Health & Wellness

Source: WESH

In the African American community, we all know someone who has been affected by the terrible and painful sickle cell disease. This blood issue, which can be passed down through families, is a condition that many have been born with, and spend most of their lifetime fighting. This disease is the most common inherited blood disease according to WEBMD. In a normal body, red blood cells glide easily though your bloodstream. However, with sickle cell, your red blood cells are shaped like a sickle (C-shaped farm tool), which causes cells to clump together. This can can be painful, it can cause anemia, and other symptoms. This week we received some great news in regards to today’s modern medicine. The world has been blessed with researchers who have been working on a cure for the disease, and an 8-year-old boy in Orlando has been labeled a new hero for helping to cure his sister and brother from this disease.

source: Mayo Clinic

His name Stefan Aihe’s and this 8-year old is responsible for saving this lives of his 22 year old brother Kingsley, and 13 year old sister, Vanessa. The two older siblings have spent their lives struggling with this disease and the only cure is found in patients agreeing to have a bone-marrow transplant. The problem surfaces because finding a perfect match for bone marrow in patients is often a struggle. After deciding to have the transplant, the family was excited to find out their 8-year-old little brother was a match! Vanessa was cured when Stefan gave her a transplant some years ago, and Kingsley is now cured after Stefan gave him a transplant this past November. Dr. David Shook explained that this case is rare, “It’s incredibly rare to have the same donor give to two different siblings. You know, to match is uncommon, but it’s not impossible,” he expressed to a news outlet.

The family, sickle cell advocates, and various medical companies are now pushing for more people to become donors. African Americans are disproportionately affected by this disease, and 1 in 13 black babies are born with the sickle cell trait. The family is hoping that little Stefan Aihe’s bravery will inspire others to help in the fight against sickle cell disease.

Source: WebMD, Essence

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

It’s that time again! Each year many of us make resolutions and goals to start the new year with the idea of creating a happy, prosperous, healthy lifestyle that will take us throughout the rest of the year. Well, a Carolinian creative and motivational speaker is getting all of us geared up to commit to our weight and health goals with the clothing brand, “Comfort Can’t Progress”. Stephen Carpenter is the founder of “Comfort Can’t Progress LLC”, a motivational clothing line whose sole purpose is to help each of us escape our Comfort Zones at any costs.

Stephen understands all too well the importance of exercise and keeping up with your health goals for this year. Years ago, Stephen received a serious take-it-or-leave-it statement from his doctor:
“My slogan came about when I was given an ultimatum from my Doctor. He looked me right in the eyes and told me either loose weight or die. After that life changing meeting I started to take my health and dreams seriously. I no longer entertain the idea of “just comfortable”. When I want to remain mediocre, I challenge myself; by reciting Comfort Can’t Progress and knowing I cannot change the world remaining Comfortable.”

The Comfort Can’t Progress Brand is not just a fashion brand, but Stephen and his team are expanding with speaking engagements and life skills classes that can help individuals with their weight-loss journies.Stephen took these harsh, but life-changing words from his doctor and set out to change his life, his lifestyle, and the lives of others. After losing the necessary weight, Stephen realized he could help others do the same. Stephen created the “Comfort Can’t Progress” brand to motivate and inspire, he states, “you will never progress if you are comfortable and willing to stay the same. So do yourself a favor, when you start feeling comfortable, do something that scares you. Step out of your Comfort Zone, shock yourself and the world.”

These words are the perfect words to start a new year, so Start your new year off right and SHOP HERE for motivational fitness gear, also make sure you like them on Facebook

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

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UPDATE:

The judge in the Coffee Cancer Warning case is affirming his ruling. Monday, the Judge stated that all coffee sold in California must carry a cancer warning.

Judge Elihu Berle confirmed that Starbucks and other roasters have not proven the health benefits outweighed the risks of acrylamide, a carcinogen that’s a byproduct of the roasting process. Keurig, Starbucks, Peets and around 90 other coffee companies will have to display these warnings.

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

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The internet has been a catalyst for revealing information that people would normally not have access too. Many women are learning that their birth control, pads, and tampons may be more harmful than they are good. Just like food, many of us can turn a blind eye when putting substances into or on our bodies. The same goes for BC; many women have been using birth control since they were pre-teens to combat heavy menstrual cycles and of course using tampons and pads because they are marketed as the only options for women. The internet is quickly changing that.

Many women are opting out of BC, and even mainstream feminine care products. Black women especially are taking an extreme interest in holistic health. It was revealed that besides the side effects BC, can be very dangerous. BC throws off women’s natural hormones because it is filled with synthetic hormones which have left some women sterile after years of use, uterine cysts and many other ailments that are raising eyebrows are becoming common amongst numerous women using BC. According to Truth_Society , BC is highly dangerous and can cause long term damage to women’s bodies. Some of the worst long term effects can range anywhere from cervical cancer, all the way down to gall bladder disease and heart attack. Women are becoming more aware of their bodies, how they feel and how they react to things they consume. Many millennials even have taken it back to old school days and track their menstrual cycles by the moon.

This holistic health movement is becoming very big among Black women and millennials. There are women who are paving the way by being gurus on this subject. One woman in particular who is known on all social media platforms as Nerissa Nefeteri promotes not only natural methods for BC, but also menstrual cups and natural pads for women to wear during their time of the month instead of traditional options. Tampons are not recommended because they stop blood flow. The idea is to not stop your body from doing what is natural to it but develop new ways to protect yourself while having intercourse and during your cycle. Her following is huge and growing as women everywhere are switching methods they have always known to better their health and way of living. Whether you decided to stay on BC or not is completely up to you, but it’s always good to be well informed.

Brittney is a mother, writer, and budding entrepreneurs. She is passionate about spreading wellness and mental health awareness in the African-American community as it pertains to women and girls. She adores hot beverages and meaningful quotes. In her free time, you can catch her over at the TheLovelylessons.com where she gives helpful advice to Millennials in the current job crisis.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s something that has, in the past, been very taboo to speak about, however, in recent years has been brought to the spotlight as more and more people suffer from some sort of mental illness. No one is exempt. Even celebrities suffer from mental illness and have resorted to taking their own lives.

Most recently in the headlines is the suicide death of two Cincinnati teenagers who committed suicide just days between each other. Bossip was the first to report that pregnant 18-year old college student Mercedes Shaday took her life in her dorm room; not even two days later her 17-year old boyfriend Markeice Brown took his life. How each of them did it has not been specified. According to a Facebook live video Markeice posted before he killed himself he did it because he couldn’t live without Mercedes. Apparently they both talked about how they didn’t like living life and always felt they had nothing to live for. With Mercedes being away at college they weren’t able to see each other as often. As he sat outside wearing a hoodie, crying uncontrollably he talked about how her parents (who banned him from the funeral and blamed him for her death) didn’t really know what was going on with her. He then said goodbye to his friends and family via Facebook Live and left a lengthy status explaining that he’s going to see Mercedes since her parents won’t let him see her at the funeral.

People live every day with mental illness; the case of Markeice and Mercedes is a case of untreated mental illness and what can happen if left untreated. Having been diagnosed with anxiety myself, I suffer from similar feelings of inadequacy, having negative thoughts and feelings of anxiousness over the most minute thing. The illness makes you feel as if you have no one and no one understands or cares what you feel.

This is a long overdue conversation that needs to be had in the African American community. It’s something most don’t know a lot about but trust me when I say several people you know have some sort of mental illness because a lot of us suffer in silence. That same silence is what can lead to what happened to Markeice and Mercedes. The more people who understand and can empathize, the more people who suffer will feel comfortable asking for and seeking help.

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The first thing that needs to be done is recognizing that mental illness is a real thing and those who have it should not be judged. It’s something that is not the fault of anyone; it’s a biological brain disorder. The Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health reports that our community is “20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population” due to things like experience to violence and homelessness. Those disorders include depression, ADHD, suicide and PTSD.

Unfortunately there are a few reasons why African Americans don’t seek help/treatment:

  1. Faith/Spirituality – The topic is not talked about and most don’t know what it means. We’re always told to just pray about it (and anything for that matter) and give it to God. While I go to God about everything, prayer alone will not help a mental disorder. It needs to be diagnosed and treated by a professional. Saying “Just pray about it” is one of the most dismissive things you can say to someone with a mental illness.
  2. Lack of information & misunderstanding – Lack of understanding or the inability to realize that mental illness is a real thing leads to underestimating the effects of how big of an impact it can have on everyday life.
  3. Access to healthcare – Some African Americans are very reluctant to seek help from a professional either because of a lack of benefits and/or distrust of medical professionals. NAMI reports that “only about one-quarter of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to 40% of whites.”

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A few symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental illness include feeling sad, confused thinking, being unable to concentrate, withdrawal from friends and family, extreme mood changes, feeling sluggish/sleeping more often than normal, excessive anger or hostility. If you or anyone you know show signs don’t be ashamed or embarrassed to reach out for help. I was in denial for a couple of years before I realized that getting help would make my life much easier and more enjoyable. You’d be surprised at how many people also have mental illness. Since I’ve been more open I’ve learned of so many people who go through exactly what I go through. And it’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with you. You deserve to get help. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live a healthy life.

To get help reach out to your primary healthcare provider. There are also support groups in local areas as well as online groups on platforms like Facebook. Whatever you do, don’t suffer in silence because it could cost you your life one day.

A true Gemini, Monet Brown is a woman with many interests who pursues them all. From writing to makeup artistry she has many loves and is unapologetic about pursuing each of them. Having strong interpersonal skills Monet worked in corporate sales for over 5 years. After being laid off of what she though was a stable job she decided to pursue her true passion in the beauty industry. She has been a makeup artist for the past 5 years and in the summer of 2015 became a licensed esthetician. Her specialties include chemical peels, facials, waxing, and makeup application.

But it doesn’t end there. Wanting to utilize all of her talents and
not putting all of her eggs in one basket again, she uses her Bachelor’s degree in communications to write. She currently uses those talents towards her skin care/makeup blog as well as resume writing, biographies, and media kits.

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