Thanks to the reproductive justice collective SisterSong and the group’s allies and partners, reproductive justice is a phrase and a concept well-known within the reproductive health and rights movement. But it wasn’t always that way. In 1994, a group of Black women issued a very public call to action in the Washington Post demanding that the healthcare needs of the most marginalized be included in President Clinton’s healthcare reform legislation. Specifically, they demanded universal health care and spoke to the necessity for Black women’s access to reproductive health care. They called reproductive freedom “a life and death issue for many Black women” and said it “deserves as much recognition as any other freedom.” The group, Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice, helped catapult these ideas and organized Black women around the country in support of reproductive justice and the intersection of human rights and reproductive rights for women of color. Continue reading
AGING INFORMATION WNC – resources, services, ideas and tips
AGING-IN-PLACE Remodeling Checklist
Have you ever wanted a quick reference for aging-in-place issues? Are you wondering how to incorporate some aesthetically pleasing designs into your projects? If so, the Aging-In-Place Design Checklist might be suited to your needs.
Let’s Talk About Sex–And Reproductive Justice
BY | OUR BODIES OURSELVES
Buoyancy Rather Than Burnout in Our Lives – an interview with Krista Tippett in OnBeing
Krista Tippett, host: Roshi Joan Halifax has said, “I am not a ‘nice’ Buddhist. I’m much more interested in a kind of plain rice, get-down-in-the-street Buddhism.” She is a Zen teacher and a medical anthropologist who’s been formed by cultures from the Sahara Desert to the hallways of American prisons. She founded the project on Being with Dying, and now she’s taking on the problem of compassion fatigue, though she doesn’t like that phrase. Whatever you call it, for all of us overwhelmed by bad news and by the attention we want to pay to suffering in the world, Joan Halifax has wisdom.
Click here to listen to the Episode
YWCA Launches New Evidence-Based Model for Diabetes Program
YWCA Launches New Evidence-Based Model for Diabetes Program
ASHEVILLE, NC – Beginning in August 2017 the YWCA Diabetes Wellness & Prevention Program (DWP) is taking on a new model. Through our new evidence-based curriculum, DWP aims to help program participants lower A1C blood sugar levels, lose weight, increase energy, and build a community of support.
Not reaching your wellness goals? Take a look at your nighttime routine.
By Jae Berman – Washington Post
We all think our day starts when we wake up. But what if the day really starts the evening before? Why does it matter? When you create an ideal nighttime routine, it is far more likely that your first step in the morning will lead to a successful day. Continue reading
How Walking May Lower Breast Cancer Risk
by Gretchen Reynolds, NY Times offered by Ed Raiola
Physical activity, even including walking, can substantially reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, encouraging new science shows, in part, it seems, by changing how her body deals with estrogen.
Evidence has been accumulating for some time that exercise reduces the risk of many types of cancer, including breast malignancies. But the physiological mechanisms involved have not been well characterized, nor have scientists known what kinds and amounts of exercise provide the surest protection. Continue reading
women health, women breast cancer, exercise
From acne to pregnancy, here’s every ‘preexisting condition’ that could get you denied insurance under the AHCA healthcare bill
by Lydia Ramsey
The House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act on Thursday, and one thing is clear: In Trump’s America, being a woman is a “preexisting condition.” And if this law passes the Senate, insurance companies will be able to charge you as much as they want if you have a preexisting condition. While the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) brought historic changes to the health care industry when it comes to reproductive health and women’s health, the AHCA would strip many of those hard-won gains. Continue reading
So, What’s the Big Deal with Healthcare in America?
written by Jane Edwards
The Freedom Caucus, led by our own Representative (R) Mark Meadows, is against the American Health Care Act (AHCA) because the bill does not deliver on the group’s promise of fully repealing “Obamacare” (ACA). Specifically, the Freedom Caucus wants to strip the ACA’s coverage for Essential Benefits, which are listed as (See Healthcare.gov):
The Politics of WOMEN’S HEALTH
WMC News: New Research on Sexism in Media, Religion, Single Mothers in Malawi, Talking Sex, WMC Live & More
There is agreement among voters that social media followed by cable news and broadcast news are the top places that they see the most sexist treatment of women candidates and elected officials, according to research conducted during the final days of the U.S. presidential election. Continue reading
Ballroom Dancing: Benefits Beyond Simple Exercise
By Richard Cicchetti
Regular exercise is a critical part of any effective, health care regimen. Training the mind to effectively engage in a coordinated, physical activity has been proven to be an excellent way to maintain a healthy brain and cognitive function into the later years of life. Finding ways to have fun, be happy, and involved socially in life are also important elements of a well-lived life and good health.
HEALTHCARE INFORMATION: Dental Health – The Facts on Fillings
This article has been offered by Kani Nicolls, DDS PA
Whether you need an existing filling replaced or a new cavity filled, get the facts on what your options are. Gone are the days when cast gold and silver amalgams were your only choices. With dental care advancements, other materials are also being used to fill cavities. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the four most common filling materials.
IF WE ADDRESS TOXIC MASCULINITY, WE CAN CHANGE OUR CULTURE OF VIOLENCE
Sunday night in Las Vegas, a white male shooter claimed the lives of 58 people, injuring more than 500. We are heartbroken by the lives lost. We are heartbroken for the injured. We are heartbroken for their families and loved ones. We are heartbroken that we can’t pass commonsense gun laws in our nation. But we will not let our broken hearts keep us from getting to the root cause of this violence and taking action.
It is time to connect the dots between mass shootings and our cultural reality: Men commit 98% of mass murders in America. Women have equal access to guns (and let’s be honest, plenty of reasons to be angry). Nevertheless, women don’t commit such acts of mass violence. We have to stop conditioning boys and men to think solving their problems through violence is normal. We can no longer tell boys at the earliest of ages to repress their emotions and deny parts of themselves. Look where it’s gotten us today! Continue reading
On Being – Running as Spiritual Practice
by Billy Mills, Christina Torres, Ashley Hicks, et al
We explore a topic our listeners have called out as a passionate force and a connector across all kinds of boundaries in American culture: running. Not just as exercise, or as a merely physical pursuit, but running as a source of bonding between parents and children and friends, as an interplay between competition and contemplation; as a way to understand body image and survival and healing.
Continue reading
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I’m a young, female doctor. Calling me ‘sweetie’ won’t help me save your life.
It’s not just condescending. To provide patients with the best possible care, I need their trust. By Faye Reiff-Pasarew in The Washington Post
“Sweetheart, you’re too young to understand,” my patient — a man in his 60s, someone accustomed to commanding a room — barked at me from his hospital bed. Medical problems had recently upended his life, and he was having a hard time adjusting. “I can’t believe I have to talk about this stuff to a young girl.”
PLANNED PARENTHOOD Information to TAKE ACTION
CLICK HERE for Top 3 Ways to Help Planned Parenthood Right Now
In October 2016, Planned Parenthood turned 100 years strong. Planned Parenthood was founded on the revolutionary idea that women should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams — no ceilings, no limits. Learn more about how 100 years of care, education, and activism have changed everything.
A Reading List For The Spirit
Spirituality and Health magazine has assembled its picks for the Best Books of the past year. Among them you will find reflections on mortality, explorations of depression, and insights from authors from a wide range of traditions. Some of the books examine the mind body connection for better mental health. One suggests that creating your own spiritual biography may help you recognize the times you’ve already brushed up against grace in your life. Check out the diverse selection here. { read more }
ON BEING – A Time to Breathe, A Time to Push
By (@OSTADJAAN), Columnist
Martin Luther King once told us that when the night is darkest is when we can see the stars most clearly.
Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Joint fluid injections may provide the relief to keep you going
Are you are suffering from knee osteoarthritis that is keeping you from participating in the activities you love? Are you looking for non-surgical options for treatment?
Beyond ‘poor and uneducated’ — demographics show WNC’s complexity
When it comes to wealth and education levels in Western North Carolina, the region is sharply divided in ways that could have substantial political implications.