Imagine Cup: Students’ Innovation Tackles Global Issues May 31, 2011
Posted by acroanmph in Global Health.Tags: Health Strategies, Imagine Cup
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The world’s best and brightest meet in Microsoft’s annual Imagine Cup competition using technology to solve the world’s toughest problems. High school and collegiate students formed teams and put their creativity and best innovations forward in a global contest to tackle what matters. Finalists have been chosen for the main competition to be held in New York, July 8-13. Here are a few of this blogger’s favorite ideas:
ElderGuardian (Singapore) Rehabilitation Support System uses Kinect ™ for XBox 360 to aid in stroke rehabilitation for recovery with exercises specifically designed for stroke patients.
MomECare from team Hex Pistols (UAE) has devised a mobile application to assist medical staff in providing quality prenatal care by guiding mothers through the steps of a self-performed check-up if they are unable to get to clinic or hospital, often due to health or distance limitations.
Team LifeLens (US) provides an innovate point-of-care tool to diagnose malaria by using an augmented smart phone application. This addresses the high child mortality rates through lack of detection and treatment of malarial diseases via a microscopic lens attached to the phone camera, isolating cells and determining the existence of infected cells and grouping by geographic location.
Terra (Thailand) allows disaster victims to pinpoint their location and broadcast it through social networks with one-click to alert rescue workers, family and friends as to their exact location.
Team Nawy Harkay (Peru) enable users to operate Windows 7 with minimal effort, using their eyes instead of their hands.
Link Your Passion (Korea) has developed a device to help people locate clean water in an effort to reduce child mortality.
The worldwide finalists of the Imagine Cup 2011 include 124 student teams from 73 countries. They are winners of regional, national or online Cup competitions representing over 350,000 students from 183 countries. There are nine categories in which they can compete.
Between July 5-12, view these amazing innovations online and vote for your favorite in the worldwide People’s Choice Award. Inspiration and creativity push technology to make a difference. Have you got any winning ideas?
Blackstrap: The Healthy Molasses May 24, 2011
Posted by acroanmph in Public Health.Tags: Blackstrap molasses, Cancer, Holistic health, Molasses, Organic food, Superfood, Sweeteners, Uterine fibroid
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Blackstrap molasses for your health
Up until the late 19th century, blackstrap molasses was a staple sweetener, as white refined sugar was rare and very expensive. Then for decades it was generally unused until people became interested in controlling their diets and overall health. The health benefits of blackstrap molasses have been numerous but widely unknown.
It is the concentrated byproduct of two boilings of sugar cane as it is refined into table sugar, then boiled a third time. It is very dark and thick. Unlike sugar, it contains significant amounts of minerals, most notably manganese, copper, iron and calcium, but also potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium.
The first health benefits you will notice are an increase in energy (within 20 minutes) and iron count in the blood. Many people who suffer from anemia have been cured when iron pills had no effect, it decreases length and severity of menstruation, and can prevent or aid treatment of uterine fibroids. Additional health benefits have included relief from: acne, arthritis, anxiety, eczema and psoriasis, constipation, canker sores, nose bleeds, swollen extremities due to poor circulation, and even terminal cancer according to many testimonials and the book Crude Black Molasses by Cyril Scott. Instead of gray, new hair will grow in darker due to the copper. Skin will appear radiant. Ancient Egyptians used this as a cure for consumption (tuberculosis), and some veterinarians report that it has cured tumors in dogs and is helpful in many ways for horses and cows.
Important to note:
- Purchase blackstrap molasses organic and unsulfured. Check the label to verify copper content. Do not confuse with sweet dark molasses.
- Note the dosage as it is very possible to get too much iron or calcium.
How to take blackstrap molasses:
For optimum benefit, take 1-2 tablespoons every day. It is a great coffee or chai tea sweetener, and very tasty in a class of cold or warm milk. Take with a meal and add it to a morning smoothie or oatmeal, spread on toast or biscuits. It is often added to baked beans and, of course, gingerbread. Some people like to mix it with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water to aid in the absorption of the minerals and burn fat cells. Together they pack a ton of energy. Blackstrap molasses can be substituted when a recipe calls for regular molasses or sugar, but there are some recipes which call for it specifically on Cooks.com, and epicurious.com.
Warnings:
- Check with your doctor before taking blackstrap molasses on a regular basis.
- There are many reasons for anemia to develop, and it is not always due to low iron.
- People of Mediterranean descent can suffer from thalassemia which can be more effectively be treated with chlorophyll than blackstrap molasses.
- There will be a notable spike in your blood sugar level.
- Every body will react differently and some cannot tolerate it. There may be undesired effects (such as new hair growing in with a greenish tint, a sign of too much iron). Stop taking blackstrap molasses if you experience any unwanted side effects.
Like this:
Sun Safety May 17, 2011
Posted by acroanmph in Public Health.Tags: Asthma, Dehydration, Foodborne illness, Heat illness, Insect repellant, Ultraviolet
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Protect yourself for more summer fun.
Reapplying your broad spectrum sunscreen every two hours and staying hydrated aren’t the only wise ideas for safe fun during the summer. Following a few more prevention tips will ensure you can maximize your sun-time hours while staying protected.
1. Save your sight. Choose a uniform gray or green lens for your sunglasses. Find a pair labeled to block 99% – 100% of UV A and UV B rays to prevent the formation of cataracts and macular degeneration. Polarized and mirror coated lenses will reduce glare, and both glass and plastic are impact-resistant. The wrap-around style provides the most protection. Remember to wear them on cloudy days, too, and when you are near water, which reflects a great deal of sunlight.
2. Don’t sweat it. Unfortunately, we do. Along with water loss, we sweat out necessary minerals. Alternate sports drinks which include electrolytes with water breaks to maintain proper hydration and prevent heat exhaustion which can lead to heat stroke. A condition called hyponatremia, or water intoxication, results from drinking only water during long periods of heat and sweating. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, especially cantaloupe and bananas and V8 to drink will also replenish lost minerals and provide a small amount of protein. (Your goal is to replace electrolytes as well as vitamins B, C, E, and Zinc.) Babies dehydrate more rapidly than older children. Aim for a 5 ounce rehydration break every 20 minutes for kids weighing about 90 lbs. and at least 8-9 ounces for older kids weighing about 130 lbs.
3. Allergies, asthma and air quality. The same weather that draws us outside also promotes air pollution effecting lung function, even low levels of particulate matter and ozone in ambient air. Pollen, usually a spring promoter of allergies, is also the main cause of summer allergies. It can travel up to hundreds of miles on the wind. And many weeds bloom all summer, with Ragweed not peaking until August. Check the air quality index in your area by entering your zip code at the top of the page. Knowing the day’s forecast will help you prepare and plan to decrease effects of air pollutants.
4. Get the bugs out. Avoid use of combination sunscreens/insect repellents because the sunscreen should be re-applied every two hours, but the repellent should not. People over the age of 2 months can use DEET at a concentration of 10%-30%. DEET is especially effective in preventing diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks, including West Nile Virus. Perfumed soaps and hair products, perfume, brightly colored clothes and floral prints will attract bugs and bees. Brush under your eaves regularly and check the underside your car for bee hives.
5. Don’t hold the mayo. Summer potlucks and picnics have the reputation of brining on foodborne illnesses. But it’s not because of the mayonnaise. The vinegar content prohibits or retards bacteria growth. Usually E. coli, salmonella, and cyclospora infections and hepatitis A result from undercooked meats and contaminated produce. Still, if you are bringing cold foods, find a way to keep them on ice or in a cooler, and cook meat thoroughly.
Nearly 4 million people visit the Emergency Department during the summer months, over 800,000 more people than during the winter months. A few simple, smart precautions will ensure you don’t become a statistic this summer.
Further Reading
An earlier post, Kid Safety for Spring Sports, addresses accident prevention with proper equipment and applies to summer months, too.
STDs, Matchmaking, and Online Health May 10, 2011
Posted by acroanmph in Public Health.Tags: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cervical Cancer, Health, HIV, Human papillomavirus, Public health, Reproductive health, Sexually transmitted disease, Vaccine
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***POST AND VIDEO NOT SUITABLE FOR SCHOOL OR CHILD VIEWING***
Your health online
More people seek answers to health questions online than from a physician. It’s no surprise, really. If you or someone you care about may be afflicted with a health condition, why wait for an appointment and make your co-pay when you can instantly get answers from trusted medical sites for free? Today, 83% of online users have consulted the Internet regarding health issues – especially sexual health. Another reason: anonymity.
According to a CNN report from last October, three of the top five health searches are pregnancy, herpes, and STD. Frequently these searches are conducted from cell phones for reasons you can probably guess (often beginning with poor planning and ending in panic).
But that isn’t the only change in online health and lifestyle. The CDC states that each year there are 19,000,000 new cases of STDs in the U.S. That’s right: 19 M. Over one million of these have joined www.herpesmingle.com, a site devoted to matching infected people with other infected people. There are other sites, of course, each with their own quickly growing user base.
Regular testing every few months can detect a re-infection of chlamydia or gonorrhea. But many of today’s STDs evolve into new strains. Management of one strain will not treat or protect against a new strain. Re-infection incidence is likely to rise in correlation with the increased use of STD dating sites.
Achievable risk-reduction goals have been set and do tend to influence behavior. In addition to prevention counseling about STD/HIV, abstinence and partner management, pre-exposure vaccines for two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are available to prevent the virus that causes cervical cancer and genital warts. A Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all unvaccinated, uninfected persons undergoing disease evaluation.
This video has shown to change behavior and prompt discussion of STD prevention with partners when shown in testing clinics:
Disease rates and evolution can be curtailed with extensive public health outreach. Find a local testing site here. STDs are preventable!
Hidden Hunger in the Heartland May 3, 2011
Posted by acroanmph in Public Health.Tags: Bill Moyers, Food bank, Health, Hunger, Malnutrition, National Association of Letter Carriers, Nutrition, Poverty, Second Harvest, US poverty
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Help the heartland
American farmers produce food for our nation and several others, yet it is many of these very people who wonder where and when they will have their next meal.
U.S. households receiving food from a food pantry nearly doubled between 2007 and 2009, resulting in 14.7% food-insecure people, or over 40 million, the highest rate since 1995. One-third of these are children.
In many of these towns, lack of access to food and constrained resources create continued hardships for families. In the best of times, both parents are working long weeks but the income still places them below the poverty line. Childcare is hard to find and more expensive, transportation is poor, the cost of gasoline is prohibitive, rates of unemployment remain high and levels of education low. Daily, these families make the difficult decision of whether to buy food or pay for bills, medications, gas, or daycare.
The poverty-hunger-disease cycle exists not only in developing countries, but also in the rural US. The World Health Organization states that malnutrition is the gravest single threat to health, and the largest cause of child mortality. The affordable food is high in fat and otherwise not nutritious. This leads to an unvaried diet of poor sustenance high in simple carbohydrates resulting in increases in chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Overeating after skipping meals places a great deal of stress on the body, but is a common practice for parents who pass on two meals each day for the sake of their children.
Nutrition is most essential for the first three years of life. During critical growth periods, malnourished children have slower growth and inhibited brain development, greater susceptibility to obesity, lower academic achievement, a greater need for mental health services and inability to cope. These problems increase the likelihood of dropping out of school, inability to find a job, lack of health care and an increase in substance abuse.
Thousands of these farmers live on land which has been in their families for five or six generations. Often, their parents survived on food stamps so the way of life is familiar and hard to escape. Of course we can’t approach this subject without bringing up the Farm Bill. Here’s what David Beckmann says about it in an interview with Bill Moyers. Note this interview was conducted in 2008, during the middle of the spike of food bank usage, and before the new Farm Bill. The stated statistics are even higher today:
The National Association of Letter Carriers with Campbell Soup is sponsoring a Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 14. Leave food donations next to your mailbox to be picked up by letter carriers and taken back to the postal station where they are sorted and delivered to local food banks. This is the largest one-day national food drive, receiving 77.1 million pounds of food in 2010. America’s Grow A Row campaign encourages each family with a garden to plant an extra row of produce to donate to a food bank this summer as fresh food is in great demand.
Amid the recent weather calamities making life much more difficult than it already was for the heartland, let’s make helping those who grow our food a priority. Where would we be without them?
How to help:
Stamp Out Hunger in the heartland on May 14, 2011 with Second Harvest.
SNAP (food stamp) eligibility site.
