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How to Eat Like Your Life Depends On It (Because it Does)

HealthLifestyle

group of five women lined up against brick background wearing fitness clothes

March is National Nutrition Month, making it a great time to talk about what we eat. Sure, most people know what a healthy diet looks like, but truth be told, they don’t follow it. However, the problem with this is that it’s leading to a myriad of health problems. Junk food, fast food, and highly processed items may be convenient and taste good, but they are not good for the body. It’s time to get serious and make some healthy changes.

“We all get stuck in ruts, where we are doing the same thing over and over,” Jennifer Scherer, certified personal trainer and owner of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio. “Oftentimes, these things we are doing are unhealthy. We have to change the habits that we have, so they are helping us, rather than hurting.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of the adult population considered obese continues to rise. The latest figures show that 42% are obese, and obesity increases the risks of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. All conditions, which they point out, are largely preventable through diet and lifestyle.

Here are some expert tips on how to make changes to your diet to make it healthier:

Eat five or six small meals per day and aim for half your plate to be fruits and vegetables.
Aim to consume no more than 2,000 mg per day of sodium. Purchase canned goods with no salt added and cook without adding salt. Salt can be added at the table, but it can’t be removed once it’s added during cooking.
Don’t drink your calories. Eliminate empty calories in sugar-sweetened beverages, coffees, and fruit juices.
Focus on Fiber. Try to get at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men. Great sources of fiber include oatmeal, beans, lentils, popcorn, and whole-grain bread.
Power with protein by getting 0.8 grams per kilogram body weight. Consuming adequate protein is good for bone health, retaining muscle mass, and reducing cravings by keeping you full. Great protein sources include lean meats, poultry, eggs, seafood, beans, tofu, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds.
Make a goal to increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake. Fruits and veggies should be a staple to the diet because they contain fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. The CDC reports that only 9% of adults eat the recommended daily supply of vegetables, and 12% eat the recommended daily supply of fruits.
Try to limit eating highly processed foods. Most of them are made with a long list of unhealthy ingredients. The National Institutes of Health reports that those eating highly processed foods tend to eat more calories and gain more weight. Make snacks at home, so there’s more control over what goes into it.

“Start making changes with your diet, and you will see how quickly they make a difference,” adds Scherer. “When you eat a healthier diet, you will feel better and have more energy, in addition to reducing the risks of many diseases. We have to make good nutrition a high priority.”

To get in the habit of eating healthier, make a list of meals that will be made and shop only for the ingredients needed to make them. Avoid shopping while hungry, and try to stick to the store’s perimeter, avoiding much of the highly processed foods in the middle.

Fredericksburg Fitness Studio offers personalized fitness programs, including customized fitness training programs. Their private personal training studio offers a range of services to improve health and wellness, including medical exercise, personal training, in-home medical training, virtual personal training, nutrition coaching, and a Pilates reformer program.

Unlike typical fitness studios and gyms, Fredericksburg Fitness Studio doesn’t offer memberships. They also don’t have big crowds of people working out together. They offer private customized fitness programs that are available by appointment. Their nutrition coaching program is offered virtually and covers three months to help ensure accountability and success. Their Pilates reformer program uses a variety of machines with a customized routine.

Many people who go to the studio are referrals from physical therapists and doctors. The wellness professionals at the studio communicate with the medical teams to keep them up on patient progress. To learn more about the Fredericksburg Fitness Studio, visit the site at: https://www.fburgfitness.com.

About Fredericksburg Fitness Studio

Founded in 2008, Fredericksburg Fitness Studio offers personalized fitness programs, nutrition coaching, and medical training. The private personal training studio was started by Jennifer Scherer, who has a background in human physiology, anatomy, nutrition, weight training, and exercise. The studio has a team of people working to help people reach their health and wellness goals. To learn more, visit the site at: https://www.fburgfitness.com.

Elena Reygadas, named world’s best female chef, cooks in rhythm with nature

BusinessLifestyle

Elena Reygadas smiling with a green floral background

By Albinson Linares and Valeria León, Noticias Telemundo

Elena Reygadas’ days start early, which explains why she laughs remembering that everything was “dark” when she found out she’d been named best female chef in the world in the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 awards.

“I did not expect it and it has been a very nice surprise; it is very exciting to obtain recognition like this. I want to share it with my entire team; there are many of us in the kitchen and it is always a collective act,” Reygadas, 46, said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo at Rosetta, her first and signature restaurant, which she opened in 2010 in an old mansion in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City.

Over a decade later, the world-renowned restaurant is where Reygadas has dedicated herself to reconfiguring the vast culinary wealth of her country, menu by menu.

“The menu is based on the timeline and the ingredients that nature gives us. Right now, for example, we have a dish with Manila mango that only lasts a little while. We are also using a lot of muscatel plum, which is a moment and when it’s over, it’s over,” said Reygadas, who was named Latin America’s best female chef in the 2014 awards. “It makes us sad because we became very attached to the ingredients, but that also allows us to continue our creativity and move into a new moment.”

On Wednesday morning, before Rosetta opened to the public, the aromas of Mexican herbs and vegetables such as hoja santa, romeritos and avocados mingled with powerful hints of spices and, of course, chiles, which are at the heart of many of Reygadas’ signature dishes.

hearty bowl of Tomatillo soup
A dish at Rosetta has green tomatoes, eggplant, molasses and Ocosingo cheese.

When asked the secret of Rosetta’s success, she credits that emphasis on “biodiversity.”

“It’s a factor that also has its challenges, because sometimes people who visit us are already in love with a dish but, when they arrive, it is gone and they don’t like that,” Reygadas said. “So changing the menu to respect nature’s times is also a challenge at the diners’ level.”

Vegetables play a leading role in many of Reygadas’ signature dishes, such as beetroot tartare al pastor, smoked cheese tortelloni with hoja santa — a Mexican herb — and the famous kale with pistachio pipián, or mole sauce, and romeritos (wild herbs) tacos.

“I am convinced that the vegetable side of the kitchen and the ingredients of Mexico are wonderful; they are exceptional flavors and there are many to explore. That is why we are increasingly focusing more on the vegetable,” she said.

Read the complete article originally posted on Telemundo here.

How Becoming Money Savvy Can Achieve Your Goals

FinanceLifestyle

By Cassandre Cassamajor

At various points in life, it’s important to set or reset your financial goals. If you’re starting your career, or you’re overwhelmed with debt and wondering how you’ll pay your bills, you may think your goal is just to survive, but that won’t help you improve your situation. The truth is, whatever your goal — to get out of debt, improve your credit, build savings — you need a plan to get there.

First, give yourself grace for past mistakes.

The first step towards financial literacy, or financial wellness, is to give yourself grace. Whatever situation you are facing, you are not alone. Frustration with being a financial novice is a common feeling. It’s normal, too, to feel overwhelmed by your debts. Berating yourself (or your partner) for creating your situation does not help anyone. Instead, choose to improve your financial position, here and now.

Understand your financial situation.

When it comes to finances, ignorance is not bliss. Being financially literate means taking the time and effort to know where you stand right now and how you can progress along your financial journey towards your goals.

Getting control of your finances begins with knowing your starting point. One, get a copy of your credit report so you know where you stand at this point. Two, create a budget so you can truly analyze your income and expenses. You may think you already know what’s coming in and what’s going out, but seeing it in black and white makes it real and undeniable. Many tools and resources are available to help you create a budget and manage your finances.

Check out your financial institution’s website for a financial wellness page, budgeting tools and ways to build or repair your credit, or ask a representative to help you. If you’re not getting the help you need, shop around for a better fit.

A Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) is designed to work with members of their surrounding community — who are often minority or low/moderate income individuals — to help them achieve financial wellness. They may hold free seminars you can attend to learn about financial literacy, too.

Determine where you can trim expenses.

If your budget shows you’re spending more per month than your income, you need to either earn more or cut expenses. Most people cannot easily increase their incomes, so look for where you could reduce expenses.

Of course, you need food, but maybe you can cut back on the snacks and treats you buy. It’s important to relax and have fun, but could you invite friends over for a movie night and popcorn?

Consider carefully before making purchases you want but don’t need. Say you found a pair of shoes you love. Is the enjoyment you’ll get from them worth having to cut something else from your budget? Maybe the answer is yes, it’s worth it. But by carefully considering every purchase, you’ll find you can forgo many extras by keeping your goals in mind.

Create a plan to take control.

Once you analyze your budget and cut expenses, the next step is to allocate towards paying off debts. If you feel overwhelmed with debt, look into available options for help.

Your financial institution may have advisors who can help you plan or ask them to refer you to reputable debt counselors. Also, your financial institution may have a debt consolidation option where you can combine your owed balances into one payment through a loan with a competitive interest rate. Another option is debt management companies that work with your creditors to accept reduced payments. You submit one payment each month to the company and they distribute it among your creditors.

Be sure to read every clause in any contract before signing it. Question anything you don’t understand. And if something doesn’t feel right, listen to your gut instincts and go somewhere else.

Commit to saving with the 50-30-20 guideline.

Even in a tight budget, it’s important to build savings, both for the future and for unexpected needs like a loss of income or major car repairs. The 50-30-20 formula means to try to allocate 50% of your income to needs like housing, food and utilities; 30% to your wants such as entertainment and hobbies; and 20% to savings.

If you can’t commit 20% to savings now, start with 5% or 10% and build up to 20%. The important thing is to establish the habit. Set up an automatic deposit to go directly to savings as if it is a bill.

A favorite tip of mine is to have different savings accounts for individual goals, such as one for vacation, another for retirement and a third for something big like a down payment on a house. Another tip is to put your savings where it isn’t easily accessible — like a Certificate of Deposit — so you can’t dip into them on a whim.

Hold yourself and others accountable.

Review your budget and plans monthly to see how well you’re following them. If you’ve fallen short by overspending, vow to stick to the plan next month and hold yourself to it. Remind yourself of your end goals so you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Check up on those helping you, too, like making sure your debt management payments are going to your creditors on a timely basis. Use trusted resources to regularly check your account transactions and your credit report to ensure all information is reported accurately. If you see any discrepancies, ensure you get clarification with your financial institution and creditor to come to a resolution.

Own your journey.

Resist comparing your financial situation to anyone else’s or listening to negative comments. You are on your journey. You have invested a lot of effort in improving your financial literacy. As you see your bills being paid down and savings going up, be proud of your accomplishments, knowing your future will be brighter because of the decisions you made.

Cassandre Cassamajor is a Community Development Representative at SkyPoint Federal Credit Union and has 10 years of experience in the financial services industry working with commercial banking institutions as a personal banker and service manager.

Breast Cancer Survivorship and the Impact on Mental Health

Health

Picture of a pink ribbon for breast cancer

By Leona Vaughn, Everyday Health

Three years ago, Hil Moss says she was lounging around, casually watching television and relaxing when she touched her chest and felt a lump. She was 28, and with no family history, she says her doctor reassured her that she had nothing to worry about. But after a few more appointments, they confirmed a diagnosis of breast cancer, likely caused by an ATM gene mutation they found.

After three years and a 14-month treatment plan — which included three months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and a tissue-based reconstruction, later followed by hormone therapy — Moss, a student in the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut, and an advocate for cancer care, now considers herself a breast cancer survivor.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) defines survivorship as, “living with, through, and beyond cancer.” But some patients who get to the “beyond cancer” stage say they were unprepared for the toll this experience would take on their mental health.

When she was first diagnosed, Moss says she anticipated that the most difficult part of her experience would be receiving the treatment, but a fellow survivor warned her that it would actually be the months following her completion of it that would be the hardest. Sure enough, Moss says she found the first six months of her recovery period more mentally challenging than anything she had physically gone through, including the amputation of both her breasts.

“That just seems impossible to believe,” Moss says. “You’re in chemo, you feel horrible, how could it possibly be worse? But it kind of is. When you’re actively in treatment, you at least have this sense of what your day-to-day is, and sometimes that can feel like a safety blanket.”

“When you are removed from that, you are forced to essentially reckon with what’s happened. You have to come to terms with your own mortality,” Moss says.

Breast Cancer Survival Rates Are Increasing
Marleen Meyers, MD, a medical oncologist and the founding director of the Survivorship Program at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health in New York City, says that breast cancer is a “hopeful cancer,” because more and more patients diagnosed with breast cancer are surviving, but that living through this experience “comes with a price.”

“I’ve been an oncologist for a long time, and early on, we were just happy that people survived,” Dr. Meyers says. “We didn’t really look at what their quality of life after survivorship was. I always like to say that the cancer treatment may be over, but the cancer experience is far from over.”

Experts say that the vast majority of patients struggle with mental health after receiving cancer treatment.

“There’s anxiety about what the next steps are, how they’re going to feel, how long it’s going to take for them to get better,” Meyers says. “The reality is, while you can give somebody an estimate, it’s impossible to predict.”

Click here to read the full article on Everyday Health.

Afro hair comb inventor hopes to inspire young black women

BusinessLifestyle

By Felicity Evans, BBC

A woman launching an innovative new comb for afro hair wants to use her experience to get other young black women into engineering.

“I would have loved a young me to have been taught by a black woman,” said Swansea-based Youmna Mouhamad. She received an enterprise fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering to help her develop the product. Fewer than 2% of engineers are women from ethnic minorities.

“I want to be part of the change, so that a young person that comes after me is in a place where they feel much more heard and much more accepted,” said Youmna. She was doing a PhD in physics when she first got the idea for the Nyfasi Deluxe Detangler, which provides an easier way of conditioning natural afro hair.

Youmna supported her studies by working as a nanny and the little girl she looked after used to cry with pain when her hair was washed and conditioned.”The whole house would be full of tears,” she remembers. “I wanted her to have a better experience.

“I shifted to engineering because I always had a desire to work on things that I can touch with my hands, and I love the process of taking an idea and actually creating something.” Once Youmna had developed a prototype she looked for women with afro hair to join a focus group to test it. Lenient and her nine-year-old daughter, Goodness, were among the volunteers. “I have got three girls and I do their hair myself,” said Lenient.

“The washing process is dreadful because they don’t want to. Why? Because it’s quite painful for them, especially the combing part.” “And this detangler, the first time I tried it, it was really easy.” Goodness agreed, adding: “The normal comb feels like someone is pulling your hair, when it’s tangled it hurts. But with this comb, it’s very soft and easy to untangle.”

Click here to read the full article on BBC.

5 Ways to Chill Out in a Hectic Life

HealthLifestyle

According to the American Psychological Association, the country is facing a mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come.

This was brought on by the stress created by the pandemic, leaving many people to feel anxiety and worry more. With that in mind, it’s crucial that people prioritize relaxing and reducing stress in order to protect their mental health. The good news is there are numerous things they can do to help them achieve that goal.

“Being busy became such a trend, as though busy equated success – now freedom and flexibility are the symbols of success,” explains Katie Sandler, personal development and career coach. “It’s hard for people to chill out when their systems are programmed to be going nonstop and working nonstop. It takes a minute to down regulate the system in order to actually reduce stress and chill out.”

In a Pew Research Center survey, at least 60% of the adults reported that they sometimes feel too busy to enjoy life, with 12% of them saying they felt that way all of the time. Living like this is one sure way to increase stress and anxiety levels. Having long term stress can lead to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, obesity, cognitive decline, and depression, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

While many people want to reduce the stress in their lives, they are not always sure how to go about doing so. Here are 5 ways to chill out in a hectic life:

Mindfulness. Keeping yourself in the present moment can go a long way toward helping you lower stress, anxiety, and even depression as well as help you get better sleep and establish a better sense of well-being. Mindfulness is something that everyone can learn and practice anywhere at anytime.
Connect with people. Getting together with people we enjoy being around helps us laugh, feel connected, and make us happier. Those populations who are the healthiest in the world, such as the Blue Zones, tend to get together for social interaction regularly. Join a group or find some friends you like to be around and meet up on a regular basis. If you don’t feel comfortable being in person – create zoom social events; something is better than nothing.
Be in nature. There are many health benefits from spending time in nature. Even a view of nature helps us feel better and can improve our mood. Be sure to get outdoor time, taking walks, biking, gardening, or doing something else you enjoy. Nature-deficit disorder is real. Whatever you choose, just be sure to spend time outside and in nature.
Schedule free time. With the busy lives that people live today it may be necessary to put free time on the schedule. This way it will be a part of your plan and you will have to give it your attention. Don’t let other things crowd out your scheduled free time.
Set the intention. The first part of making your life less hectic is to set the intention that you are going to chill out. Setting the intention will get you to formulate your thoughts, plans, and goals. Determine what you want, what you will do to make it happen, and what you want the outcome to be.

“You can’t continue to put off reducing your hectic and stressful lifestyle,” added Sandler. “Having a more relaxing life with less stress takes being proactive and making some changes. You have to put work into it, some of it may seem counterintuitive, but what you get back is beyond rewarding.”

Sandler has worked with many people to help them identify a plan for personal achievement, take steps to reach goals, and identify areas that need to be worked on. She provides people with meaningful tools that they can use to help bring calm and insight into their life. In addition to working with individuals, she offers luxury impact retreats.

Sandler has a bachelor’s degree in psychology anda master’s degree in mental health counseling, has a strong foundation in mindfulness-based stress reduction, and has worked in hospitals and private practice. She previously spent time as a research assistant while at Johns Hopkins, focusing on purpose in life. To learn more about Katie Sandler and her services, or to see the retreat schedule, visit the site: https://katiesandler.com/.

About Katie Sandler

Katie Sandler is a popular impact coach and provides health and wealth coaching and personal and professional development. She offers retreats around the world, as well as private coaching and corporate impact coaching opportunities. She focuses on helping people become more successful so they can live with purpose and make an impact in our world. To learn more about Katie or her services, visit the site: https://katiesandler.com/.

Source:

American Psychological Association. Stress in America 2020. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/report-october

Pew Research Center. How Americans feel about the satisfactions and stresses of modern life.https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/05/how-americans-feel-about-the-satisfactions-and-stresses-of-modern-life/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Manage Stress. https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/heart-health/manage-stress

Staten Island mom creates lingerie line for transgender women after daughter comes out

BusinessLGBTQLifestyle

South Shore mom Karyn Bello created her own fashion line of lingerie designed for transgender women and hopes to be an example for parents of transgender people.

By Rebeka Humbrecht, Silive

In 2014, South Shore mom Karyn Bello and her family began navigating uncharted territory when her daughter, Lily, came out as transgender.

Seven years later, Bello, 51, created her own fashion line of lingerie designed for transgender women and hopes to be an example for parents of transgender people.

Her clothing line, named Zhe in reference to the gender-neutral pronoun, includes technology meant to fit transgender women’s bodies and help them feel comfortable in their own skin.

“They’re meant to help trans women navigate through the world and through their clothes comfortably without having to worry,” Bello told the Advance/SILive.com. “They’re much more accessible and safe for them to be wearing.”

Bello’s underwear line is designed to help transgender women stray away from harmful do-it-yourself methods of tucking.

Tucking is a way to disguise the genitalia and create a more feminine appearance underneath clothing or in underwear. At times, it is achieved using duct tape or other adhesives, which can be harmful to the body.

“[These methods] are bad for your urethra; you get UTIs easily,” Bello explained. They’re just bad for your health. I was coming at it from a mom’s perspective. I want you to be healthy and take care of yourself, too.”

The Zhe underwear is made with technology to help achieve a similar outcome in a much safer way. Key features of the underwear include a wider gusset, multi-layered front panel, and spandex support.

Click here to read the full article on Silive.

Latina speaker, author helps women become confident negotiators

BusinessLifestyleMentoring

latina Leadership and negotiation strategist Elizabeth Suarez aims to empower women to obtain more money and recognition and become better negotiators.

By Laura Casillas, 9 News

Elizabeth Suarez worked in the corporate world for 15 years. After holding countless leadership positions throughout the U.S. and Central and South America, she not only has extensive insight into a male-dominated industry, but according to Suarez, it also made her realize that more women were needed at the executive table.

“I would say I lived a syndrome of me, myself, and I. There was no other Latina; there was no other woman,” Suarez said. “When I decided to retire from the corporate world, that’s when I realized that what we had to do was basically be better negotiators to be able to be in meetings where people make decisions, the problem, many women, we – Latinas are not present where decisions are being made.”

Remembering all those years in the industry takes Suarez back in time to where her dreams began.

“I started out as this girl who wanted to make a difference in the corporate world,” Suarez said. “I grew up in Puerto Rico, I am of Cuban parents, I went to the university in New York as well as [got] my master’s degree, and I was in the corporate world everywhere.”

Today, Suarez lives in Denver, she is an author, and a coach and a leadership and negotiating strategist. Suarez empowers professionals to obtain more money and recognition, while helping organizations to develop a stronger workforce.

Suarez credits a big part of her success as an entrepreneur to the people who helped push her to take the plunge.

“I have to admit it, I had a lot of people who helped me and who believed in me,” said Suarez. “I had many mentors who believed in me and even today they follow me and want to help me.”

Since then, paying it forward has always been one of Suarez’s mottos as she remembered that her mentors told her, “Hey, remember that you have to help others in your community. This is not just about you. This is about your community.”

So following in their footsteps, Suarez became a mentor of young women and after mentoring for a few years, she came to another important realization.

According to Suarez, it’s difficult for many women to advocate for themselves.

“I always say to people that culturally we have always been told that we have to be grateful – grateful for living, grateful for our health, grateful for our work. And what I’m saying is that, yes, that is important, but at the same time, we have to be able to communicate to other people that we deserve the salary, that we deserve the promotion because we have brought a lot of progress to the company,” Suarez said.

Being a good negotiator, according to Suarez, is being able to be someone who can listen to what the other person is saying. One who can understand the needs of the other person and at the same time, can communicate effectively so that the other person can understand his or her needs.

“This is not about winning everything you want; this is being able to identify a solution that will be a good thing for both people,” Suarez said.

Suarez has a daughter in college and she gives her the same advice that she gives all young women.

“You cannot assume that if they offer you the job that that’s it. I accept it, it’s over, I’m going to party, no no no,” Suarez said.

According to Suarez, women need to take it upon themselves to do a thorough investigation of the going salary for the position that they are applying for.

“There are different ways to find out. There are different apps that tell you this. The average salary of the type of job where you are living, and you have to have the strength to say, ‘This is a competition; we are playing a game. I play, and even though they offered me the job, I’m going to have to ask for more,'” she said.

Suarez encourages women to negotiate in the same manner as men do because, according to her, “Study after study shows that men always ask for more than women.”

“From the beginning, you have to negotiate more,” Suarez said, “and if they tell you that they cannot give you more money, negotiate more things. Free days, bonuses – agree to re-analyze your work in six months, and from there you can get another raise.”

Suarez is the author of the book ‘The Art of Getting Everything,’ and she has been has a keynote speaker at women’s conferences across the country, including the Women in Technology Conference where she spoke to over 650 women about the power of negotiation, networking and self advocacy.

Click here to read the full article on 9 News.

‘Girls aren’t firefighters’: How women are making firefighting more inclusive

Lifestyle

firefighters women making industry more inclusive

By Haley Talbot, Julie Tsirkin and Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News.

Capt. Karen Bureker didn’t know whether she wanted to have children when she first became a firefighter paramedic nearly 20 years ago.

But after getting married, Bureker and her husband decided to start a family. It was during her first pregnancy, after six years on the job, that Bureker realized just how difficult the transition from firefighter to mother would be while rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession.

“It’s really a great job to be a mom, but it’s a really hard job,” she said. “My kids, as they get older, are starting to understand some of the risks that we take. But they love having their mom be a firefighter.”

Bureker, 44, is part of a rare sorority. Earlier this month, she became the first female fire captain at Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue near Portland, where she started her career some 19 years ago. Back then, just six women worked as firefighters in the department, she said.

“We were definitely new to the fire scene,” she added. “The world has changed a lot since then, and our jobs have changed a lot. We’ve had a lot of men with a lot of interest in pushes that have helped move us into a more inclusive and diverse fire service.”

Despite the push for more diversity in hiring, less than 5 percent of career firefighters across the country are women, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Like their male counterparts, these women face increasingly dire conditions as drought, climate change and heat waves contribute to longer, hotter and deadlier fire seasons.

These women also face added mental stress from gender discrimination, plus an increased risk of miscarriage and other reproductive problems from repeated exposure to smoke and other toxins.

“When you think of a firefighter, you think of a man,” said Jenna Gray, who recently attended a fire camp for young women interested in learning more about the profession. “I think it’s really important for young girls to see that they, too, can do these jobs that only men over the last who knows how many years have been doing. It just gives you a sense of ‘I can do anything.'”

Yet a new generation of female firefighters is confronted with a system that was never built to include them. Few departments offer uniforms tailored specifically to women, forcing them to wear protective gear that fits incorrectly and exposes them to environmental hazards.

Click here to read the full article on NBC News.

Fad diets are out. It’s your lifestyle habits that matter

Lifestyle

Building healthy, long-term habits is key for a heart-healthy diet.

By Sherry Liang, CNN

A full belly makes a happy heart, but your heart will be happier if you focus on sustaining long-term habits.

Heart-healthy eating starts with your eating patterns, according to the American Heart Association’s recent scientific statement, “2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health.”

That doesn’t mean giving up takeout or that five-minute meal kit from the grocery store altogether. The dietary guidance encourages people to adapt these habits into their lifestyle.

The statement identifies 10 features of heart-healthy eating patterns — including guidance to combine a balanced diet with exercise; consume most nutrients through food over supplements; eat whole grains; reduce sodium, added sugar and alcohol intake; use non-tropical plant oils; and eat minimally processed, over ultra-processed, foods.

“What’s really important now is that people make modifications that can be sustainable in the long term,” said Alice Lichtenstein, director of Tufts University’s Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory and chair of the writing group for the AHA’s new statement.

The statement’s writing group evaluated literature and devised 10 features of heart-healthy dietary patterns. The group also expanded on the guidance, recognizing the need for sustainability and societal challenges that can be obstacles to achieving proper nutrition.

Lichtenstein said eating behaviors have changed since the AHA last published a statement with dietary guidance 15 years ago. Previously, the main options were to eat out or dine in, but eating habits have been less consistent in recent years. There has been a trend — exacerbated by the pandemic — of more convenience food options, such as delivery, meal kits and premade meals.

Make changes that go the distance
The focus of the AHA’s new guidance, Lichtenstein said, is to do what works for you, whatever dietary restrictions or cultural adaptions you want to make. Lichtenstein discourages people from making drastic changes based on fad diets — instead, sustained efforts in incorporating these healthy habits can be more beneficial in the long run.

Lauri Wright, chair of the department of nutrition and dietetics at the University of North Florida and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, seconds this long-term mindset. Wright, who was not involved with the AHA’s statement, emphasized the focus on building lifestyle habits, regardless of people’s ages and backgrounds.

“When we’re talking pattern or a lifestyle, we’re not just talking about a diet — something temporary,” Wright said. “This is really a lifestyle, and it really can accommodate all of your individualities.”

Click here to read the full article on CNN.

Latina-Owned Candle Business Captures the Scents of Childhood

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By Génesis Miranda Miramontes, NBC Los Angeles

Who can forget the smell of a Saturday spent cleaning, as the sound of music blasted in the background: the smell that filled the air and made you get up knowing you would have to grab a broom and help out?

Or perhaps you recall the smell of hot chocolate and pan dulce as you sat around the table hearing your comadre’s latest chisme.

What if you can relive those memories by lighting a candle in your room? While you fold that pile of laundry you’ve been putting off.

Marcella Gomez, a mother, nurse and cancer survivor from Downey is the founder of Oh Comadre Candles, a Latina-owned business that quite literally captures those memories in a candle.

“Oh Comadre Candles celebrate life through a Latina’s eye. The candles are intended to evoke emotion, comfort, memory, or even a laugh,” Gomez said.

Gomez started her business online in 2014 as a form of therapy, and time away from the nursing job she had at the time. It was a way for her to disconnect from the stress of a work day and help distract her, she explains.

In October of 2020, Gomez was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has since received treatment and has been in remission.

She says she would like her story to be an example of the importance of taking care of your health and seeing your doctor.

“Take care of yourself like we take care of others,” Gomez said. “If your best friend told you they found a lump, you would drop everything and help your good friend seek medical attention. Why not do the same for yourself?”

Since starting her business, Gomez has gained over 76,000 followers on Instagram and has recently opened her first storefront in Downey a couple of months ago.

“I have nothing but gratitude for anyone taking the time to walk through our door. It’s an awesome feeling that any small business can relate,” Gomez said. “I couldn’t believe the amount of support the shop recieved. I still can’t believe it. Someone please pinch me.”

Gomez says it was a long process to find the right formula for her candles. Then in 2016 she received her first online order.

“I could not believe someone purchased it from me. I thought it was a joke because the order came on my birthday. Fortunately, it was the first of many orders to come,” Gomez said.

Most Latinos can relate to the scents of Fabuloso, Vaporub, Pan Dulce, Abuelita Hot Chocolate, Horchata, and even Jabon Zote.

These are the scents of childhood and the day to day that bring happiness and can now be enjoyed in your sala.

Click here to read the full article on NBC Los Angeles.

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