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Greta Solomon introduces her new book Heart, Sass & Soul, all about the life-changing power of freewriting and journaling
Mental Health

Greta Solomon introduces her new book Heart, Sass & Soul, all about the life-changing power of freewriting and journaling

In today’s blog, we’re delighted to have spoken to author and writing coach, Greta Solomon.

Greta talked to us about the health benefits of journaling and how she’s helping women tap into this empowering and therapeutic pastime through her new book Heart, Sass & Soul

Tell us about your new book

Heart, Sass & Soul is a warm, honest, deeply supportive guide to journaling your way to a life that not only looks good – but feels good. One where you’re not trying to be an all-round girl boss / vixen / superwoman who rises at dawn to slay like Beyoncé. Instead, you’re aiming to be more and more YOURSELF, because that’s where your true power lies.

There has never been a better time to be your own guru. Freewriting and journaling in the ways laid out in this book can be life-changing – for all the right reasons. They put you in charge of what YOU think and feel, which is a welcome relief in this hyper connected world. And while there are lots of beautiful journals on the market, there are very few comprehensive guides on how to USE them to create magic and meaning in your life.

Why did you write this book?

I wanted to show people exactly HOW to journal. Not in a 1-2-3 step kind of way. But how to access the deeper parts of you, and how to clear the creative blocks that may stop you from journaling in the first place.

Writing has unlocked so many doors for me (and not just because I became a journalist who got paid to interview celebrities, go to events and drink champagne at parties)! Through my life and work I realised that through writing I ask for things that I wouldn’t dare speak out loud. Better still, I could write things into existence. Things that were never there before, except for wishes or dreams in my head. And when there were very dark, difficult times, writing has been a helpful friend. My mother committed suicide 11 years ago and writing helped me to heal and chart a new path.

From a professional point of view, I began writing this book in 2016 at a time when I needed a break from my business. I had spent four years pitching, developing, creating and delivering business writing workshops (alongside being pregnant and then a new mum).  And I needed to get back in touch with myself. I cleared my schedule with the aim of doing nothing in particular. And that’s when the yearnings, inklings and frantic writing began. After years of writing to order, I finally wrote what I wanted to write. At first it was like clearing the phlegm from my writing throat. But soon, the channel was open, and the essence of this book flowed. As did a workshop in writing for creative self-expression which sold out within hours. I knew I was onto something and I began to realise the true power of writing for creative self-expression.

We didn’t realise that writing and journaling could be so empowering. What are the other health benefits of journaling?

 Psychologists have found that expressive writing (where you write about thoughts and feelings) results in fewer doctor visits and can even boost the immune system in the short-term. It can help you to recover from depression, find happiness and make you feel better about yourself and your life. In Heart, Sass & Soul, I show readers exactly how to journal in order to overcome self-doubt and develop a new creative identity; transform dark times into something beautiful; find moments for healing themselves without judgement and to become empowered with uninhibited self-expression. I also love the fact that all you need to journal is a notebook and a pen. Journaling is cheap and can pretty much be done anytime and anywhere. It literally puts the power of self-care and wellbeing into your own hands.

What is your link with St Kitts and Nevis?

 My dad and his family are originally from St Kitts and my dad grew up in Nevis. We actually lived in Nevis for a year when I was five before returning back to the UK, to London. So these island have always been an integral part of my life.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

 My mission is to build a thriving community of empowered, self-expressed women, who know exactly what they think and feel, who can face uncomfortable emotions head on, access their higher wisdom and tap into the creative current of life.  Meaning is made from walking through loss and grief, not from dancing around it. And a joy-filled life is not only possible, but inevitable when you are creatively free. When you are ready to answer the call, I’d be honoured to be your guide.

Where can our readers order a copy of Heart, Sass & Soul?

Heart, Sass & Soul by Greta Solomon is published on 15 April 2019, and is available to pre-order now on Amazon.


Special Offer!

We’re delighted to say that Greta is offering a free writing masterclass worth £77 for everyone who pre-orders Heart, Sass & Soul before 15 April. To claim that gift please visit https://www.gretasolomon.com/preorder-gift-with-heart-sass-soul

About Greta Solomon 

Greta Solomon is a British journalist turned writing coach and the author of Heart, Sass & Soul: Journal Your Way to Inspiration and Happiness. In 2006, she discovered a talent for helping people overcome the blocks, fears and shame that stops them from fully expressing themselves. Through talks, workshops and online programs, she teaches real-world writing techniques and inspires others to live rich, full lives. Her work has been featured in Forbes.com, The Numinous and The Huffington Post. She is a published poet and songwriter, a psychology graduate, certified life coach, trained lifelong learning teacher and holds a specialist certificate in lyric writing from Berklee College of Music. She lives in London with her husband and their daughter.

And, you can find Greta on Instagram and on twitter

Interesting Video: How Uterine Fibroids Changed My Life
BlogFibroids

Interesting Video: How Uterine Fibroids Changed My Life

We recently came across the video below created by BuzzFeed which explores the experience of three women with fibroids. We thought it was an excellent exploration of the impact of fibroids.

Our Thoughts

These stories give viewers an insightful look at the impact of fibroids and highlighted some of the same issues raised in a recent book of short stories that we read, Invisible Not Imaginary by the Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS.

The women bravely discuss heavy menstrual bleeding, anaemia, painful periods and their concerns about fertility.

As we watched the video, what struck us was the way in which all three women continued with their daily life despite their symptoms and seemed to almost normalise them until they could no longer bare it. The reason why they did this, as articulated by one of the women, was the expectation that women should pretty much ignore their own health and wellbeing, press on and continue with all their many obligations.

Another issue that was raised was recurrence, which is very common and can be quite frustrating for women who, after their initial surgery, will have moved on with their life and have put their experience of fibroids behind them. Having to deal with fibroids once more can be devastating.

The video ends with some useful tips and advice from each of the women based on their experience.  Participants encouraged women to:

  • Prioritise their health,
  • Seek help as soon as they notice symptoms that don’t seem right
  • Be informed about fibroids
  • Reach out to family and friends and talk about what you’re going through

Final Thoughts

We thought this video was a really effective way of raising awareness of fibroids and its impact. It identified areas that need to be addressed. These include the need for:

  • Greater awareness of the symptoms of fibroids
  • Greater awareness of what normal/abnormal periods are
  •  Less pressure to be placed on women to try to continue as normal when they feel unwell
  •  Research on whether  lifestyle changes may reduce a woman’s risk of having a recurrence after treatment
  • More research to understand the prevention of fibroids
  • More research to confirm the incidence and prevalence of fibroids, particularly in black women

More Information

For more information on fibroids, you can:

Invisible Not Imaginary: A Powerful Collection of Short Stories on Women’s Health
Women's Health

Invisible Not Imaginary: A Powerful Collection of Short Stories on Women’s Health

The Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS (BAEP) recently published ‘Invisible Not Imaginary’, a collection of short stories that aims to put the spotlight on endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS and dysmenorrhea. The book seeks to raise awareness of the impact of these conditions on the lives of those directly and indirectly affected.

This mostly fictional book invites you to dive into the lives of a variety of people as they navigate life with one of the above-mentioned conditions. Through Invisible Not Imaginary we explore the experience of adolescents, young women, mothers, working professionals and fathers.

Why We Love this Book

We thought Invisible Not Imaginary was a powerful and insightful read. It bravely explores issues like heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods and infertility – common symptoms of these conditions. It also identifies the insensitivity, lack of empathy and the insecurities that women with these conditions encounter and experience.

Furthermore, the book causes the reader to reflect on the wide-spread normalisation of abnormal menstrual symptoms, the enormous pressure women feel to keep going despite feeling unwell and how invisible and misunderstood many women with these conditions feel.

The stories are very moving providing an honest, open account of the pain, isolation, upheaval, disruption and uncertainty caused by these gynaecological conditions which tend to be trivialised and disregarded because they are not life-threatening but as these stories clearly demonstrate, they significantly affect the quality of life, health and wellbeing of the many women who are affected.

We could relate to many of the experiences and believe the stories will resonate with most, if not all, women because of our shared menstrual experience.  Many women have a story about their menstrual health which they are hesitant to talk about; this book tells our story and gives us all a voice.

This collection of short stories is an excellent and creative way of raising awareness. It really brings the issues to life in a powerful way and leaves the reader feeling disturbed by the challenges faced by those affected by these conditions.

This Book Challenges Us All

This book challenges society to address the health inequalities that exist in public health where conditions like these receive little attention, yet affect so many.

Sadly, discussions about women’s health or reproductive health tend to omit conditions like fibroids and it’s time for a greater focus on these conditions and more balance so that all women’s health issues are deemed important.

Well Done BAEP!

We applaud BAEP on all the great work they have conducted to add some context and depth to the discussion on these women’s health issues and believe this will be an effective resource for awareness and educational work in a range of settings – schools, colleges, medical schools, book clubs, the health sector’s continuous professional development programme and more.

More Information

For more information on Invisible Not Imaginary and how you can order copies, please visit BAEP’s website here or you can send them an email

Also, you can read a summary of our fibroids and endometriosis Twitter chat with Julia Mandeville the co-founder of BAEP here

We’ll Be Hosting ‘Girl Talk: Fibroids’ on 30th March 2019
BlogFibroidsWomen's Health

We’ll Be Hosting ‘Girl Talk: Fibroids’ on 30th March 2019

Lake Health and Wellbeing is delighted to invite women in St Kitts and Nevis who have been affected by fibroids to attend our upcoming event ‘Girl Talk: Fibroids.’

We have teamed up with Because We Care, a student group at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, to organise a new series of women’s health events  entitled ‘Girl Talk: Informal and Empowering Discussions on Women’s Health’

This first event in our series will focus on fibroids, a common but overlooked women’s health issue that is estimated to affect 80% of black women.

Girl Talk aims to overcome the stigma associated with fibroids by creating a safe space to discuss fibroids, its impact on women and solutions.

We’ll have a panel of esteemed speakers covering various aspects of fibroids, a wellness market featuring St Kitts’ leading health, wellbeing and wellness brands, fantastic raffle prizes, free health checks, food and more!

Confirmed Speakers

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Dr Hazel Laws, Chief Medical Officer, St Kitts – Fibroids and Women’s Health in St Kitts
  • Dr Deborah Williams, Professor of Pathology – What Are Fibroids?
  • Dr Lescott,  Medical Doctor – Fibroids and Nutrition
  • Dr Pereira, Clinical Psychologist –  Living well with fibroids and chronic illness
  • Dr Lawrence, Medical Doctor – The treatment of fibroids

Confirmed Vendors

We have some great organisations taking part in our Wellness Market. You can treat yourself to a range of products all aimed at improving your wellbeing.

Some of our confirmed vendors include:

Mother Becky Bush Tea – Mother Becky Bush Tea is named after owner Jermine Mike’s great grandmother who lived to be close to 100 years of age. Recognized as the matriarch of her community, Mother Becky hailed from a generation which drank bush tea daily. The Mother Becky Bush Tea brand aims to honor and revitalize the bush tea tradition of St. Kitts & Nevis and offer an authentic product to visitors and residents alike.


Sugar Town Organics – Sugar Town Organics is a natural products manufacturer and distributor that offers high end botanical beauty (Yaphene) and wellness (Flauriel) products featuring the finest natural Caribbean materials. With a commitment to ethical manufacturing and promoting environmental sustainability, good health and wellness, the firm is family-owned and employs all-natural methods that celebrate the host of rich ingredients plentiful throughout the region.


Pure Niceness by Winnielle – HANDCRAFTED on the island of St. Kitts amidst the natural wonders of the West Indian land, using all – natural, effective, aromatic, superior ingredients, sourced from the gifts of mother nature🍃and handmade with love and pure good vibes by island girl Winnielle. Her brand of hair and skin care promotes self-love, self-care, good vibes and a wellness lifestyle. SHOP Made in St. Kitts – Nevis, Shop Small… Experience Pure Niceness!


Love the Skin You Wear – Love the Skin You Wear offers a range of services designed to help you relax and focus on your total wellness, these include massages and facials. They also sell natural handmade hair and body products.


Prices

Join us this International Women’s Month on 30th March for this empowering and informative women’s health event.

Early bird tickets are just $30EC  for a regular ticket and $20EC for students.

You can book your place below and then pay at the event. Early bird tickets are available until 15th March 2019 so if you register before this date you’ll secure the early bird price, registrations after this date will be $35EC.

Registration Form

The information provided in the form below will enable us to contact you about the event regarding updates and important information.

No Fields Found.

We look forward to seeing you on 30th March and if you have any questions, please email  us or call 668 1518.

We Become a Member of the SKNBS Technical Committee for Labelling
Childhood Obesity NewsFront-of-Pack Labelling NewsNews

We Become a Member of the SKNBS Technical Committee for Labelling

We are absolutely delighted to have been invited to become a member of the St Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards Technical Committee for Labelling.

The St Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards has the responsibility of protecting the environment, health and safety of consumers. They focus on preparing, promoting and adopting standards on a national, regional and international basis with respect to the structures, commodities, materials, articles and other products and services offered to the public commercially. Through their work they promote standardization and quality assurance in industry and commerce.

One of the areas that the Bureau focuses on is ensuring the proper labelling of pre-packaged food items. Currently, the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality is updating the regional standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods. The updated standard includes the introduction of front-of-pack labelling .

Front-of-pack (FOP) labels are just one of several strategies being used worldwide to tackle obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This type of labelling aims to provide the public with a quick way to assess the health of the foods they purchase and consume, making it easier to identify which foods are high in salt, saturated fat and sugar. It is also hoped that manufacturers will take notice of the labelling of their products and be encouraged to reformulate their products and reduce the amount of salt, sugar and saturated fat in them.

As part of our role in the SKNBS Technical Committee for Labelling we will be providing input on the need for FOP labels as a useful tool for the public to make healthier choices and for the government to tackle NCDs, a significant challenge in St Kitts and Nevis causing 83% of the islands’ deaths.

Last month we attended our first meeting of this committee and were delighted to have had the opportunity to have a productive discussion on FOP labels.

We’d like to thank the committee for inviting us to be a member of this group and are very much looking forward to making a positive contribution going forward.

WCRF Publishes a Report on Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling
Front-of-Pack Labelling NewsNews

WCRF Publishes a Report on Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling

The World Cancer Research Fund recently published a very informative and useful report on the lessons learnt globally from implementing front-of-pack (FOP) labels.

This report is the second report in their Building Momentum series and aims to provide policymakers with evidence-based advice on the design and implementation of FOP labelling.

FOP nutrition labelling is just one of several strategies being used worldwide to tackle obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This type of labelling aims to provide the public with a quick way to assess the health of the foods they purchase and consume, making it easier to identify which foods are high in salt, saturated fat and sugar. It is also hoped that manufacturers will take notice of the labelling of their products and be encouraged to reformulate their products and reduce the amount of salt, sugar and saturated fat in them.

Currently many countries are exploring the introduction of FOP labels so the WCRF’s report is very timely. It covers the following areas:

  • Why FOP labels are important in tackling NCDs
  • A summary of the research on the effectiveness of FOP labels
  • The history of FOP labels and current status of FOP labels globally
  • The different types of front-of-pack labels
  • Developing a clear strategy for FOP labels that considers the following
    • The local context
    • Ensuring strategies are based on evidence
    • Having clear aims and objectives
    •  Carefully design of labels
    •  Good stakeholder engagement
    • Monitoring and evaluation are included at the early planning stage-
  • Defending FOP labelling

The report includes case studies from countries who have already implemented front-of-pack labelling providing very useful real-word examples of the challenges involved in introducing FOP labelling and how to overcome them.

With the Caribbean currently exploring the introduction of FOP labelling we believe this report is a must-read for policymakers throughout the region.

The report can be downloaded below and for more information on the WCRF please visit their website here

Cultural Identity, Historical Truth and the Health of Adults and Children in the Diaspora
BlogVolunteer Bloggers

Cultural Identity, Historical Truth and the Health of Adults and Children in the Diaspora

Today’s blog post comes from physician-writer, IC Blackman who began writing fiction in 2007 after embarking on a career break from working as a consultant physician in general internal and geriatric medicine.  She is the founder of Dried Ink through which she has created a literary genre, Connected Fiction, to engender discussion between the young and the old.  

IC Blackman discusses how our history, specifically slavery, has shaped our food culture and therefore  impacted the health of black people today. This piece challenges us to reflect on why we eat the food we eat by exploring historical truth, to question our life choices and to move towards a simpler, healthier lifestyle. 


Physician writers have a duty to combine their writing content with the breadth of their clinical experience. However, one’s life experience is equally as valid as that learnt from a career in medicine, which at its core is a profound, personally transformative science.

As physicians, we diligently and dutifully take detailed chronological medical histories of our patients, but these patients to whom we are entrusted are a microcosm of the much vaster realm of human experience. That experience is what we would summarily call world history. Every patient’s history is different and nuanced in its own way, coloured by cultural context, or identity, for those with enough sentience to grasp this salient concept. This is made that more challenging as we pen such histories and translate our patients’ spoken words into cryptic medical jargon. Most would focus on the pathological process at hand; the histories therefore are oftentimes tailored for disease, not health. In fact, they centre around elucidating cause and effect, and, at their very best, treating the cause, and not the myriad effects, which we call symptoms, signs and diagnostic criteria. Not to diminish the latter, as to miss one of these would be to risk a misdiagnosis and its subsequent tragic sequelae. We do, as a part of the history-taking exercise, include a dietary, social and family history which usually, but quite disappointingly, takes up less than a quarter of the entire ‘life story’ of the patient. Metaphysicians, naturopaths and medical intuitives may have great reservations about this – it should be at least 40% of the entire history, they would entreat, and I’m beginning to be a strong supporter of this; one would be remiss to disagree.

On this backdrop, then, one quite unexpectedly, yet with what would seem to be a natural extrapolation of clinical expertise, embarks on a continued journey, an intrepid adventure. Here one begins to translate the gamut of human experience into writing fiction as a physician writer, not just for entertainment but for studied consideration. Not for speedy conversions or to arrive at a diagnosis – though these may happen organically – but for the purposes of deep self-reflection, discussion, intergenerational connectedness and, ultimately, resolution of familial conflict. This then translates into broader avenues of harmonious living. Connected Fiction, a term I coined quite by happenstance in 2015 as it best described my committed purpose for writing, is an ambitious endeavour. Its primary aim is to bridge the disconnect between teens and the significant elders in their lives: mother-daughter, father-son, granddaughter-grandmother, teacher-student – the connections go on and on. This is deliberately constructed through compelling stories of many genres, buttressed by relevant themes and colourful characters…. Have I honoured my own maxims and utilized my clinical experience in fulfilling my purpose? Yes. To wit, have I used my personal experience as well? Absolutely, perhaps even more so. Will I succeed in my mission? Time will tell. History will record whether I do or do not… What is certain, though, is that any profit gained is for the reader and not necessarily for the writer. Profit here translates to healing, not so much monetary reimbursement.

My last novel, a collection of short stories, has as its source inspiration what appears to me to be part of an ongoing dilemma we have in the African Diaspora but not exclusively. This would be the under-appreciated connection between cultural identity, historical truth and the health of adults and children. I include mental health here as well. The mind controls the body, and if we are to ignore the mind, we would necessarily be setting ourselves up for a whirlwind of world hurt and poor health outcomes. In the novel, I use intergenerational female relationships as a vehicle for examining the aforementioned, as well as what we normalize as cultural ways of being – our values, principles, tastes, and daily preoccupations.

The enslavement of African peoples, as well as the indentureship of South Indian peoples, to fuel the industries of sugar, tobacco, coffee and cocoa, to name but a few, a poignant part of world history, has had long-term ramifications. Hitherto these have been seen only from an economic viewpoint; the psychological and mental impact have been given little global appreciation and in-depth examination. Some have explored the effects of chattel slavery and indentureship on sociopolitical superstructures and their inherent inequities and spawned ideologies. However, few have dared to draw a connection between mass production of these products and their byproducts, their effects on physical health in the very countries that provided free labour and fertile lands, and the psychological wounds which fuel their excessive consumption. All this, to make them some of the most profitable industries of the modern era, providing countries which held and still hold the means of production with immeasurable wealth.

The production of coffee, tobacco – for cigarettes – and sugar from sugarcane – for confectionery, drink and myriad foodstuffs – were all labour intensive exercises, the harvesting of cocoa for the production of chocolate even more so. Most of these products have high addictive potential – a phenomenon that needs further in-depth exploration. Once the existence of this phenomenon is agreed upon, it could change the way we offer and formulate any intervention to curb the present obesity crisis, not just in the former colonies of Empire that produced the raw materials, but also globally. Most are consumed in great amounts when coupled with psychosocial foibles and/or triggers – poor access to healthier options, fractured emotional bonds, subclinical depression, gaps in health education, and – let’s be clear – gaping holes in historical context. Little is taught about the history of the abject conditions under which these crops were grown and harvested, the lives maimed or indeed cut short by their production, and the wealth inequities they spawned, some of which still exist to this day. These historical truths hold the key to a much-needed reverence for these profitable, ‘seductive’ crops. Do we need to start embracing a mindset where we consider the products of these crops delicacies for very deliberate and sparing consumption? Should they be perceived much like, say, a rare aged cheese, or perhaps the eco-unfriendly, as now considered by some, Beluga caviar (not an analogy to be taken lightly), whether in their native state or in the food we consume daily? Should this then mark the opportune and perhaps urgent demise of the jumbo or family pack of any of these products – the colossal chocolate bar for instance, the litre bottle of carbonated drink? Size is everything. Portions may well predict posterity, or the lack thereof. Is everything edible to be classified as food? Is food to be defined as that which gives the body nourishment? Does the food pyramid need to be revised so as to exclude sweets? Should such products be purchased at much higher prices than ‘true food’? I deliberately exclude tobacco here for good reason. Historical truth is the segue to better health, if taught in a way that includes the inception, propagation and maintenance of these industries – cause and effect.

Then there arises, from the depths of free enterprise, the behemoth that is financial profit and the livelihoods of those still producing these crops today, something that cannot be circumvented easily. This naturally begs the questions – how much profit is reasonable profit? Should it be tariff-based or price-based or both? Should we be looking for other uses for these crops which don’t remotely include our gastrointestinal tracts and subsequent ill-health? Rooted in the answers to these questions, other questions follow – what does one value above one’s own health, and the health of a nation, and indeed the world? What are we sacrificing to achieve and maintain a ‘handsome profit’?

How does cultural identity play into all this, you might ask? Who would disagree that food – what we eat, how it is harvested and prepared, the where and the when – is a manifestation of culture? Must we now examine how much we inculcate another’s culture into our own, if said assimilation begins to produce adverse effects in the general population? It’s what I wistfully call cultural integrity – not to be confused with cultural exceptionalism, cultural exclusion and xenophobia. And one has to clarify what one means by inculcation – latter-day adoption without appropriate cultural translation. Has sugar ever played a major part in Caribbean cuisine, South Indian or African-derived? One could argue that chattel slavery introduced many dietary and indeed social habits which were compensatory, partly oppressive, and born from a culture of lack and a chronic functioning outside the realms of one’s cultural imagination. We made do. Innovated. As some would say, maladapted through forced choice – no choice at all – and under tremendous duress, not consent.

Deeper issues abound beyond faddism – going vegan or vegetarian, dry- January… One should note here, though, that South Asian Hindus maintained their veganism in indentureship through an intact religious ideology, and Muslims – either African or South Asian in origin – refrained from alcohol and pork. It was true during indentureship, and to a lesser extent during chattel slavery; true even now. But now that we are in a better position financially to embrace abundance, has that abundance translated dysfunctionally into excess, as a symbol of having ‘arrived’? Is obesity the new malnutrition of our age, replacing what we were familiar with in the Diaspora – marasmic kwashiorkor and protein energy malnutrition, usually an index of poverty, unlike obesity? Can we rein this in in time, given that we are yet to address the ongoing psychosocial issues that fuel excessive consumption, as mentioned previously in a by no means exhaustive list? Have we ever craved sugary or fatty foods in tropical climes? And if we do now and within the recent past, why? Is this solely driven by physical needs, or is it a reflection of the preponderance of psychological hunger? What quenches our thirst more in the hot sun – cool water or a sweetened drink, fruity or fizzy? When we have been blessed with a climate that fosters an outdoor lifestyle, why are we imprisoned indoors as if in a harsh winter? Is the rum shop a place for social gatherings, or a pharmacy for troubled minds? How much chocolate do we need to consume in order to feel loved, worthy, alive, spiritually and emotionally sated? How much coffee do we need to imbibe to get going, when perhaps what we truly need is to stop what we’re doing, reassess our life choices and make the necessary changes towards a simpler, more fulfilling existence? And how many cigarettes do we need to smoke before we say a premature goodbye, our breath of life snuffed out when we are in our prime?

Now that we understand that genetically as an ethnic group – African and South Asian – we metabolize sugar, salt and most substances with addictive potential differently, how do we honour that truth? These are not scientific secrets. Let’s look at our history. Let’s define culture clearly – what does it look like, feel like, and, not to veer off-topic, taste like? How does it align with our overall health – mental, physical, spiritual, and social? How do we take the best examples of healthy living from the many cultures that exist on the planet and create working models of intersection that foster health for adults and children? This should be a factual endeavour, not an emotional exercise.

Ultimately, it’s about doing what works within the fabric of one’s experience, forged from the truth of one’s experience – historical truth. It’s about being true to the best manifestation of that experience, having a reverence for it, honouring it – cultural identity and historical truth, what I believe would greatly foster improved health for adults and children in the Diaspora. And as far as Connected Fiction goes, it’s one of the pressing reasons why I write. You don’t have to agree, just consider.

© 2019 IC Blackman. All rights reserved.


We would like to say a big thank you to IC Blackman for this very insightful blog piece. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in the comments section below.

You can find out more about IC Blackman and her work here or you can follow IC Blackman on Twitter.

Women in Black by IC Blackman
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Women in Black by IC Blackman

We had the pleasure of reading Women in Black, a new book by IC Blackman. This book was an insightful, emotional and thought-provoking journey of the intergenerational trauma caused by slavery.

An Overview of Women in Black

Women in Black consists of a collection of short stories connected by family (the Nesbitts and the Tibbins), a much-loved brand of chocolate (Nesbitt’s Chocolate), delicious sweet potato pone and an old colonial home (Halycon’s Crest). This connection was a nice surprise, one we weren’t expecting at all, but really liked as it brought some intrigue to the stories. So much so that once we noticed these links, we stopped and re-read a few chapters to make sure we understood the various different connections that explored the experience of several generations of a family.

The book starts with ‘The Baying of the Bloodhounds’ which is set in Trinidad in the late 1700s and follows the story of Ezra Tibbins, a runaway slave making her way to freedom while being pursued by her owner’s bloodhounds. As Ezra tries to make her way to freedom we’re swept along her emotional journey of strength, hard decisions and her commitment to finding freedom on her own terms.

From there we move on to ‘Bridal Shop’ which takes us forward in time to Trinidad in the 1950s/60s. Here we are met with Chief Bridal Shop Assistant Pamela Tibbins and read about her humble beginnings, hunger for the good life, grand ambitions and explore how she navigates her life. Will she break free or succumb to the challenges of her lot in life?

In ‘Bitter Dark Chocolate’ we’re transported to Trinidad in the 1990s and join widowed, retired nurse Selma Nesbitt-Payne who makes her regular visits to Ward 504 to visit its patients. This story isn’t what is seems and is best described by the author herself:

“This story takes us into the world of a retired psychiatry Sister who once worked on Ward 504. It uses surrealism to explore the unappreciated outcomes of unchecked privilege: guilt, suspicion and ultimately a tortured existence, despite the best intentions and material comforts.”

 From here we are introduced to the mother and daughter calypso duo, Big Titi and Little Dee, in ‘Big Titi and Little Dee’s Grand Piano.’ Here we meet two generations of the Tibbins family, whose poverty and what appears to be the Tibbins curse leads them to a turbulent life. Sadly, despite all the talent and potential in the world, they too are unable to break free of the intergenerational trauma inflicted on their family.

Then we get to the final story  in Women in Black, ‘Housewife – The Five Acts of Elspeth Sweetening.’ Will there be redemption for this troubled family, will they finally break free from intergenerational trauma. We’ll let you find out 😉

Our Thoughts on Women in Black

 This was an emotional and, at times, difficult read providing insight into the intergenerational trauma caused by slavery. A trauma that has not been sufficiently addressed.

As we read this book, we were reminded of Dr Joy DeGruy’s Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS) theory, a topic that we were introduced to many years ago.

IC Blackman very emotionally and poetically gives an illustration of Dr DeGruy’s theory of how: “Slavery produced centuries of physical, psychological and spiritual injury” and highlights the importance of understanding PTSS and the themes raised in IC Blackman’s book so that we can lay: “the groundwork for understanding how the past has influenced the present, and open up the discussion of how we can use the strengths we have gained to heal.”  (Dr DeGruy).

This is a good read, that challenges us in many ways, both in the subject matter and in the way it is written – this is a complex and deep writer who uses satire, dark humour, magic realism, surrealism , Trinidadian folklore and an advanced writing style, so you do have to engage your brain from the very beginning. Once you do, you’re in for an interesting literary experience.

More Information

To find out more about Women In Black you can visit Amazon or IC Blackman’s website, and you can follow IC Blackman on Twitter .

Additionally,  you can check out other books we’ve read here.

Campaign Calls For Yearly Gynaecological Check-ups for Every Woman in the UK
CancerNewsWomen's Health

Campaign Calls For Yearly Gynaecological Check-ups for Every Woman in the UK

Lake Health and Wellbeing is  happy to support Dafina Malovska’s campaign calling on the UK’s Department of Health to introduce annual gynaecological check-ups for every woman in the UK. We believe a policy like this will save many lives by enabling the early diagnosis of gynaecological cancers that have no screening programmes – ovarian, womb, vulval and vaginal cancers.

Also, annual check-ups can assist in the early diagnosis of a range of conditions that significantly affect women’s quality of life, such as fibroids and endometriosis.

You can show your support by signing Dafina’s petition here and please read the article below to find out more about this issue.


At the age of 35, Dafina Malovska was diagnosed with stage 2 womb cancer which had spread to her ovaries. Her only option, at the time, was to have a total hysterectomy (the removal of her womb and both ovaries) which sadly deprived her of having her own children and plunged her into an immediate surgical menopause.

Dafina was lucky that her cancer was diagnosed at a fairly early stage and she survived, but many women are not so lucky and are diagnosed at a late stage when it is too late for successful treatment.  The late diagnosis of these gynaecological cancers occur, in part, because there is no screening programme for most of these cancers.

Currently in the UK cervical cancer is the only gynaecological cancer with a screening programme and this has successfully reduced the incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer.

Developing a cancer screening test is challenging and researchers across the world are working tirelessly to develop screening tests for those cancers that require one.  Until then, when it comes to womb, ovarian, vulval and vaginal cancers, women have to be aware of the signs and symptoms, but this can be problematic as it can be hard to identify symptoms as the symptoms of these types of cancers are similar to a range of other conditions which can lead to misdiagnosis.

For example, in February 2014, before Dafina was diagnosed with womb cancer she started experiencing extreme bloating and visited her doctor almost monthly. Eventually her symptoms were wrongly attributed to gluten-related bloating and by November of that year Dafina became very unwell while abroad and it was subsequently discovered that she had 14cm tumour weighing 500g .

If Dafina had access to an annual gynaecological check-up her tumour could have been discovered earlier before it had spread to her ovaries.

In many countries throughout the world, girls and women have annual gynaecological examinations and it’s important that the UK explores this approach as its survival rates for gynaecological cancers such as ovarian cancer are significantly lower than other countries’ rates.

Change is needed and you can make a difference by signing Dafina’s petition which appeals to the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock MP, and the Minister for Women and Equality, Penny Mordaunt, to explore the introduction of annual gynaecological check-ups for women in the UK.

The first target for this petition is 10,000 signatures and her ultimate target is 100,000.  So far, Dafina has been able to secure 3,723 signatures. When her target is achieved, her petition will be presented to Matt Hancock and Penny Mordaunt.

Dafina would be very grateful if you could please sign, share and spread the word and for more information, you can follow her campaign on Instagram

We’re Recruiting Volunteers
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We’re Recruiting Volunteers

We’re always looking for volunteers so if you have an interest in dedicating some of your time to a good cause, then please do complete the form below.

Our opportunities are very flexible so you can dedicate as much, or little, time as you’re able to. For most of these roles you can work  from anywhere in the world using collaborative tools like Zoom, Google Docs and WhatsApp  to work virtually with team members and other volunteers.

Our current volunteer opportunities include bloggers, social media officers, admin assistants, event assistants and graphic designers. Find out more below:

Bloggers

Do you like writing? Are you interested in health and inequalities? Then why not volunteer to become a Lake Blogger. As a blogger you’ll write articles on health issues that are of interest to the black community and can select health topics or we’ll provide you with a topic list. You can then submit your blog articles when you’re able to, we’ll review your article, provide feedback and then publish it. You’ll be listed as the author and are welcome to share your articles far and wide. After major milestones (e.g. first 10 blogs, volunteering for a year, getting to 1000 blog views) you’ll receive a certificate and the opportunity to be interviewed about some of your stories.

Want to see some of the great blog posts that our previous volunteers have worked on? You can check these out here

Social Media Officers

Is social media your thing? Then this opportunity is perfect for you. You’ll manage our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts creating engaging content that promotes our work, raises awareness of health issues that are particularly relevant to the black community and assist with developing specific social media campaigns. You’ll also assist with organising our fibroids Twitter chats and explore ideas for social media events.  After major milestones you’ll receive certificates and awards to recognise your contribution to our organisation.

Admin Assistants

Are you able to give just a few hours a week to help us behind the scenes? We’re looking for Admin Assistants who can help with organising and evaluating health awareness events (including liaising with speakers and vendors), being the point of contact for email enquiries, assisting us in writing reports, conducting desk-based research and  assisting with a range of other administrative tasks. After major milestones you will be recognised for your contribution to our organisation.

Event Assistants

In 2019, we’ll be hosting a series of women’s health events in St Kitts  entitled ‘Girl Talk: Informal, Informative and Empowering Discussions on Women’s Health.’ These events are being organised in collaboration with the University of Medicine and Health Sciences and we’re looking for volunteers to assist on event days with the following tasks:

  • Setting up the venue
  • Assisting with social media coverage of the day
  • Helping collect data  (encouraging people to complete feedback forms, encouraging attendees to sign-up to our mailing list, counting the number of attendees etc.)
  • Welcoming vendors and speakers and helping them set up
  • Handing out promotional material
  • Selling raffle tickets
  • Clearing up at the end of the event
  • Ushering duties (showing attendees to their seats and giving directions)

Graphic Designers

We’re looking for graphic designers who can volunteer for a few hours a week to assist with a variety of design projects. These include:

  • The redesign of our fibroids booklet
  • The design of our fibroids fact sheets
  • Creation of flyers for health awareness events
  • Design of social media promotional material for campaigns
  • Design of information packs, information sheets, guides, reports etc.
  • Creating website images
  • Designing infographics and educational material

More Information

For more information about these roles, please email info@lakehealthandwellbeing.com 

Apply

You can apply for any of these roles by completing the form below.

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The information that you provide in this form will only be used to help us find the best volunteer opportunity for you and won’t be shared with, or sold to, any third parties.