This week, our guest blogger, Stacey Mensah, strips it all back when it comes to our diet and asks: ‘Why don’t we just keep it simple? In exploring this question Stacey has been inspired to start a 31 day eating clean challenge today. Follow her journey and, even better, join her on this challenge.

Hello and welcome to another week at the Lake Foundation. This week I decided to look at the idea of simplicity when it comes to diet. Now, this topic must be quite foreign to most of us as everyday life has disguised simplicity as idealism; and so we think we’re incapable of eating the way our ancestors used to. I have to admit, I do find it incredibly idealistic to live in such a way purely because I’ve never done it and I’m sure that if I did do it I would fail miserably.

Complex diet and lifestyle changes have plagued the majority of modern society’s habits but once you break down that formula for losing weight, drinking more water, or whatever that goal may be you find that it isn’t as complicated as it needs to be (or so I’ve heard). For some reason when I decide to go on a diet, or a lifestyle change, as I like to call it, I feel as though it’s​ necessary to buy certain trendy superfoods or go for products with enticing packaging. Just a quick side note though while we’re here: I know I’m not the only one in on this so please continue.

All I’m really left with in the end is an Instagram-worthy shopping cart and what can one do with that? When it comes to cooking, however, I keep it incredibly simple and that, of course, means that I end up wasting the majority of my basket – which is incredibly frustrating. This frustration, of course, drives me to my nearest chippy. And let’s be honest, chips are anything but complicated!

While looking into the idea of keeping it simple I came across an article on Dale Pinnock, who interestingly, is known as the UK’s ‘Medicinal Chef’. This lovely gentleman specializes in the medicinal properties of food and in his latest book, ‘The Medicinal Chef: The Power of Three’, he explores the secrets that can lead to a longer, healthier life. Pinnock stresses the importance of simplicity and the absurdity of buying into trends, ‘I’ve been eating kale for years, and it’s great, but when people take one thing and turn it into the ultimate panacea, that’s when you need to put the bulls*** detectors on’. So this has inspired me…

For the next 31 days, I will be eating a clean diet – free from processed foods, artificial colours​ and all of that other stuff. The exciting bit is I would like to take you along this journey towards ‘the simple life’ via social media. I’ve created the Instagram account – @staceydmensah – where you’ll be able to find daily updates of my journey. My hope for this social experiment is that we may be able to have an open dialogue about healthy eating and good food.

I hope to be speaking to some of you very soon….

Till next week….

In this week’s blog our Cycling Club Coordinator, Sheila, discusses some great cycling tips she’s picked up from members of the club. Share some of your cycling hacks with us, we’d love to hear them.

One of the benefits of joining The Lake Foundation Cycling Club has been getting to know other members of the group. We come from all walks of life: from a curtain maker to celebrities, an accountant, to a care worker who has enjoyed a former life as a salsa teacher. The diversity of our group also means that there is a wealth of knowledge and experience between us. Here are a few cycling related gems (cycling hacks) that have emerged from our members.

Apps and websites

One of our cyclists was pretty new to cycling before joining The Lake Foundation Cycling Club. She went from strength to strength and went on to invest in cycling equipment and clothing. She began to ride outside of the club and even took part in the London to Brighton bike ride. It was encouraging to see members of The Lake foundation cycling club support her as she trained for the ride. Whatsapp was a great way to keep up to date with her progress on the day of the ride and cheer her on.

A couple of our cyclists use Strava which allows you to record your sport activities and progress over time. On occasion they’ve then shared the route so we can see how we’re doing as a group.

Our cycling instructors have taken advantage of apps to make their lives easier. One says he’s not a fan of tech. An app like Whatsapp is “far too complicated” for him.  Plot a Route is the exception. He uses it because, “it’s simple and does exactly what it says”. “I can then take a screen-shot and send you the route!” Our second cycling instructor uses Ride with GPS, which also allows you to plot routes in advance but comes with details cue sheets and a wide range of features for the more serious tech savvy rider.

Clothing

A kindly couple in our group took it upon themselves to buy a high-visibility top for one of our riders. Highly visibility clothing has reflective properties or is of a colour that is easily seen from any background. High-visibility clothing can be a life-saver when cycling amongst motor vehicles during day or night.

I’d never had known waterproof socks existed had it not been for one of our more serious riders. It was a cold Saturday morning when we ventured out from Croydon to cycling to Greenwich. I was smug about having layered against the cold weather. I wasn’t prepared, however, for the relentless rain. I re-emerged from the bathroom after a failed attempt to dry my wet socks and was met by laughter of my friend amused by my misery while she enjoyed a hot mug of tea and the comfort of her dry sealskinz socks.

Why not share your cycling hacks with us on Facebook or Twitter #cyclinghacks.

The Lake Foundation  does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes, or services. Therefore, mention of commercial products, processes, or services on the Lake Foundation website cannot be construed as an endorsement or recommendation.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of attending an event organised by Diabetes UK and Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group. This event was entitled ‘Type 2 Diabetes and the Croydon Community’ and it brought together patients, healthcare professionals, local charities and commissioners to discuss how   we can tackle diabetes in Croydon.

The event started with a welcome and introduction by Dr Rajan Namasivayam from the Diabetes UK Croydon Local Group and then we heard from the three main speakers: Rachael Glover, Manager at Diabetes UK; Charlotte Harris, Senior Researcher, Revealing Reality;  and Dipti Gandhi, Diabetes Clinical Lead at Croydon CCG.

Setting the Scene

Rachael Glover from Diabetes UK started the session with a good introduction to type 2 diabetes and its prevention and management.  From Rachael’s presentation, we learnt of the extent to which diabetes affects those living in the UK; currently, 4.5 million people in the UK have diabetes.  Rachael explained that diabetes occurs when our body isn’t able to control our blood glucose levels and glucose builds up in the blood leading to a number of health problems.  Diabetes is a result of problems with our insulin which is a hormone that helps our body use glucose preventing glucose levels from rising to dangerously high levels.

Rachael stated that there are two main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes: this is where the body doesn’t make any insulin at all

Type 2 diabetes:  where the body doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin isn’t working properly.

From Rachael’s presentation, it was noted that 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes hence why there is a need to focus on this type of diabetes, particularly because 3/5 cases of type 2 diabetes are preventable. This means there is a huge opportunity to successfully tackle diabetes.

Rachael explained that type 2 diabetes can be prevented by eating a healthier diet, being more active and maintaining a healthy weight.

Rachael stated that the national programme Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme was launched in 2016 to support people at high risk of developing diabetes to change their lifestyle to reduce their risk.

Rachael also discussed the best ways of ensuring that patients with diabetes are able to successfully manage their condition.  She stated that one of the most effective ways to do this is through patient education and there are several approaches:  one-to-one information and advice, informal flexible ongoing information, ongoing support and structured education.  These approaches are useful to patients with 90% of patients saying that they were better able to manage their condition following education, but sadly only 5% of diabetes patients attend an education event. With this in mind, Diabetes UK and Croydon CCG have pledged to reach 50% of diabetics through education.

Interesting Research

Next, we heard from Charlotte Harris, Senior Researcher from Revealing Reality. Charlotte summarised the findings from a very interesting research study that aimed to understand attitudes to diabetes amongst the South Asian communities of Thornton Heath in Croydon.

In their study they explored the needs, barriers and opportunities for innovation and they did this by finding out about diabetes as it is really lived in the community – they visited patients in their own environment.  From their work they identified  four key areas for innovation:

• Food
• Lifestyle and fitness
• Medical and healthcare
• Knowledge and advice

They also found that:

1. When looking at the South Asian community, there was no one South Asian community or culture. There were many cultural differences (Indian, Bangladeshi etc..) and these differences are usually overlooked when health education and awareness projects are developed.

2. Despite diabetes being talked about frequently, understanding of diabetes is low and for people where there was an understanding knowledge wasn’t applied practically.

3. There was a sense in the South Asian community that diabetes is inevitable and there isn’t anything that can be done to prevent it, so there was a significant feeling of powerlessness.

4. Many myths about diabetes exist such as climate and stress cause diabetes and that diabetes can be cured, this myth about there being a cure was a major problem as people would stop taking their medication once they started feeling better believing they were cured.

5. There was a lack of knowledge of the serious complications that are associated with diabetes.

Tackling Diabetes in Croydon

Finally, we heard from Dipti Gandhi the diabetes clinical lead at Croydon CCG. Dipti explained that, in Croydon, diabetes is a  huge problem with about 10% of residents living with diabetes.  She then went on to explain some of the services in Croydon. These included:

• A new prevention programme where pre-diabetics are identified and enrolled in a 15-month programme to reduce their risk of developing diabetes. This programme has started in Thornton Heath and will expand to other areas in Croydon.
• Online support via Croydon Council’s Just Be Programme
• Voluntary sector projects to raise awareness
• Support with medications
• Group consultations with GPs and exploring ways of patients accessing diabetes specialists
• Self education through DESMOND Type 2 and DAFNE Type 1

Conclusion

This was a really informative and interesting event and one that was of great importance to the black community who are three times more likely to develop diabetes than their white counterparts. The Lake Foundation is currently making its own contribution to tackling diabetes in Croydon by teaming up with Diabetes UK and Croydon CCG with funding from Croydon Council to run a diabetes community champion project.  To find out more about this project or to volunteer to take part please email us

This week is Parkinson’s Awareness Week and our guest blogger, Stacey Mensah, discusses this condition, urging us to bring this forgotten disease into the limelight.

Welcome back to the Lake Foundation’s blog! I hope everyone is doing amazing well! As this week marks the beginning of Parkinson’s awareness week, I believe it would be fitting to base this post around that issue. Now I’m going to be honest with you, I never really understood health weeks. I believed it to be marketing ploy but, fortunately I have changed the error of my ways. Raising the awareness of Parkinson’s is incredibly important, as many people still view it as an elderly person’s illness, when in fact it is striking men and women all over the country, far earlier in life. Parkinson’s has been described as the forgotten disease as it manifests itself differently in each individual and so it’s harder to diagnose and there unfortunately is no cure. Or, at least just not yet there isn’t. So let’s get the basics out of the way…

According to the National Health Service, Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative condition of the central nervous system that mainly affects the part of the nervous system that is involved with movement. The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:

Tremor. This refers to a shaking that usually begins in the limbs, often in your hands or fingers. You may notice a back and forth rubbing of your thumb and forefinger, known as a pill-rolling tremor. Another characteristic of Parkinson’s disease is a tremor of your hand when it is relaxed. Unfortunately there is no cure for a tremor but there are ways to control it. In the early stages of Parkinson’s some people might be able to suppress their hand tremor by squeezing or rolling a ball, pen or similar object. A specialist or a Parkinson’s nurse should be able to give you advice on what would be the best course of action to take.

Slowed Movement. Parkinson’s disease will gradually reduce your ability to move and slow your movement, making simple tasks quite time consuming. The reduction in the level of dopamine may also cause your steps to become shorter when you walk and may also make it difficult getting out of a chair. People have found physiotherapy helpful as it improves their symptoms. A physio therapist will also be able to recommend exercises and techniques to help with your mobility.

Rigidity. This stops muscles from stretching and relaxing. It can cause: stiff muscles, inflexible muscles, pain and muscle cramps and a fixed ‘mask-like’ facial expression. Rigidity prevents you from being able to swing your arms as their muscles will be too tight and stiff.  Regular exercise of course will help strengthen muscles and improve flexibility and mobility. Physiotherapy will also be a big reliever of muscle pain.

It is all too easy to forget about this disease and so we urge you to do something this week. Whether it is raising money for the cause, or simply just inviting a friend over to discuss the topic. We need to bring this forgotten disease back into the lime light and it can only start with you.

See you next week x

More information on the symptoms of Parkinson’s can be found at parkinsons.org.uk

We were so delighted when we received an email from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health a few months ago telling us that they would be carrying out an inquiry into informed choice and fibroids and endometriosis,  two of the most common conditions affecting women.

The aim of the inquiry was to explore whether women with fibroids and endometriosis are given an informed choice about the treatment options available and to outline what improvements need to be made.

In order to assess this issue the APPG on Women’s Health consulted with women affected by these conditions as well as healthcare professionals. This was done through a survey, written evidence submissions, an oral evidence session and freedom of information requests to all 139 hospital trusts in the UK.

The Lake Foundation started working on providing information and support to women with fibroids about two years ago following our own survey which found that more needed to be done to ensure women had enough information and support to manage their condition. We published a fibroids booklet, formed an Ask the Expert panel and hosted our first fibroids conference for women affected by fibroids. So for us the APPG’s inquiry was a breath of fresh air as it finally put a national spotlight on fibroids and in doing so enabled the challenges that women with fibroids experience to be raised at the highest level possible, in parliament, and we hope that this will bring about real change.

Results from the Inquiry

The inquiry has now come to an end and this week the APPG on Women’s Health published their report and, like the results of our survey, their report makes for grim reading. Nothing has changed.

Over 2,600 women with fibroids (237) and endometriosis (2,367) completed their survey and:

• 62% said they were not happy with the treatment choices
• 42% said they were not treated with dignity and respect
• 67% said they first found information about their condition from the internet

Looking at just the answers that related to fibroids, 70% of women were told about a hysterectomy suggesting that women are pushed towards this treatment option when many other options are available.  Over 20% of women with fibroids felt the need to get a second opinion and 34% of women were not satisfied with their treatment.

Additionally, over 40% of women with fibroid were not told about the short-term complications of their treatment and over 50% weren’t told about the long-term complications.

The inquiry also identified a number of barriers that prevent women from receiving the best care possible. These included:

• Lack of public awareness
• Lack of understanding of these conditions by GPs
• Common myths about fibroids and endometriosis
• Lack of information
• An inefficient diagnosis pathway
• Lack of follow-up and support after treatment

As a result of their inquiry the APPG made a number of recommendations which fell into the following categories

• Improve patient experience
• Improve awareness
• Improve the diagnosis pathway

Our Thoughts

The Lake Foundation was happy to see this inquiry take place and happy to see the report published. We were disappointed that, even though we raised it, there was no recognition of the fact that fibroids are more common in black women and black women are more likely to develop multiple and more aggressive fibroids. This is an important point to highlight as it means that there needs to be a greater focus on black women who will need more support. GPs need to be aware of this so they can diagnose black women quickly and look at treatment stratgies before symptoms become unbearable.

More Information

For more information you can read the APPG’s full report below.

This week, our guest blogger, Stacey Mensah, finishes off our series on the health benefits of various leisure activities. In previous blogs we’ve explored the health benefits of writing and listening to music and in this current blog Stacey puts the spotlight on reading. 

Good Morning, Everyone! I hope you’re doing well! Today’s post is on the topic of reading but more specifically with the health benefits that are associated with it. I love to read because it allows me to widen my perspective of the world and that has always been important to me. It’s also a great way to mentally escape from that morning commute or even the noisy neighbours. The benefits of reading – for the most part – can be grouped into the external and internal. With the internal referring to how reading changes you from the inside and external being how it affects your outwardly health.  As I’ve gotten older it’s become a lot harder to read as frequently as I would like. The urgent commitments of life always seem to overshadow the casual commitment to read and that frankly is the problem! Keeping these benefits at the forefront of your mind will ensure we no longer view reading as a secondary task. So, here we go:

The Internal Benefits of Reading

Cognitive Stimulation

Reading has shown to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s and Dementia, as it keeps your brain active and prevents it from losing power. This means that it’s great to challenge yourself when choosing a book. I’m about to read the book, ‘Gut’ by Giulia Enders. It’s a book that I’ve tried to read before but of course has challenged me and therefore has stayed on my withering bookshelf. It’s ok if you’re stopping to define words, underlining or simply just stopping for time to internalize. If we don’t challenge ourselves daily, we will not grow as human beings and stagnation is a dangerous thing!

Say Bye-Bye To Stress

Weight Watchers has recently reported that cuddling up with your favourite book can reduce levels of stress hormones called cortisol. Studies have shown that participants who read after partaking in a stressful activity are more likely to have their stress levels drop by more than 50%.

Vocabulary Expansion

This is personally one of my favourite benefits of reading. It certainly beats reading a dictionary, which no one should ever do willingly. Researchers estimate that we learn up to 15% of our vocabulary through reading. This is significant for children, whose vocabulary size is directly related to the books they read. By reading in your spare time you will feel more comfortable reading to your children. Especially if they are asking you to explain concepts, and hey, you may even enjoy it.

Peace

Do I need to say anymore? Reading is a source of tranquillity and with the pressures of everyday life it’s important to not get caught up in the hustle and bustle. Reading is your way of giving yourself a time-out. Time out from the world to find your centre and re-group – making you a stronger individual in the long term.

Improved Focus and Concentration

It’s sad to say that in our technology advanced world, the average attention span has greatly diminished as different platforms are continuously vying for our attention. Within the first few minutes of waking up the average person will check their various social media profiles, check emails, monitor their smart phones and interact with their family and friends. This wouldn’t be so bad if those few minutes didn’t turn into an hour or possibly more. Reading a book allows all of your attention to be focused on the story. Try reading 15 minutes a day before you go to work and I’m sure you’ll see the difference.

The External Benefits of Reading

Read – Your Muscles Will Thank You Later

Reading is a great way to stay focused while working out. A grappling plot may keep you on that cross trainer a little longer than expected. Remember to always keep your posture as failing to do this would result in injury.

Reading Can Encourage Life Goals

I liken reading a biography to the equivalent of getting a cheat sheet on that test you just can’t seem to pass. Someone has basically condensed their life and logic into the pages of a book, that you now happen to be the owner of. Recounting all of the mistakes they made and the lessons they learnt so you don’t have to. Reading about someone inspirational can also motivate you to reach your own goals.

Brighten Up Your Day

Novels drum up positive feelings in more subtle ways. Your favourite character happens to become an extension of you and when they happen to have a triumph and overcome an obstacle your day will suddenly become a lot brighter.

Entertain Yourself While Saving Money

Reading a is a low-budget source of entertainment and can be next too free if you choose to borrow books from your local library. Cue the angel chimes. Libraries have books on every subject and usually rotate their selection so you will always be met with a challenge. If you aren’t able to get to a library however, then you can always download e-books, or a version suitable for your kindle in order to get your fix. There is a topic for everyone, so, please, don’t be shy and get stuck in!

Comment down below and let us know what your favourite books are…

This week is Salt Awareness Week and this year’s theme is: “Salt: The Hidden Killer.” The aim of this year’s campaign is to raise awareness of the fact that 75% of the salt that the public consumes is hidden in the everyday foods that we buy. The fact that salt is hidden means that people are consuming a lot more salt than they realise. Therefore the public is being urged to read the label of all the foods they buy and select foods that are low in salt.

In order to combat the high salt content of many foods, manufacturers have been asked to take part in a voluntary salt reduction programme. This programme sets salt targets for a range of foods such as meat products, bread, breakfast cereals, cheese and more. New UK-wide targets have been published this year, these targets are a revised version of the previous targets which were published in 2012. The 2012 targets were very successful leading to a 40-50% reduction of salt in the foods covered by the targets. Despite this success, salt consumption still remains high so the new 2017 targets are more challenging and wide-ranging.

A new survey conducted by the Consensus for Action on Salt and Health has found that only one (bread rolls) out of the twenty-eight food categories analysed were on track to meet the salt reduction targets. They also identified specific products that still had a unacceptably high levels of salt, of particular note were:

• Baxters Chef Selections Cullen Skink (1.1g salt/100g), more than 1.5 times salt (per 100g) the maximum salt reduction target for soup
• Aldi The Fishmonger Piri Piri Smoked Mackerel Fillets (8g salt/serving), 4 times more salt (per 100g) the maximum salt reduction target for meal centres
• Galaxy Ultimate Marshmallow Hot Chocolate (0.8g salt per serving), 5 times more salt (per 100g) the maximum salt reduction target for beverages

In the UK, it is recommended that adults eat no more than 6 grams of salt a day (about a teaspoon) and children under the age of 11 should it less, depending on their age as follows:

• 7-10 year olds: no more than 5 grams a day
• 4-6 year olds: no more than 3 grams a day
• 1-3 year olds: no more than 2 grams a day

The World Health Organisation recommends that adults consume even less salt, no more than 5 grams a day. They have concluded that a diet of less than 5 grams of salt a day helps to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart attack.

It is very important that the black community takes steps to reduce their salt intake as the black community is more susceptible to the effect that salt has on increasing blood pressure. In order to reduce your salt consumption you can try:

• Avoiding processed foods
• Using low/no salt seasonings, like this
• Replacing salt, when seasoning food, with herbs and spices
• Reading food labels and selecting foods that are low in salt
• Not adding any salt to the foods that you cook

By reducing the amount of salt we eat, we can reduce our risk of developing a number of diseases so it is important that we stick to the recommendation of less than 6 grams a day.

Last week, the UK’s Chancellor, Philip Hammond, published the UK’s 2017 Spring Budget and there were a few decisions made that will affect the public’s health and wellbeing.  These decisions focus on the following areas:

• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Soft drinks
• Access to new drugs and treatments
• Health and social care services
• Women’s Health (through the tampon tax fund)

Alcohol

From 13 March 2017, the duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits were increased in line with RPI inflation. This was not well-received by the hospitality industry who were hoping for a freeze or cut of the previously announced increases. But the government’s health impact assessment suggests that the increases are likely to lead to a minor decrease in  overall alcohol consumption in the UK. From a public health point of view, this is promising news as excessive alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of developing a number of diseases including mouth, throat, breast and live cancers, heart disease, stroke and liver disease so any decrease in alcohol consumption is of benefit to the health of the nation.

Tobacco

From 8^th March 2017, duty rates on all tobacco products increased by 2% above RPI inflation and the government will introduce a Minimum Excise Tax for cigarettes. This will target the cheapest tobacco and raise funds for the government. This policy aims to stop the public, particularly young people, from purchasing cheap cigarettes with data showing that 71% of 16-24 year olds who smoke buy the cheaper brands. By making these products unaffordable it is hoped that it will prevent young people from taking up the habit of smoking or stop those who already smoke. With smoking being strongly linked to lung cancer any strategy that reduces the amount of people who smoke will go some way to reducing lung cancer rates as well as the other diseases linked to smoking such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, stroke and more.

Soft Drinks Levy

The soft drinks levy was announced in previous budgets and in this budget the Chancellor confirmed the detail of what the levies would be. The rate for  drinks with a total sugar content of 5 grams or more per 100 millilitres will be set at 18 pence per litre and those with 8 grams or more per 100 millilitres will be set at 24 pence per litre. It is expected that this will raise an extra £1Bn and will come into effect from April 2018.

The money raised from the sugar levy will be used to double the funding available to primary schools for PE and sports programmes. The government has estimated the sugar levy will raise £320 million a year for primary schools to support healthier more active lifestyles in children. The funding will not only go towards expanding PE and sports programmes but to also expand breakfast clubs in primary schools ensuring that children have access to a healthy breakfast every week day.

The idea behind the sugar levy is a good one. It’s hoped that the levy will incentivise the soft drinks industry to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, helping the public consume less sugar. The money raised will go towards helping children get more active and healthy and thus tackle our high rates of childhood obesity.  So, from a public health point of view the sugar levy is a win-win.

Access to new drugs and treatments

The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) will  support collaboration between business and the science community. There will be an initial investment of £270 million in 2017-18 to kick-start the development technologies that have the potential to transform the UK economy.  The first wave of funding will focus on a number of areas, one of which will be improving and accelerating patient access to new drugs and treatments by exploring ways of improving manufacturing technologies.  This is a much-needed area of focus for patients ensuring that they have access to the best treatments, but it is important to ensure that these drugs and treatments are affordable to ensure that all patients benefit.

Health and Social Care Services

An additional £2 billion will be provided to local government over the next three years to support adult social care services. Half of this funding will be made available in the 2017/2018 financial year so that councils across the UK can take immediate action to support local social care providers and relieve the pressure on the NHS locally. This a significant amount of funding and we hope that a clear strategy for social care is developed and implemented so that a real difference is made.

The government will also provide an additional £100 million to the NHS in England in 2017-18  to improve waiting times and manage the increasing demands on A&E departments. There was mention in the budget of “increase the provision of on-site GP facilities” in A&E and we feel with the increasing pressures that GPs are under coupled with the shortage of GPs, moving them into an A&E setting may not be the best approach to tackling the challenges in A&E.

The government will continue its work supporting Sustainability and Transformational Plans in the NHS and will invest £325 million over the next three years to support local proposals that aim to improve patient care in a sustainable way.

Support Women’s Health and Wellbeing Through the Tampon Tax

Tampons are considered a luxury item and therefore have to be taxed, but following a campaign to cut the tampon tax the government decided, in a previous budget, that every year £15M raised from the tampon tax will be given to women’s charities. In this current budget the Chancellor has agreed to continue this.

The tampon tax has made a significant difference to women’s health with charities like Ovarian Cancer Action,  Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust,  The Eve Appeal and Breast Cancer Care benefiting from the funding. We hope that this funding will continue and that charities focusing on health issues that are of particular concern to black women will apply.

Our Conclusion

The government has introduced some policies and allocated funding to  areas that will make a difference to the health of UK’s public. We do believe that opportunities were missed to really support disease prevention by going further with measures to reduce obesity and there was only an indirect focus on physical activity through the use of the funding for the sugar tax.

For the black community to benefit from this budget we encourage black charities working on women’s issues to explore the tampon tax funding and put in an application when the next funding round opens. We also encourage the black community to engage with their local councils and get involved in any consultations regarding the use of the money allocated to them for social care services.

This week, our wonderful guest blogger, Stacey Mensah, discusses whether blueberries are a superfood or a superscam. Tell us what you think in the comments sections below. 

Welcome back to the ​Lake Foundation! How has your week been? This week for me has been an incredibly tiring one. I couldn’t even tell you what happened on Monday because one: I currently don’t have enough energy to think that far back, and two: I honestly just don’t want to. With moving into a new place and the intensification of work and social commitments, I haven’t been consuming the beloved 10-a-day – heck, if I consumed 3-a-day that would be an achievement. On this particular day I was feeling skinny – you know, think and you become and all of that – so as I said, I was feeling skinny and so I popped into a local health food store. My plan going into the shop was to simply pick up a few superfoods, some vegetables, and poultry. Nothing too extravagant. What I was faced with when I walked in was absolute madness. The prices of the superfoods were robbing me of any dignity I had left. I proceeded to pace up and down the shop floor wondering if this was a system error or if Johnny got a bit too excited with his marker. Nonetheless, I walked out with no superfoods in hand.

It begs the question: are superfoods a super scam? I would happily agree, end this discussion here and go eat a Kit-Kat. That, of course, is because with the prices independent stores are charging one would think that these superfoods would be​ covered in gold dust. That, of course, is not the case. The superfood in question today is the humble blueberry. With its low glycaemia index and antioxidant qualities, you can definitely be prepared to pay the premium for a punnet. There could possibly be a reason behind this.

New research that has conducted by the European Journal of Nutrition found that the daily consumption of one cup of fresh blueberries can improve cognition in healthy older adults. Meaning that you will understand, learn and remember things far more easily. Not too bad when you’re trying to remember what you did last week. The study was conducted over a 3-month period, with 13 healthy men and 24 healthy women between the ages of 60 and 75 being randomly assigned to receive Highbush blueberry powder daily (the equivalent of one cup of fresh blueberries) or a placebo powder. The results were incredibly telling and emphasising the importance of the promotion of healthy ageing. So, we’re in agreement; yes, blueberries are fantastic for your health, but what does labelling them as a superfood do to our pockets?

When a piece of fruit or veg is more expensive I automatically think that it must be better for me. Unfortunately, the hipster-ish packaging only encourages this mentality. And, honestly, the sales clerks with their ‘love life, love food’ slogan tees are not helping the situation and giving me free food, I mean c’mon, couldn’t you just ignore me, Johnny?  So what’s left? Where can you buy cheap fruit and vegetables while still not compromising on the quality? With the rampant gentrification of London and the blow of Brexit, this is not an easy question to answer. Regardless of your budget, find what works for you. Above all else, it’s about quality and not quantity.

The health and wellbeing of our community starts with our young people and an important aspect of their wellbeing is ensuring they have access to good education with the best possible facilities. This is why we’re supporting The Pen Network, an independent charitable organisation that aims to improve the life chances of African children. Currently they are fundraising  for the Odoi Atsem Memorial Preparatory School in Ghana to help this school with much-needed infrastructural work

ODOI ATSEM SCHOOL, Ghana

The school was set up by well-meaning individuals because there were no schools in their area which meant children didn’t attend school as it was too expensive for them to travel outside the community. The fees at the school are a fraction of what they would have to pay at other private schools ensuring that as many children as possible can access a high standard of education. Although it’s private, the school uses the national curriculum but is also committed to providing African centred learning. Much of its funds come from the parents, relatives and friends of the staff, especially the Headmaster, Mr Percy Gogoe.

During the rainy season the local area experiences terrible flooding and the school has to close for many reasons, one of which is the poor sanitation which is made worse by the flooding. This inability to install an effective sanitation system means they have been subjected to paying fines from their already meagre income.

The Pen Network Aims to Help

The Pen Network is aiming to raise £3000. This is needed for the completion of the school’s infrastructure, including the roof, the toilet facilities and waste disposal system. The waste disposal system will help with the drainage of stagnant water, which breeds mosquitoes and increases risk of malaria. The children do not complain. They are happy to be at school, no matter what the conditions, but The Pen Network believes that by coming together we help them learn in a much better environment and are seeking your support to achieve this.

 How You Can Help

The Pen Network have some exciting activities planned to help reach their £3,000 target. The aim is to do something charitable, whilst having fun and getting fit and healthy. Check out the challenges below and see what inspires you. They are all designed with maximum fun, fitness and health in mind. You can take part as an individual, organisation or a group of friends.

1. Vegan/Raw Health Challenge

Join The Pen Network’s members for this healthy eating, lifestyle changing activity. You decide how long you want to do the challenge for but it must be between 1-4 weeks.​You can either do a strictly vegan, combine vegan and raw meals or really go for it and do a strictly raw diet. Get as many of your family and friends to sponsor you.

Starts: 31st March 2017

2. The Bicycle Ride Challenge

How about a cycle challenge in collaboration with us, The Lake Foundation. You will need a bike to take part. Get your family and friends to sponsor you and get fit cycling.

Where: Croydon, South London

When: 29^th April 2017

Duration: 4 hours

 3. 10k Run

For the die-hards, you can join The Pen Network members in a  10K challenge.

Where: to be confirmed

When: May

Duration:It’s up to you  😉

4. The Big Soul line Dance

 The Pen Network’s Big Soul Line Dance in the park will give you the chance to learn some new grooves whilst raising funds for educational needs. Sponsored by Johmard Fitness & Dance.

Cost: £5.00 to take part

When: In summer, to be confirmed

Where: A lovely park in London, to be confirmed

5.  Do your own!

Do you have an idea or challenge you want to share? Tell The Pen Network about it and get your friends to sponsor you. The duration of the challenge is up to you but it must be completed by the end of May.

6. Sponsor The Pen Network as an Organisation

If you are an organisation that shares an interest in The Pen Network’s cause, why not sponsor them? A great benefit will be the opportunity for some team bonding by getting your staff involved in our challenges. At the end of our activities, we’ll invite you to share your success story.   Speak to The Pen Network about how you can work together on this and other projects

More Information

For more information on how to take part you can contact The Pen Network by:

Email: thepennetwork@gmail.com

Phone: 07950 308 033

Twitter – @thepennetwork

Facebook – thepennetwork