pregnancy and stress. So this is for her and all women who are planning a pregnancy, are currently pregnant or looking to be pregnant again. I hope the information is helpful.

One can only imagine what goes through a woman’s mind when she first finds out she is going to have a baby. She is probably filled with joy, excitement, anxiety, worry and a maybe even a little fear. In talking to several friends who have a baby or are having a baby, they have shared their fears or anxiety about “knowing what to do.” Who wouldn’t have such fears if you have NEVER done this before. It’s not quite like learning to ride a bike. You are carrying a life inside of you that is dependent on you for everything! Talk about pressure on a soon-to-be mom. The questions she asks herself are endless - - What do or don’t I eat? What do or don’t I drink? How much should I stand or walk? Is the way I’m sleeping hurting the baby? Know that these are very natural questions to ask and yes can sometimes cause you a little anxiety or stress. But do your best not to stress over these things. Perhaps making a list of questions to ask your doctor at each appointment or using a pregnancy guide like Baby Basics (offered by the What to Expect Foundation) may provide answers for some of your concerns.

I am sure you have heard or been told that stress can be harmful to your baby. While true, generally this caution is referring to chronic or high levels of stress. Within the past few years, there have been an increased number of studies that show chronic stress can have a negative impact on pregnancy as it is related to pre-term births and other adverse birth outcomes. Therefore, one of the most important things a woman can do during her pregnancy is to remove chronic or high-level stress from her life when possible. The death of a loved one, change in financial status, or another life-changing event may cause some unusually high stress. When something like this does happen during your pregnancy, there are a few methods you can try to reduce your level of stress.

The March of Dimes suggests a few simple things soon-to-be moms can do to help out with all levels of sress:

There is nothing worse than dry and itchy skin! The one thing I loathe the most about the winter is having dry skin, especially on my elbows, hands and feet. It’s as if all of the moisture you stored up from the warmer months disappears completely when the cold air arrives. I know this is my anal behavior revealing its ugly head again, but I actually keep a heavy hand cream (i.e. Eucerin) near my bed because my hands can become so dry in the middle of the night. Yes, I sometimes wake up to put on hand lotion. What’s wrong with that? Dry skin can be very annoying when you are trying to sleep. I have found that putting it on beforehand works well. Apparently, wearing moisturizing gloves to bed, work too, but that just doesn’t seem comfortable. Also, putting petroleum jelly or similar on your feet and then sleeping with socks will keep your feet very moisturized. Dry and cracked feet are just not cute when you are trying to spoon with your honey.

Why is your skin drier in the winter and colder climates? It is true that the moisture is reduced and humidity decreases during these times. The heating units in our homes and our places of employment suck up what little moisture is left in the air. Because our bodies lose moisture in the cold, it can be very uncomfortable with cracked skin and ashy legs and arms.

The National Women’s Health Resource Center has some basic cures for your dry, dull and ashy skin this winter.

Well it seems that we women are extremely concerned about the germs we can potentially acquire from being in a very unsanitary environment. The Germs, Germs, Germs post received more hits in the last couple of days, than any other post! So I thought I would stay with the theme and provide more information about other ways we can reduce our intake of nasty germs, like by washing our hands. With the colder months in progress, we are also in cold and flu season. Which means lots of germs floating around in the air and landing just about everywhere. Did you know a sneeze can travel up to 80 miles per hour across a room? Yes! (Oh boy, my germ-a-phobe scale is steadily rising). Also, when you sneeze or cough, tiny respiratory droplets are released into the air from a person’s mouth or nose. And my friends think I’m odd because I cringe and slightly duck after hearing someone release a wet sneeze nearby when I know they didn’t cover their mouth. Nodding your head? Then you know exactly what I am talking about.

Well, you should also know that bacteria and viruses can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like desks, doorknobs and restaurant/cafeteria tables. I am sure you have all noticed that several restaurants have even started placing trash cans by the restroom door, because they are very aware that people do not want to touch the doorknob, without using a papertowel, when leaving. Doorknobs carry a lot of germs and many people still don’t wash their hands after using the toilet!

This is definitely the time to be even more conscious of washing your hands, especially if you are a mother, about to become a mother in the next few months, or work around small children. For my moms, you want to carry home the least amount of germs as possible, especially if you have small children, who are constantly putting things in their mouths. For my moms-to-be, well you can’t take anything more than Sudafed and drink tea if you get sick, so we want to keep you as healthy as possible. For my women who work around small children, well let’s just say lots of runny noses, lots of coughing and using little hands to wipe these away. Wash your hands a lot!! While many of our immune systems are strong enough to ward off some germs, there are some that we can only get rid of by washing our hands. It is the easiest and most effective way to protect ourselves from most germs and most infections. Thanks to the Mayo Clinic, I found some great tips about hand washing properly and when it is most critical for you to wash your hands.

Here is the proper way to wash your hands:

Wet your hands with warm, running water and apply liquid soap or use clean bar soap. Lather well.
Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 to 20 seconds.
Scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
Rinse well.
Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel.
Use the towel to turn off the faucet.

Wash your hands after doing these things:

After using the toilet
After changing a diaper — wash the diaper-wearer’s hands, too
After touching animals or animal waste
Before and after preparing food, especially before and immediately after handling raw meat, poultry or fish
Before eating
After blowing your nose
After coughing or sneezing into your hands
Before and after treating wounds or cuts
Before and after touching a sick or injured person
After handling garbage
Before inserting or removing contact lenses
When using public restrooms, such as those in airports, train stations, bus stations and restaurants

You need to know that a alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a great alternative to soap and water if it’s unavailable. They are actually more effective than soap and water in killing bacteria and viruses that can cause disease. But, know that CDC recommends that you use only “alcohol-based” sanitzers and contain at least 60% of alcohol.

Now that I have totally freaked each of you out with all of this talk about germs, coughs, and respiratory droplets, at least you are more aware of how to stay healthy this winter. Just think how great it will feel to not have to blow your nose a hundred times because you took a few extra steps and time to wash your hands more.

As someone who travels all of the time, works in public health and is a bit of a germ-a-phobe; I am constantly thinking about the germs in hotel rooms. I obsess in the middle of the night, when I have to get up to use the bathroom about putting on my slippers, because I have no idea what is going on with the floor. I often think I should pack my own Lysol spray, but they don’t sell the travel sizes anymore. Darn!!! Well, thank goodness for travel Lysol wipes! Now, for all of you who think that is a bit over-the-top, watch this video on how hotels don’t clean their glasses in the room, then tell me if you have changed your minds.

How many of you are you completely disgusted now? AND want to start carrying your own plastic glasses wherever you travel? Are you wondering how this relates to women’s health? Well, in case you didn’t know, you may be at risk for a staph infection, herpes and a little bit more from drinking out of these dirty glasses. Also, women that are breastfeeding and newborns are at greater risk than others. Staph infections can result in mastitis (inflammation of the breast) or in abscess of the breast. Staphylococcal breast abscesses can release bacteria into the mother’s milk. Which of course can be transmitted to a nursing infant. Individuals with cancer, diabetes and lung disease are also at a higher risk for a staph infection.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I will be taking any chances on the drinking glasses in any hotel room, including five star hotels. Remember, not every 5 star hotel has 5 star housekeeping. I usually don’t drink out of them anyway, but I do store my toothbrush in them. Not anymore! I won’t even go into the other germy items in a hotel (like the comforter/spread). I will just stop my germ-a-phobe madness here.