Health Archives - Page 80 of 90

A Traditional Story of Picking Strawberries, Redheads and Love

By Dale Carson, Indian Country Today Media Network

Lenonah and her family lived by a wide creek; they had all the water and natural foods they needed to survive and be happy. Lenonah was known for her beautiful, long, almost black hair and for her very good foraging skills. She could pick baskets and baskets full of berries faster than her sisters and her mother.

There were many berry-pickin’ places near their lodge, and the girls knew them all, except for a couple only Lenonah knew about. Lenonah was quite fond of wild strawberries and ate most of what she picked. One day, her sisters noticed that her beautiful long hair was getting lighter and lighter—nearly red! They were worried, but Lenonah didn’t think anything of it. She thought it could only be the strawberries making this so.

In those times, humans and animals could speak to one another. She talked with her friends muskrat and frog about what was happening to her hair. Frog was not alarmed, but muskrat was concerned and told her she should stop eating so many berries. He thought her hair color would make it too easy for those who wished her harm to find her, or worse, her secret picking places. From that day on, she never ate another wild strawberry, but she always wanted to. One day she was foraging near one of her old secret wild strawberry places and saw a handsome young red-haired man in the middle of the patch. He waved to her. They saw each other again, many times and fell in love. He told her his hair had once been long and nearly black but he loved wild strawberries so much he couldn’t stop eating them. She told him of her talk with frog and muskrat and why she stopped eating her beloved wild berries. He said if she would marry him he would protect her and she could eat all the berries she wanted; he would love her whether her hair was black or red. They married and had many children and grandchildren. So every time you see people with strawberry red hair, think of Lenonah, her husband and their happy life near a strawberry patch.

Strawberry Leaf Tea

Pick leaves from the strawberry plant late in the summer. Put them on paper towels on a screen and dry in the sun or a 125-degree oven overnight. When thoroughly dry, crumble the leaves and put in a clean airtight container.

My own grandmother swore they would cure anything, especially a cold. They contain a lot of vitamin C, so she may have been right. The tea likes to be sweetened with honey. The Wampanoag word for strawberry leaves is wuttahimnasippa-quash.

Strawberry Bread Pudding

This is a VERY rich dessert and wonderful for special occasions as a memorable treat. First is the pudding recipe; the sauce recipe follows.

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup honey

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

6 cups day old bread, cubed

2 cups strawberries, hulled

Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

3 egg yolks

¼ cup real maple syrup

Pinch salt

Bring sauce ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly. Remove from heat, put pan in a larger pan of ice water to cool.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Use a large bowl to mix eggs, sugar, honey, spices, salt and cream. Fold in the bread and let it set for 15 minutes. Pour this into a greased 9X13-inch cake pan and gently fold in the strawberries. Cover with foil. Bake 45-50 minutes. Let cool. Serve the sauce on the side or pour over individual servings.

Dale Carson, Abenaki, is the author of three books: New Native American Cooking, Native New England Cooking and A Dreamcatcher Book. She has written about and demonstrated Native cooking techniques for more than 30 years. Dale has four grown children and lives with her husband in Madison, Connecticut.

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/04/20/traditional-story-picking-strawberries-redheads-and-love-148866

Free By The Bay

A Celebration of Recovery, Friday, April 19, 6pm – Midnight, Tulalip Resort Casino, Orca Ballroom

Eight Great Healthy Reasons to Put On a Smile

By Melissa Cavendar, Occupational Health and Safety, Tulalip Tribes

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive

We are drawn to people who smile. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away — but a smile draws them in, it makes them curious of why we are smiling and happy.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don’t go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day — you’ll look younger and feel better.Just smiling can require your body to use up to 53 muscles, but some smiles only use 5 muscle movements.

Snohomish County 2013 Walk MS

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Location: View with Google Maps
Address: Tulalip Amphitheatre, 10400 Quil Ceda Blvd, Tulalip, WA
Site Opens: 9:00 a.m.
Route Length: 2.4 miles

What if we could connect every person living with MS? Every person who cares about someone with MS. Every family affected by it. Everyone who has seen what this disease can do to people. What if we could come together, even one day a year, to show the power of our connections? At Walk MS, our connections become more powerful than the connections MS destroys.

When you participate in Walk MS, the funds you raise give hope to the more than 12,000 people living with MS in our community, and more than 72,000 others whose lives are directly impacted (family members, friends, co-workers, and caregivers). The dollars raised support life-changing programs and cutting-edge research.

If you would like more information about Walk MS, or the Greater Northwest Chapter and the services we provide, please use the contact information below.

General Questions: walkMSnorthwest@nmss.org
Donations: waswebdonations@nmss.org
Website: waswebsite@nmss.org

Check your child’s shot record to ensure full protection

Early vaccination works best — National Infant Immunization Week, April 21-28

Source: Snohomish County Health District

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – Parents want to protect their children, but they might not know about some of today’s vaccines or the serious diseases they prevent, such as polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, and whooping cough. These diseases can be especially serious for infants and young children – witness the Lake Stevens infant who died in the whooping cough epidemic that swept Snohomish County last year. More than 35,000 cases of whooping cough were reported across the United States last year, including 15 infant deaths. The majority of these deaths were among infants younger than 3 months of age.

Medical providers are standing by in Snohomish County to help you ensure your child is fully immunized against 16 vaccine-preventable childhood diseases during National Infant Immunization Week, April 21-28.Vaccination is so important that Washington state subsidizes shots for children under age 19. Families are asked to pay an office visit and administration fee. These charges may be waived if the family cannot pay.

Vaccinate kids on time. Overseen locally by the Snohomish Health District, the state’s Vaccines for Children program enrolls and assists 84 health care professionals to safely stock and administer vaccines according to the recommended childhood immunization schedule. The Health District also immunizes children at its clinics in Lynnwood and Everett.

Vaccinate completely. A recent sample of local medical records showed about 25 percent patients aged 3 months-10 years were not up to date with the recommended whooping cough shots. Forty-nine percent of children 19-35 months of age in Snohomish County do not have complete vaccination records on file in the state’s central immunization registry.(Source: Washington State Department of Health, Child Profile Immunization Registry, 2010).

All vaccinators are encouraged to enter immunization information into the state’s Washington Immunization Information System, formerly known as Child Profile. Ask your pediatrician and family practice doctor if they participate, and check your family’s immunization status.

Vaccinate during pregnancy. In response to recent whooping cough outbreaks in several states, including Washington, the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices advises all pregnant women to get adult whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) during each pregnancy, ideally in the third trimester. The antibodies formed will provide disease protection until the child is old enough to begin the vaccine series at two months of age. If Tdap is not given during pregnancy, women should get the vaccine as soon as possible following birth to prevent them from getting pertussis and passing it along to a newborn.

Flu vaccine is also recommended for pregnant women, so a baby is born with protection until it can receive flu vaccine at 6 months of age. To protect infants under six months old, make sure that everyone near them is fully vaccinated.

Established in 1959, the Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier Snohomish County through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats. Find more information about the Health Board and the Health District at http://www.snohd.org.

How much exercise do we really need?

By Melissa Cavendar, Tulalip Tribes Health & Safety Specialist

You say you don’t have time to exercise? You’re hardly alone. For many people, lack of time is the single biggest obstacle to fitness. But, experts say, you may be overestimating how much exercise you really need to get at one time. Instead of investing an hour at the gym, what if you could get fitter with 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there through your day?

There is no question that short amounts of exercise can help you get fit, help you stay fit, and help you maintain your health. Did you know some of these exercises can fit into a 5-minute time period at work, at your desk, waiting in line in the grocery store, even driving in your car and it’s not an overwhelming task, plus, the benefits can be enormous.

So how much exercise do you really need? Most of the studies show that 5 minutes of continuous movement repeated during the day is about the bare minimum to have any effect, and fitness experts believe 10 minutes is more realistic.

Simple movements, such as standing up super-straight, with shoulders rolled back, abdominals tight, and chin up. The main trick is to set a timer for 5 minutes and hold that posture. A quick fitness routine could include functional movements such as repeatedly standing up and sitting down in a chair, bending down and picking objects up off the floor, or putting something on a high shelf, taking it down, and putting it back up again, until your five minutes are up. (Think Spring cleaning your closet every day for 5 minutes!)

Stretching is another option for exercise and improved mobility. Just little movements each day can make a difference in how your body burns calories and tones muscles. Keep moving!

Just do as little or a lot, but remember to have or set goals and put them in place, prior to starting your movement or workout plan. So how much exercise do we really need? It is up to you! Take a walk, play with your children, walk your dog, and don’t forget that laughter is a stress reliever.

Local food code goes low-cal as state’s beefs up, May 1

Source: Snohomish County Health District

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash.– The local food regulations in Snohomish County have changed to conform to the newly revised state food laws. Three years of state-level meetings culminated in state-approved revisions to the food regulation, WAC 246-215, effective May 1. The Snohomish County Health Board passed a resolution to adopt the changes in the county at its monthly meeting, April 9.

The Snohomish Health District, which inspects about 3,250 food establishments in the county, hosted a training update to food service regulators, and posted the revised code and a summary of its changes to its website.

The new rules absorbed a good deal of the formerly more stringent local code, which is now trimmed to three areas: enforcement procedures; food service manager training and certification; and recertification training of restaurant managers and operators.

The menu of statewide changes includes hot holding temperatures of 135°F or hotter. Cut leafy greens and cut tomatoes were redefined to be potentially hazardous foods and will be required to be kept at 41°F or below.

Other revisions include updated requirements for tracking and documentation of wild mushroom harvesting, more flexible guidelines for preschools, and deletion of all but dogs and miniature horses as service animals.

Local health jurisdictions and the food service industry were represented in the three years of deliberations. The Health District also facilitates a 20-member Food Advisory Council of local food establishment owners and operators, who have followed every step of the state revision process.

Duke Study Finds Diabetes Research Concentrates on Treatment, Not Prevention

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

A recent Duke University study has found that diabetes research primarily focuses on drug therapies as opposed to prevention, reported the Huffington Post.

In a report published in the journal Diabetologia, study authors concluded that research pertaining to diabetes prevention and therapy is insufficient.

Duke scientists examined nearly 2,500 diabetes-related trials from 2007 to 2010, of which almost 75 percent emphasized diabetes treatment and only 10 percent observed preventative measures. The majority of trials, more than 63 percent, involved a drug, whereas less than 12 percent used behavioral tests.

In addition, study authors found diabetes research tends to exclude older adults and children who stand to significantly benefit from improved disease management. Adults and seniors face the highest risk of diabetes, but the condition is also on the rise among children and youth—especially in Indian country, a finding consistent with increases in obesity among Native American youth, states a U.S. Department of Agriculture 2012 report to Congress titled, “Addressing Child Hunger and Obesity in Indian Country.”

Furthermore, many trials were completed in a short time span of two years and did not include geographically diverse diabetes patients. “The majority of diabetes-related trials include small numbers of participants, exclude those at the extremes of age, are of short duration, involve drug therapy rather than preventive or non-drug interventions and do not focus upon significant cardiovascular outcomes,” the report in Diabetologi states. “Recently registered diabetes trials may not sufficiently address important diabetes care issues or involve affected populations.”

Study researcher Dr. Jennifer Green, an associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine and a member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, said the exclusion of older adults and children from these trials means that the research can’t necessarily apply to them. “We really don’t understand how best to manage disease in these patients—particularly among patients of advanced age,” she said in the statement. “So the exclusion of them from most studies and the small number of trials that specifically enroll older individuals is problematic.”

World Health Day: What Steps Will You Take to Stay Healthy and Cancer-Free?

Exercise through sport or dancing to stay healthy. (J. Morgan Edwards Photography)

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

April 7, 2013 is World Health Day. As part of the movement to promote healthy living, what steps will you take to stay healthy and cancer-free?

The American Cancer Society has five easy suggestions that will help keep you healthier and reduce your risk of cancer at the same time.

Get off the couch and get on the treadmill. Or on the stair stepper. Or on the elliptical. Whatever the case, get active! Now that Spring is finally here, you don’t have an excuse. Grab a loved one and go for a nice evening walk outside. The American Cancer Society recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily for adults, so get moving!

Eating fresh produce regularly may reduce your risk of cancer.

Avoid drinking in excess. If you drink, limit alcohol to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. The American Cancer Society has found that drinking damages body tissue and increases the risk of cancer. Is the extra drink really worth the risk?

Watch your waistband. Arlene St. John Black Bird, program director for the Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCEDP) at Cheyenne River Health Center in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, offers some dietary advice: “Research shows that poor diet is strongly linked to cancer. To stay healthy, limit red meat and avoid processed meat. Instead, try lean proteins like chicken or turkey. Making small changes to your diet can actually make a big difference.”

Get regular cancer screenings. If you have a family history of cancer, you should talk to your doctor about getting screened at an early age. Statistics show that early detection saves lives.

Be tobacco free. Tobacco use accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths. By smoking, you’re not only putting yourself at risk—you’re also jeopardizing your loved ones. Each year, about 3,400 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer as a result of breathing secondhand smoke. Quit today and keep yourself and your loved ones cancer-free.

Did you know that 2/3 of all cancers are preventable? That means following the American Cancer Society’s guidelines will reduce your risk of cancer and, potentially, save your life.

With statistics like that, it seems like a no-brainer: This World Health Day, commit to healthy living.

For more healthy living suggestions, contact the American Cancer Society at 1.800.227.2345 or www.cancer.org.

Business interests trump health concerns in fish consumption fight

“Our tribal leadership’s main responsibility is simply to protect our people,” said Marc Gauthier, a representative of the Upper Columbia United Tribes, before leaving the meeting. “It comes down to that basic human desire to protect your family.”

By Robert McClure
March 30, 2013

The Washington State Department of Ecology has known since the 1990s that its water-pollution limits have meant some Washingtonians regularly consume dangerous amounts of toxic chemicals in fish from local waterways.

At least twice, Ecology has been told by its overseers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fix the problem and better protect people’s health. Ecology was close to finally doing that last year — until Boeing and other business interests launched an intense lobbying campaign aimed not just at Ecology but also at the Washington Legislature and then-Gov. Christine Gregoire. That is the picture that emerges from recent interviews as well as government documents obtained by InvestigateWest under the Washington Public Records Law.

The problem lies in Ecology’s estimate of how much fish people eat. The lower the amount, the more water pollution Ecology can legally allow. So by assuming that people eat the equivalent of just one fish meal per month, Ecology is able to set less stringent pollution limits.

Meanwhile, citing the health benefits of fish, the state Department of Health advises people to eat fish twice a week, eight times as often as the official estimate of actual consumption. The state knows that some members of Indian tribes, immigrants and other fishermen consume locally caught seafood even more often than that and are therefore at greater risk of cancer, neurological damage and other maladies.

The Boeing Co. looms large in this story. In June 2012, Boeing said if Ecology went ahead with plans to make fish safer to eat, it would “cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars and severely hamper its ability to increase production in Renton and make future expansion elsewhere in the state cost prohibitive,” according to a Gregoire aide’s reconstruction of a conversation with a Boeing executive that month.

In July 2012, Ecology announced it would not go forward with a new rule to adjust the fish-eating estimate as planned. Instead the agency launched a “stakeholder process” that would delay any new rules for at least two years. Last week that process plodded on in Spokane, where state and local government officials and others spent more than three hours discussing the many contaminants that for years have prompted official state warnings against eating Washington fish too regularly.

“All we’ve seen is delay,” said Bart Mihailovich of the Spokane Riverkeeper environmental group, one of several that have refused to participate in the new series of meetings. “Why are we going back and doing what was already done?”

At the meeting in Spokane Thursday, a representative of Indian tribes called Ecology’s conduct “a betrayal” and explained that the tribes are boycotting the current process because it is unnecessary.

Ecology had at least one other false start in fixing the rules, back in the mid-1990s, an effort that petered out even before a rule change was proposed, said Melissa Gildersleeve, the Ecology manager overseeing the current stakeholder process. That followed a 1994 study by the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission that documented how the national estimate of one fish meal per month was greatly and regularly exceeded by some members of Indian tribes.

While who eats how much contaminated fish is a slippery and much-debated corner of science, few of the parties involved in the current dispute in Washington contend that the current fish-consumption rate accurately reflects the true amount eaten, especially by some groups such as members of Indian tribes, subsistence fishermen and immigrants. The figure came from a 1973-74 federal study that asked consumers to fill our “food diaries” for three days, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Read full article here