In today’s blog we’re absolutely delighted to hear from Kerthy Sugunathevan and Ashley Carter, two very enthusiastic medical students from the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St Kitts.

 Ashley and Kerthy are passionate about making a difference and developing the skills required to be the best health practitioners they can be and as such they are the co-founders of a new campus club called ‘Because We Care’

 Kerthy and Ashley tell us about their club, its mission and why they started it. Please support this new initiative by liking their Facebook page and if you have any questions, please do leave them in the comments section below.

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Because We Care (BWeC) is a new club to UMHS this semester.  Our club centres on three main pillars: Build – Widen – Connect

• Build a relationship between the UMHS community and St. Kitts
• Widen the impact of UMHS in St. Kitts by promoting healthy living and providing education on high risk health topics
• Connect UMHS Students to volunteer opportunities to allow them to improve interpersonal skills while making a difference in the community

Our mission is to conduct events that promote health education and awareness in St. Kitts by engaging the community in outreach events. Our goal is to provide students with various opportunities to take part, while creating a positive impact in the community.  We hope to help students build upon their interpersonal skills. We will also be promoting various events surrounding healthy living for students physically and mentally (i.e. 3vs3 basketball, boot camps and stress relief events).

We are looking forward to creating a positive impact while on our journey to becoming great doctors alongside our peers.  Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any events you would like to see in the future!

Please like our facebook page and follow us for events and weekly posts.

Welcome back to our blog! Today, we’re delighted to have a guest blog submitted by Nina Johnson-Campbell of the NJC Therapy Practice.

Nina discusses how we can manage stress through emotional intelligence and provides some really useful tips that just require 10 minutes of your day. 

This is the second blog from Nina Johnson-Campbell, in her first blog Nina explored a new tool to support the wellbeing of children and adults. You can read her first post here

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What Exactly is Stress?

Stress is a necessary, innate/natural part of our survival instinct and physiological make up; it motivates us to take action to keep us safe or to keep reaching just that bit further to achieve our dreams and aspirations; it’s the ‘fuel’ that propels us.

Stress only becomes a problem when the physiological and physical symptoms build up in our body without being released and as a result starts to negatively impact our: memory, concentration, emotions, thinking abilities, health, our overall wellbeing and eventually our mental health.

What is Emotional Intelligence(EI*)?

EI is the ability to recognise and understand your emotions and those of others; the ability to use that information to guide your thoughts and actions; the ability to empathise (and therefore build better, successful relationships).

How can Emotional Intelligence (EI) help to manage stress effectively?

• Helps you to reduce excess stress as you better understand your emotions (becoming more self-aware);
• Use that information to guide your thoughts and actions;
• Increase your empathy through better understanding of others’ emotions, which in turn
• Improves your relationships, at school, at home, in the work place** and socially.
• Improving your emotional intelligence will help you to discover your inner strengths, remain calmer and in control in any situation.

Start to improve your Emotional Intelligence right now, today, by doing this simple exercise:

Set aside just 10  mins.

1. Think of the last time you had a strong negative feeling towards someone, it may be a friend, partner, work colleague or even a stranger.
2. Name the exact emotion you were experiencing in that moment (maybe anger, resentment, frustration, disappointment etc)
3. Next take a few moments to explore why you were feeling that emotion (for example you may have felt mistreated, undervalued, ignored, inadequate, unloved).
4. Now consider how the other person may have felt in that moment too, could they have been experiencing similar emotions? How do you know for sure how or what they were really thinking?
5. As you’re now aware, you cannot be sure without further information what they were feeling/thinking. In light of this new awareness,
6. Consider how you could have responded in a better/constructive way for you.
7. What did you learn from that situation, good or bad?
8. What will you do differently next time?

As it’s your response and not the situation that determines your outcome, take time to pause and by practising the few simple steps outlined above, I guarantee you will start to see better results as you  reduce your stress by taking control of your emotions, instead of them controlling you and allow space for you to think more clearly.

Remember as Confucius said:

‘Mighty is the man who can command an army of thousands, Mightier still is the man who can command himself’.

If you would like to discover how managing stress through EI could improve other areas of your life, please contact me at: Johnsm2643@gmail.com or visit my website www.life-njctherapy.co.uk

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Notes

*M. Beldoch c.1964

** Some studies have shown that job candidates with higher levels of EI are often more successful; perform better once employed; make great managers and business owners ( Forbes.com; Times on Sunday; Harvard Business School)

The above article was  published in  2016: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/health/20161116/stress-management-through-emotional-intelligence

Copyright N.Johnson-Campbell (2016)

We’re pleased to announce that our friends at Noire Wellness have launched their new website.

On their website you can find out about all the great work they’re doing to improve the health and wellbeing of the African and African-Caribbean community. Their work centres on three main services:

• Hubs for the community. This is where they transfer community spaces into  wellness environments that combine health and fitness, spa therapy and a learning environment into one unique event
• Academy. This helps wellness brands achieve their aims and objectives through a programme that enables business owners to gain confidence and create more visibility
• Network. They’re creating a network of diverse wellness brands

Check out their upcoming events on their website too. These include:

• Fibroids wellness hub in November
• Their health dinner series launching in 2019
• Their digital wellness programme

Noire Wellness have a fresh and innovative approach to wellness and we applaud them for the great work they have been doing over the past couple of years.

Please do visit their website and also check them out on social media:

 Twitter: @noirewellness

Facebook: @noirewellness

Our Chronic Disease Self-Management Course which was due to start on 2^nd October 2018 has been postponed until November. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused and will release the November dates soon.

If you would like further information or would like to book a space on to the course, please email events@lakehealthandwellbeing.com

In the meantime, below is video that discusses the benefits of attending a chronic disease self-management course.

We’re so pleased to announce that the featured guest for our October Fibroids Twitter chat will be Julia Mandeville, the Co-Founder of the Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS.

Research suggests that 30% of women with fibroids have endometriosis  and in many cases this additional condition goes undiagnosed for many years. By raising awareness of endometriosis we can empower women with the information needed to facilitate an early diagnosis so that the most appropriate treatment is received without delay.

We are so delighted to have Julia as a guest so our followers can get a better understanding of endometriosis especially women with fibroids who may have unexplained symptoms which could be due to this condition.

Who is Julia Mandeville?

Julia Mandeville has been a science and health educator since 2010, gaining a B.Sc in Biology with Microbiology with honours from the University of the West Indies. She also holds a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Global Health from the University of Manchester.

Julia is the co-founder of the Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS (BAEP) and is an emerging global health professional who has a particular interest in reproductive health rights, invisible chronic disease management, research and policy specifically as it relates to Caribbean women’s health.

Her personal struggle with Endometriosis and subsequent diagnosis was the catalyst that caused her to utilize her voice and become an advocate. She also has experience as a consultant and more recently has expanded her academic portfolio with certificates in gender, development and NGO management.

The Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS

The BAEP was founded to address the knowledge gap as it pertains to these pelvic conditions and their impact in Barbados. It serves to advocate for the women in Barbadian society who are suffering due to lack of awareness and works to engage with major and relevant stakeholders to raise these conditions to a priority level in the public health community.

The BAEP is a non-governmental organization located in Barbados which has also collaborated with local and regional entities with similar mandates.

Join Us!

Join our #FibroidsChat to find out more about endometriosis and  the great work that BAEP is conducting to support Caribbean women affected by endometriosis and PCOS. To take part in the conversation find us on Twitter on 10th October at  3pm ( AST or  8pm GMT ) and use the hashtag #FibroidsChat.

Find Out More

You can find out more about the BAEP here  and you can follow the BAEP on social media:

Twitter: @endoandpcosbb
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EndoFacts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endoandpcosbb/?hl=en

To be kept up-to-date on this topic, please sign-up to receive our fibroids newsletter  and you can read a summary of our previous #FibroidsChats here

A study published in August 2018 by researchers at the George Mason University in the USA has demonstrated that exposure to chemicals in beauty and personal care products affect women’s reproductive hormones, and these effects may have an impact on women’s health.

What Did They Do?

In their study, researchers focused on chemicals commonly used in beauty and personal care products. These included bisphenol A (BPA), chlorophenols, benzophenones (a UV filter) and parabens (preservatives). They evaluated these chemicals in 143 women over two menstrual cycles. They also analysed the reproductive hormones oestradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

The 143 women in this study were aged 18 to 44 years old, had no known chronic health conditions and did not use birth control.

Dr Anna Pollack, lead researcher, on this study noted that:

“This study is the first to examine mixtures of chemicals that are widely used in personal care products in relation to hormones in healthy, reproductive-age women, using multiple measures of exposure across the menstrual cycle, which improved upon research that relied on one or two measures of chemicals”

This is an important point to note as measuring mixtures of chemicals better reflects the real-world situation where women will be exposed to several chemicals.

What Did They Find?

The study found that exposure to these chemicals, even low-level exposure to mixtures of these chemicals affected participants’ reproductive hormones.  Specifically, they found that:

• BPA, chlorophenols, UV filters and parabens were linked with reproductive hormones
• Parabens were associated with an increase in oestradiol
• Phenol and UV filters were linked to a decrease in oestradiol, FSH and LH

What Does This Mean?

The results of this study are interesting as changes in reproductive hormones have been linked to a number of health conditions such as fibroids, breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.  Therefore, care must be taken when selecting beauty and personal care products.

Researchers noted that:

“We have early indicators that chemicals such as parabens may increase oestrogen levels. If this finding is confirmed by additional research, it could have implications for oestrogen dependent diseases such as breast cancer.” Dr Anna Pollack

Researchers therefore concluded that:

“What we should take away from this study is that we may need to be careful about the chemicals in the beauty and personal care products we use.”

You May Also Be Interested in These Stories

• My Haircare Nightmare: Help Us Start A Revolution
• More Concerning Research on Black Hair Products
• Latest Research on Hair Dyes, Relaxers and Breast Cancer
• Black Women, Relaxers and Fibroids
• Black Hair Products: We Want to Hear from You!

You can read the research paper describing this study here

Last week was Caribbean Wellness Week and on Friday we celebrated the last day of this week with the grand finale  at the Marriott in Frigate Bay.

This event was organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Marriott Resort and we were delighted to have been invited to have an information table.

The event started with free health checks at 2:30pm where members of public and Marriott staff were able to get their blood pressure, blood glucose, BMI and cholesterol levels measured as well as have an HIV test conducted. Also, attendees had the opportunity to visit information tables, one of which we hosted.

We were delighted to welcome people to our information table to introduce the public to our work and raise awareness of our upcoming Living Well With Chronic Disease Course, let women know about our fibroids survey and promote the Healthy Caribbean Coalition’s childhood obesity prevention campaign and call-to-action

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Then, at 4pm it was party time! The chairs were cleared away, the music was turned on and soca-cise began. This was a fun, fast-paced aerobics session with a Caribbean twist. Instructors led the audience through a 2-hour routine that got our heart rates up and worked every part of our bodies. It was a fun session and the 2 hours flew by and before we knew it the session was over ☹, proving that exercise doesn’t have to feel like torture to be effective.

We had a great time on Friday and would like to thank the Ministry of Health for the opportunity to be a part of this event. We’d also like to say a big thank you to everyone who visited our information table, it was lovely meeting you all.

We look forward to Caribbean Wellness Week next year and for more information about Caribbean Wellness Day and Week vist CARPHA or PAHO’s websites.

We like listening to the podcast The Nod. It’s a fun, witty and insightful look at black American culture. The hosts have a great way of exploring important topics and unearthing interesting untold stories.

In their episode released on 10th September 2018, ‘Bleeding and Healing‘, host Brittany Luse focuses on a common women’s health issue (we won’t tell you which one, so we don’t spoil the episode for you), that is overlooked and disproportionately affects black women.

This health issue is one that we have explored over the past couple of years and this episode of The Nod does a great job at raising awareness and highlighting some of the keys challenges such as:

• The extent to which women normalise pain
• Not having a clear idea of what is normal and abnormal when it comes to period pain and menstrual bleeding
• The lack of awareness of women’s health issues
• The length of time it takes for women to be diagnosed
• The confusion that can exist when it comes to making treatment decisions
• The challenges of finding not just a good doctor, but one black women feel comfortable with

This episode provides some good food for thought. You can listen to it here and below is the description of the episode from The Nod team.

“For years, KalaLea experiences painful periods that keep her in bed for days at a time. As she tries to figure out what’s happening to her body, she discovers that she has a condition that disproportionately affects Black women. This is the story of how KalaLea listened closely to her own body and made her doctors listen, too.

“This week’s story comes from the Bodies podcast. After the show, KalaLea joins Brittany in the studio to share advice on how to better advocate for your own wellness.” 

Have you listened to  the ‘Bleeding and Healing’ episode of The Nod? We’d love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment in the comments section below or send us an email.

Disclosure: this post contains an affiliate link. Find out more here

On 8^th September we were up at 4AM for the St Kitts Caribbean Wellness Day Walk. It was hard waking up at that time, way before the sun was up, but it was worth it.

This walk was months in the making and started as an idea, back in June, at the first planning meeting of Caribbean Wellness Week. The planning meeting brought together the Ministry of Health and its partners all working towards a common goal of  improving the health of the nation.

So, on 8^th September, feeling pretty sleepy, we drove to the meeting point at the Caribbean Cinemas parking lot and joined about 50 other people to recognise Caribbean Wellness Day and the importance of physical activity.

The walk was led by Elite Fitness, a local gym, who started off the morning with a warm-up and then we hit the streets of Basseterre for a lovely walk. The route took us through town, all the way down Cayon Street and then we turned left onto Wellington Road and continued to the airport roundabout and then turned onto the bypass road and made our way back to the cinema where we finished off with a cool-down session.

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We walked a total of 7.49KM which took us an hour and 20 minutes and with the inclines in two locations, the route provided us all with a great workout.

We had a great time and it was a so nice to see the diversity of people in attendance – old, young, male, female and all shapes and sizes.

This event not only celebrated Caribbean Wellness Day, but it was the launch of Caribbean Wellness Week which runs until Friday 14^th September. Look out for all the events being organised this week. Highlights include the a Health Fest on Thursday 13^th September, National Sneaker Day on 14^th September where everyone is encouraged to wear their sneakers to work and the grand finale at the Marriott, a soca-cise party starting from 4pm with free health checks from 2:30pm.

Come out, get active and let’s make sure that we create a healthier nation!

For Immediate Release

3rd September 2018

In April 2018 Tola Okogwu was featured in a BBC interview about the potential dangers of hair care products marketed at Black women. The interview went viral and was shared by thousands of women all over the world. Black women were rightly shocked and concerned and yet it did not cause much of a stir across mainstream media. This inspired her to join forces with Abi Begho and Sheila Marshall to create a documentary uncovering the truth behind the safety of hair products for Black women.

In a study, published in April 2018 by researchers from the Silent Spring Institute and Battelle Memorial Institute in the USA it was found that 80% of black hair products contain endocrine disrupting and asthma causing chemicals. Endocrine disrupting chemicals are of particular concern as some studies have linked these chemicals to hormone-related health conditions including, breast cancer and fibroids. But what does this research actually mean for Black women using these products daily? Should they be worried? Should they stop using these products?

Black women need to be empowered with clear, accurate, reliable information so that they can make informed decisions about the products that they choose to purchase. This is why the ‘My Haircare Nightmare’ documentary is so important. Tola, Abi and Sheila’s goal is to create a documentary that will provide some answers, stimulate discussion and question a culture that has created a market that perpetuates the myth that natural afro hair needs to be ‘tamed’ with product after product.

Their documentary will creatively explain the science behind the research and delve deeper into the societal and cultural pressures that lead black women to use these products. They will speak to real women and hear their hair stories.   The documentary will also provide expert advice and practical approaches to help Black women reduce their level of exposure to EDCs and asthma causing chemicals. They will speak to scientists, manufacturers, consumers, influencers, policy makers and more to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and what we should all be doing about it.

In order to make this documentary happen, the collective needs to raise over £80,000 and have launched a crowdfunding campaign to turn their vision into a reality.

https://igg.me/at/myhaircarenightmare

For interviews and more information

Ronke Lawal info@ariatupr.com

Notes to Editor

Tola is an author who holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has written for several publications including Black Beauty and Hair Magazine and Metro UK.  An avid reader, Tola enjoys spending time with her family and friends around her home in Kent where she lives with her husband and daughters.

Abi Begho is the Founder of Lake Health and Wellbeing, an organisation which seeks to address the health inequalities that exist where the black community faces a number of health challenges. Abi is very passionate about giving back to her community and has been recognised for this work having received an award from the MGC GCC for her contribution to health and wellbeing and was nominated for an Active Citizen Award.

Sheila Marshall Following her MA in International Political Economy Sheila worked for 10 years across film and television. This includes working in development for Film4 and the UK Film Council. Sheila also produced “Outtakes US Presidents” for BBC, a comedy show about presidential gaffes. Since 2011 she has worked as an independent filmmaker on Right Between Your Ears and other projects, including a pilot magazine show “Living Resourcefully”.