We’re so delighted to have been invited to take part in a panel discussion at the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados’ event on childhood obesity.

This event will take place at the beautiful Hilton Hotel in Barbados on 20th November in recognition of Universal Children’s Day and the official end of the HCC’s childhood obesity prevention campaign.

One of the key parts of this campaign was the HCC’s childhood obesity prevention petition which called on our Heads of Government to enact any of the following policies and legislation which have been demonstrated as effective measures to combat childhood  obesity:

• Imposition of a tax of not less than 20% on Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) and use tax revenue for NCD prevention and control.
• Banning the sale, promotion and marketing of SSBs, and unhealthy foods and beverages in and around schools.
• Mandatory physical activity in all primary and secondary schools
• Adoption and application of regional standards for nutritional and front of package labelling of foods and beverages.
• Banning the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children (includes non-school environments)
• Enacting legislation related to The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

This event will officially close the petition and campaign by bringing together a wide cross section of national and regional stakeholders to celebrate the achievements of the campaign and to chart the way forward.

The meeting will provide a unique opportunity for organizations across the Caribbean, who took part in the campaign, to discuss the progress made over the course of the campaign and share national and regional successes and lessons learned in childhood obesity prevention advocacy platforms.

This one-day forum will also serve to leverage the energy and momentum of the past seven months and redirect it towards focussed evidence-based advocacy in support of creating healthy school environments across the Caribbean.

Lake Health and Wellbeing, as participant of the campaign and a member of the campaign’s civil society action team has been invited to take part in a panel discussion on the importance of coalitions and CSO collaboration around critical issues such as childhood obesity.

We’re very much looking forward to taking part in this very important event and are honoured to have been invited to participate – a big thank you to the HCC and HSFB for the invitation.

The 14^th November is World Diabetes Day, a day that the world comes together to recognise the escalating threat that diabetes poses. This year’s theme is ‘The Family and Diabetes – Diabetes Concerns Every Family.’ This theme will cover a two-year (2018 ad 2019) period.

The aim of the 2018–19 campaign is to raise awareness of the impact diabetes has on the family and to promote the role family members can play in the management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation and WHO’s key messages fall under four main areas (discover, prevent and manage) and they provide practical tips and advice for families.

Discover Diabetes

Statistics presented by the International Diabetes of Federation suggest that 50% of people with type 2 diabetes remain undiagnosed. Diagnosing diabetes early is very important in helping to prevent or delay the life-threatening complications that are associated with this condition. It is therefore very important that we are all aware of the symptoms, particularly if we have a family history of diabetes.

For World Diabetes Day, organisers are reminding family members of the key role they can play in identifying symptoms in their family members and thus helping detect diabetes early.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be hard to identify because initially they don’t make you feel unwell and the symptoms may start to feel like normal every day behaviour. Take some time to reflect on whether these symptoms are normal for you, or your family member, or if they could be a sign of type 2 diabetes.

• Urinating more often
• Feeling thirsty
• Feeling very hungry
• Weight loss
• Blurred vision

Prevent Diabetes

There is a huge opportunity to prevent diabetes as the International Diabetes Federation has reported that 80% of diabetes cases can be prevented by the public adopting a healthy lifestyle.  This means that preventing diabetes starts at home. Simply by making a decision for your family to eat a healthy diet and exercise together means that your family members can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The aim is for each of us is to create and live in an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle.

Manage Diabetes

Diabetes has a significant impact on families and family members often feel helpless when it comes to caring for those close to them who have diabetes. Research has show that 2 in 3 people wouldn’t know how to care for a family member with diabetes. This is likely to be due to a lack or awareness  and access to relevant educational material. Research has shown that less than 1 in 2 people with diabetes and 1 in 4 family members of people with diabetes have access to diabetes education programmes.

If you’re a family member of a diabetic, it’s important to know that managing diabetes requires daily treatment, regular monitoring, a healthy lifestyle and ongoing education. Family support is key in achieving this. If you feel ill-equipped to support your family members, speak to your doctor and explore whether there are any diabetes self-management courses being held in your area.

Diabetes in St Kitts

Diabetes is a significant health challenge in St Kitts accounting for one of the most common reasons for patients visiting the Joseph N France Hospital for treatment.

In St Kitts and Nevis, approximately 1300 people are living with diabetes, therefore impacting 1300 families, with 71% being women. It is thus important for residents of St Kitts and Nevis to be aware of how they can prevent, manage and discover diabetes so they can better support their family members with diabetes, as well as reduce the risk of unaffected members developing this condition.

For more information you can listen to Hon Wendy Phipps’ s (Minister of State for responsibility for Health in St Kitts), statement in observance of world Diabetes Day 2018 on Sound Cloud here:

Conclusion

Family members can make a significant difference in the prevention, early diagnosis and management of diabetes. It’s important to learn more about this condition and if you need help in St Kitts you can contact the St Kitts Diabetes Association.

Following the launch of Caribbean Moves, a new initiative based on the successful Jamaica Moves campaign, the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Barbados launched their Barbados Moves campaign.

The launch took place on 20^th October 2018 and was led by Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, Barbados’ Minister of Health and Wellness. In attendance was Dr Christopher Tufton Jamaica’s health minister, who said:

‘Caribbean Moves’ is an attempt to mobilise the region one country at a time, and one person at a time through taking personal responsibility for your health and by doing the things that are responsible for a healthy life.

“Finally, it’s about uniting the Caribbean through one message, one method, one approach and by extension strengthening us as a people.”

Barbados Moves will form the island’s national approach to tackling non-communicable diseases and will focus on three key areas, similar to Jamaica Moves,  which are physical activity, healthy eating and knowing your health status.

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Image Credit: Barbados Moves (Instagram)

On 27^th September 2018, Caribbean leaders hosted a breakfast meeting at the UN High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in New York. The theme for this meeting was “Moving the Caribbean Towards Healthier Lives – Step It Up!”

Chaired by Dr Timothy Harris,  the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, leaders used this meeting to announce the launch of Caribbean Moves, an initiative that aims to re-energise health promotion efforts across the Caribbean through creative  and innovative partnerships.

Caribbean leaders recognised that progress has been made in tackling NCDs but with the Caribbean’s mortality rate for NCDs being the highest in the Americas, a more coordinated approach is needed. Caribbean Moves aims to achieve this.

Caribbean Moves will build on the very successful Jamaica Moves campaign which focuses on physical activity, healthy eating and age appropriate health checks.  The Jamaica Moves campaign is led by Dr Christopher Tufton, Jamaica’s Minister of Health, who is a very active participant in the Jamaica Moves campaign. He said of Caribbean Moves:

“This programme is intended to scale up the efforts of ongoing national programmes for increasing physical activity and healthy eating across the Caribbean. Among other things, Caribbean Moves will galvanise countries under one vision but each countries project will be unique fostering a cultural and social movement for regular physical activity within the Caribbean.”

Over the next few months a secretariat will be established for the Caribbean Moves initiative and their remit will be to develop an implementation schedule, coordinate activities and strengthen existing work in the Caribbean Region.

We look forward to seeing the Caribbean Moves initiative develop and are currently working on our own efforts to tackle NCDs in St Kitts and Nevis through a new piece of work  we are undertaking with the FIT Wellness Centre in Nevis. More information about this project will be available soon.

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Picture Credit: CARICOM

After the success of their first Fibroids Wellness Hub in November 2017, Noire Wellness will be back on Sunday 25^th November at Brent Hub in North London from 11am to 6pm for their second annual Fibroids Series Wellness Hub.

This will be an empowering and informative day that aims to support women living with fibroids. Atttendees will be able to attend a variety of workshops and live demonstrations that all aim to provide women with fibroids with information and practical advice on how to manage their symptoms and thus reduce the effects of fibroids.

The event will feature the following:

Wisdom Wonders where you can gain valuable insight into areas often ignored when living with health conditions. Explore the use of yoni eggs as part of womb health; discuss the emotional impacts of fibroids with the support of sisters. Here you will get the opportunity to explore more with speakers during a special drop-in clinic and a panel discussion at the end of the day.

Nature’s Lab. Here attendees can learn about a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good and have energy whilst living with fibroids.

A Mindful Zone. This will help you focus your awareness on the present moment, through a series of gentle activities. Here you’ll discover workshops centred on breathing to eliminate stress; sound healing and meditation for practical lessons to use at home; and a yoga session focussed on movement to help reduce pain and increase energy flow.

A Rejuvenation Lounge.  Where you can take some time out during the day and indulge in treatments offered by Tanya Kay Beauty Lifestyle including a back massage and a foot and leg massage.

If you have been affected by fibroids, this event is not to be missed. For more information please visit the event web page here

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

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• 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

It is Caribbean Wellness Day on 8th September and this day kicks off a week of wellness activities to celebrate Caribbean Wellness Week.

Caribbean Wellness Day  started in 2008  following the CARICOM Summit on Chronic Diseases held in Trinidad in September 2007. This annual event was established to:

• increase the awareness of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden in the Caribbean;
• mobilise and strengthen public, private, and civil society partnerships for NCDs;
• promote multi country, multisectoral activities in support of wellness; and
• showcase national and community level activities to promote healthy living and encourage residents to develop good health practices.

Wellness Walk 

We attended the St Kitts Caribbean Wellness Week’s planning meetings organised by the Ministry of Health and are delighted invite you to the St Kitts Caribbean Wellness Day Walk on 8th September at 5AM (!).

The Ministry of Health will be partnering with Elite Fitness and other local gyms to spearhead the inaugural Caribbean Wellness Day Walk. This is just one of the many activities organised to commemorate  Caribbean Wellness Week which runs from 8th to 14th September.

Owner of Elite Fitness, Althus Herbert, said:

“The Elite Fitness Gym is glad to have been afforded the opportunity to partner with the Ministry of Health for Caribbean Wellness Week and honoured to be the leading gym to spearhead the walk. We pride ourselves in maintaining the physical well-being of our clients. We are also looking forward to this being an annual event and collaborating on future events with the ministry,”

The meeting point is at the Caribbean Cinemas  parking lot. The event will start with a warm-up activity and then attendees will make their way to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and back.

Registration is just $10EC for children who are 12 and under and $20EC for attendees who are 13 or older.  We delighted to say there is a special corporate registration package of $15EC per person for every 10 people registered from the same organisation.

Join us for an invigorating, fun walk to start your day on a healthy note. We hope to see you there!

You can listen to a short promo clip here