First Lady Michelle Obama announced that she will travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa and Gaborone,during an official visit to Africa from June 21 – 26 focused on youth leadership, education, health and wellness. Mrs. Obama’s visit will highlight the important stake the U.S. has in the success of Africa’s many nations, as well as the historic connections between the American people and those who live on the African continent. President Barack Obama’s late father was Kenyan. In addition to advancing her international youth engagement agenda, the First Lady’s events will amplify the President’s support for democracy, development and economic opportunity across Africa. During her trip, Mrs. Obama will deliver the keynote address to a U.S.-sponsored Young African Women Leaders Forum in South Africa. Forum participants include young women from across sub-Saharan Africa who are leading or involved in social and economic initiatives in their own countries. The Forum will build on the Obama Administration’s ongoing engagement with the next generation of African leaders and the momentum of the August 2010 President’s Forum with Young African Leaders held at the White House. First Lady Michelle Obama To Unveil New Food Pyramid Michelle Obama Discusses The Sacrifices Of Military Families [VIDEO]
Do you like spicy foods? If you do, your taste buds may be onto something. The Journal of Proteome Research just released a study that says spicy substances may trigger protein changes in the body that assist with weight loss and fights fat storage. The key ingredient, capsaicin is what researchers think is the catalyst to aid in cutting fat and calorie intake. Want to know the thirteen spices that can revive up your metabolism? Check them out below: Note to people with softer taste buds: (The white membrane and seeds are the source of the spiciness, so simply use less of them if the pepper is too much for your taste.) Aji: Use this South American pepper in salsa, ceviche, sauces, or pickled dishes. Cayenne: Add it, finely chopped, to sauces, stews, soups, or dips. Chiltepin : Chop it up for soups, stews, salsas, or chorizo. Chile de Arbol : Use it in huevos rancheros or fish dishes. Datil : Great for hot sauce recipes and chili. Habanero : This all-around chile pepper is ideal for sauces, chili, meat, and seafood dishes. Jalapeno : Dice and add to salsa or pico de gallo. Click here for more spices and the full article. Related Articles: Discover the benefits of Your favorites sauces, spreads and spices Spice Up Your Foods With Your Favorite Herbs and Spices
Researchers say they have discovered “ultra-bad” cholesterol in some patients and the discovery can be a game changer for treating heart disease. Ultra-bad cholesterol is stickier than normal bad cholesterol – known as LDL – meaning it’s more likely to attach to arterial walls. This is more dangerous because when LDL attaches to artery walls it forms fatty plaques that cause coronary heart disease (CHD). As fatty plaques grow, they narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow and also may trigger a stroke or heart attack. CHD is the most common type of heart disease and kills almost 450,000 Americans each year. Should we be worried? If you are elderly or have type 2 diabetes, then yes. Those patients were more likely to have ultra-bad cholesterol. “This study shows how the make-up and the shape of a type of LDL cholesterol found in diabetics could make it more harmful than other types of LDL,” Dr Shannon Amoils, research adviser at the British Heart Foundation, said in a written statement . “The findings provide one possible explanation for the increased risk of coronary heart disease in people with diabetes.” But the study may give scientists insight on how the type 2 diabetes drug metformin also fights heart disease. Scientists are hopeful the findings can lead to even better treatments down the road. “The next challenge is to tackle this more dangerous type of cholesterol with treatments that could help neutralize its harmful effects on patients’ arteries,” lead author Dr. Naila Rabbani, associate professor of experimental systems biology at Warwick Medical School, said in the statement. According to the American Heart Association: “You can reduce cholesterol in your blood by eating healthful foods, losing weight if you need to and exercising.” What follows is a listing of the most potent foods to add to your diet if you want to fight high cholesterol and drive your levels down using your diet as a primary tool.
Every year, more and more research is done showing that there may be associations between certain everyday lifestyle choices we make and the development of prostate cancer. African-American men and those with a strong family history of the disease are also at increased risk. Some of the following signs and symptoms common to prostate cancer are also experienced with many noncancerous diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer Frequent urination (especially at night) or difficulty passing urine Inability to hold back urine Weak or interrupted flow of urine Feeling like your bladder is still full even when you have just passed urine Blood in your urine or in your semen Pain or a burning sensation when you are urinating Pain when you ejaculate Pain in your back, hip or pelvic area, which could be a sign that cancer has spread from the prostate to nearby lymph nodes, tissue or bones It was If you have any of these symptoms, it is important that you follow up with your doctor for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. In general, the earlier that you seek treatment, the better your prognosis. Make sure to read: 8 Ways To Maintain Your Health and 7 Foods Men Should Eat Weekly Prostrate exams are determined via a test called the PSA test. The PSA is a test used to measure a protein called prostate specific antigen in the blood. Men with prostate cancer often do have elevated PSA levels, however levels can fluctuate and increase based on a number of factors that are unrelated to cancer. The PSA test is also notorious for producing false positives and negatives. Due to these variables, the PSA is not considered to be a diagnostic tool or even an effective screening test when used alone. It is coupled with a digital rectal exam for prostate cancer screening, but ultimately, it is a prostate biopsy that either confirms or rules out cancer. I accompanied my father to a biopsy procedure. It was relatively quick and we were home in a few hours. He said he only experienced minor discomfort after the procedure. Please be sure to take care of yourself.
The liver is important. We don’t spend much time thinking about it unless it is in bad condition, If your liver is unhealthy, then so is your entire body because this organ affects virtually every part of your body. The liver is like a computer’s hard drive—it does all the hard work of running every system in your body to keep you alive and healthy. This includes filtering toxins, absorbing necessary vitamins and minerals, manufacturing bile, regulating blood sugar levels, producing numerous hormones and chemicals and managing a multitude of body enzymes. But your liver is under constant attack from the foods you eat, the water you drink, the medicine you take and even the air you breathe. As a matter of fact, if you’re more than 40-years-old… eat the average unhealthy American diet… occasionally imbibe… drink regular tap water… or take medication, then your liver is probably in trouble and unable to optimally perform its duties. And your whole body can reflect this with achy joints, fatigue, high cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar problems, forgetfulness, weight gain, skin rashes, constipation and more. However, there are cleansing nutrients that can remove the toxins and debris from the liver to keep it strong, healthy and able to perform its many duties within your body. These nutrients include… Milk thistle— Contains a powerful antioxidant called silymarin which protects the liver from toxic injury and helps regenerate new, healthy liver cells. Soy Lecithin (phosphatidylcholine)— Helps remove accumulated fat and cholesterol that obstructs your liver, repairs liver damage from alcohol and improves muscle function. Artichoke leaf extract— Helps improve the secretion of bile and supports healthy cholesterol levels. Burdock root— An antioxidant and “blood purifier” that helps neutralize toxins that enter your liver, as well as helping clear congestion in the urinary, lymphatic and circulatory system. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)— Helps eliminate painful kidney stones and serves as a powerful antioxidant to help reduce the effects of chemicals and toxins on the liver. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA)— Elevates levels of the enzyme glutathione, a strong antioxidant that helps restore liver health after damage from drugs, alcohol and environmental toxins. For additional information pick up a copy of Easy Health Options. Related Stories Tyler Perry’s Endorsement Of Book “Pray Fit” Moves It To Best Seller List New Report Says Meats May Make You Sick
Whether you enjoy your time at the gym, or just tolerate getting through it, the reality is that with everything else we have to do our time in the gym is precious. Here are some tips that will help you get the most out of the limited time that you have to workout. Make An Exercise Plan If you want to use your time at the gym effectively, you need to go in with a plan. Your gym workouts should include about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week and some strength training about two days a week. How you put the time together is important. Get some help at the beginning from an exercise specialist so you don’t end up wasting time in the gym. GET THE REST HERE 6 Reasons Why You Have Belly Fat 3 Exercises To Get Toned Sexy Arms For The Summer [VIDEO]
E-40 has been in the game for more than 20 years and has never seemed to take time off. He first hit the scene in ’88 as the lead member of The Click. He is most known for his ability to create new slang which always seems to catch on globally right after the words leave his mouth. In 2011 E-40 has released two albums “Revenue Retrieving: Graveyard Shift & Overtime Shift” on the same day. E-40 spoke with @ JazzyF about the new album, being independent, the state of West Coast hip-hop music and more. Check it out below! TUD: Would you say E-40 creates the slang or are you just responsible for making it mainstream? E-40: You know it’s a little of both. I’m from the bay area where it started, we trend setters. You got words like Po-Po, Captain Save a Hoe, Fo Shizzy, Fo Shizzle. I make up many words but we can go on for forever about slang words that E-40 created. That has always been one of my things since was youngster. I have always being creative with my words. Do you feel you’re under-rated and overlooked in the rap game? I’m under-rated off top, I feel I am the best game spitter. I talk about things that real street cats can relate to. If you ain’t around it or in it, I feel you should not be listening to me. The songs they hear on the radio are watered down, they haven’t heard my ghetto anthems. I speak to the real cats and females because they can relate to me. I speak the real and a lot of people don’t understand because they haven’t been a part of the hustle to make ends meet. They don’t know it’s a whole new generation right now and I’m not knocking the young generation because some of them listen to me but a lot don’t because they haven’t been sat down and schooled. Why does it seem like E-40 been on chill mode? On the west coast we don’t hear a lot of songs get on the radio or BET and MTV because of the formats. Some of the networks go by how many spins you have on radio. We don’t have urban stations here on the west coast, the closest thing we have is top 40 crossover radio so you don’t really see us on MTV or BET. Last year I had the biggest song on the west coast called “Bitch” and we cleaned it up and called it “Trick.” 50 cent hopped on the remix and we sent it out independently. My thing is that I might not be a part of the major but I get the fan base of an artist that’s on a major and I have the same distribution of a major. I use my outlets now that I’m already famous so I don’t need a major. People want to know who signed me, I signed me years ago. We sold tapes out the trunk of the car. We had no internet, no radio no nothing. It was just word of mouth, hood shit. All the people across the country were messing with E-40 and the click. I never took my foot of the brake and if I did take a break I must of put a lot of ketchup on my fries. I put out 2 albums out last year “Day Shift “and “Night Shift.” I sold 8,000 records in Dallas, that’s a lot for one city and it’s independent. I got “Revenue Retrieving/Overnight Shift” and “Graveyard Shift” dropped on the same day March 29th as Wiz Khalifa and Snoop’s album but I’m not trying to compete with them. I know Wiz is the new kid on the block, not like the group. He is doing his thing so I take my hat off to him. It’s all about maintaining. I don’t have to sell a million records to make the same amount as a artist that sell a million records. I’m independent, ghetto golden. If I sell 100,000 I get goudaed up ya feel me. How do feel about west coast music not getting the amount of radio play it use to? We guilty by affiliation. Everybody wants everything to sound the same. DJs set tripping like that’s west coast music. No disrespect to the song “Make It Rain” but if you aint making it rain on your song it’s like you ain’t getting no love. It’s like you got to go out of your element to get love. It’s nice to have video play, radio play but as long as I can work my virals on the internet or yet get it out to where people hear it and can see it anytime, I’m cool. As long as everytime you pull up to a gas station and you got people from all different walks of life bumping my music from the hood to the suburbs, I’m not tripping. I’m good because I’m eating. I always been ahead of my time. I masterminded independent grinding with this rap shit. I was independent in ’88 when my first album came out and I got gold and platinum albums and singles. Now I’m ghetto gold, f*ck double platinum. I’m trying to go double profit. I just hope one day all the DJs stop saying “aww thats west coast music, “when they know they was on it back in the day real talk. I’m not begging them to play me because it’s a lot some fake DJs and radio programming thats closed minded and don’t like nothing different but it’s some real ones out there that f*ck with me. How did you come up with the album titles? Revenue Retrieving came from paper chasing so it was like “what’s another name for paper chasing ?”cuz we been saying that for years. I came up with “Gouda collecting,” “fetti fetching.” Gouda is money, that’s cheese and chasing is getting it. So revenue is money and retrieving is bringing it back so we “Revenue Retrieving.” People don’t understand that everything I say has a meaning and they’ll be using it years from now. Remember I had everyone and their momma popping their collar. I was the first one popping my collar. Why did you choose the artists you collaborated with on this album? I got some people I wanted to make music with for a while. I ain’t tripping about how big your name is and if your popping right now. I had T-Pain on one of my singles before anyone really knew of him. I was the first one to put that to life of having T-Pain on the hook. I got T-Pain, Devin the dude, Bun B, Slim Thug & Tech N9ne. I worked with a lot of my friends. I got my potnas Black sheep, Juice and we just doing it man. The albums are ridiculous. Whats going on with the Hifey movement? Not on a mainstream level, hifey is a real movement. The word hifey is a street name for a wild ass motherfucker. It originated in Oakland where I shot the “tell me when to go” video. I, too short and click started the mob music. That’s a sound that a lot of cats in the bay grew up on and aint nothing really change. You can get dumb on any type of tempo just doing your thing. But when people hear up tempo they automatically think it’s hifey music. Aint nothing new under the sun. What are your thoughts on the new generation being criticized by the vets? I don’t think old cats really have any control over the new cats, as far as letting them in. What are the old artists supposed to do just quit? I work with a lot of the new cats. They keep me fresh and I keep them fresh. An OG need a young dude around and a young dude need a OG around. They keep me fresh and I keep the gamed up. I like when a youngster has a lot of talent and self-esteem towards their hustle. Related Post: SLANG EDITORIAL: E-40 Says You’re “Game Doofy” If You Don’t Get His Music E-40 “Me & My B*tch” [VIDEO]
A new government report says that the rates of HIV infection in infants are significantly higher among blacks and Hispanics than whites, and preventive measures are needed to reduce the disparity. Although the number of HIV-infected infants has declined overall, among black babies, the rate of perinatal HIV infection — meaning transmission at the time of birth — is 23 times higher than for whites, and among Hispanics, the rate is four times higher, according to findings published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The average rate of perinatal infection in the United States is 2.7 per 100,000 live births, the report indicates. For blacks, the rate is 12.3 per 100,000; for Hispanics, 2.0 per 100,000; and for whites, 0.5 per 100,000. The researchers, who analyzed data from 34 states from 2004 to 2007, noted that transmission from an HIV-infected mother to her child can be significantly reduced through preventive measures. So what can we do to help? * Be sure that if you are single and sexually active, you protect yourself each and every time. Always use condoms and if pregnancy is not desired, seek medical attention and get on some birth control! * Make sure that if you are engaging in risky behaviors such as sharing needles and exchanging bodily fluids, you get tested regularly. * Primary HIV prevention in women is key and efforts should be specifically directed towards black and Hispanic women. All HIV-positive women who are pregnant should have access to quality health care and take advantage of preventive measures, including early treatment with antiretroviral medications, the report stated. * HIV infection should be diagnosed before or early in pregnancy * All moms-to-be should receive prenatal care * HIV-positive women should follow an antiretroviral medication regimen throughout pregnancy * A cesarean delivery should be scheduled at 38 weeks’ gestation if the virus has not been suppressed * Antiretroviral medication should be taken during labor and delivery * Newborns exposed to HIV should receive antiretroviral medication within the first hours after birth and for the first six weeks of life. As a community, we must do all that we can to change these statistics as our youth will someday lead us into the future. It’s vital to educate our children at an early age about the dangers around HIV/AIDS that continue to tear down Black communities. Let’s take the extra step and protect our culture and race against this plague that is killing our people. Related Articles: Should 11-Year-Olds Be Allowed To Pick Up Condoms And Have Sex? No Action Today, No Cure Tomorrow-World Health Day 2011 6 Ingredients To Lasting Relationships
This week marks the one year anniversary of the Gulf Oil Spill disaster and the day to honor the earth, April 22nd, Earth Day . These events brings awareness to the question, what is the future for environmental justice for black communities? Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, shares his thoughts about environmental justice with his article, A Black America Earth Day: Let’s use Earth Day 2011 as an opportunity to raise more awareness in our communities about the importance of environmental concerns and issues. We have to connect the dots. The health of our communities is impacted by the environment of our communities. Did you know that many of the growing lists of so-called “learning disabilities” that affect too many of the children in the Black American community maybe environmentally related to exposures from lead poisoning and other toxic substances laced in many of our neighborhoods? The overall quality of life in Black America can be and should be improved if we all become more conscious and involved with understanding the importance of demanding and adhering to environmental justice. (Read the entire article) Will.i.am has together with DipDive just released this video titled “Take Our Planet Back” which focuses on energy, climate and environmental issues and topics. The video calls for citizens and their leaders to deal with the serious environmental problems that our planet faces. The video features clips of Al Gore, montages of the various environmental challenges we face, and will.i.am singing. Watch it: Below you can find the lyrics for Will.I.Am’s music video “Take Our Planet Back”: Al Gore: Today, I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100% of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years. Calling all the leaders to lead us out the hole Asking all deceivers the things I want to know If we’re so technological Why’re we still burning oil ‘Cause I got a car you plug into the wall that’s faster than a GTO We shot for the stars, put rovers on Mars, make planes like UFOs So why are we borrowin’ money from China to buy oil from the Gulf and destroyin’ the world Al Gore: Every bit of that has to change… Now that’s got to change Now that’s got to change (Chorus x3) We’ll stand up We’ll stand up and take our planet back You and me We’ll stand up We’ll stand up and take our planet back Talkin’ ‘bout we Talkin’ ‘bout we Talkin’ ‘bout Calling all the citizens (Al Gore: Citizens…) Citizens of the land Ask you your politicians (Al Gore: Political Leaders…) All these questions If we fight another war on terror Why aren’t we fighting for the environment We spend a billion dollars on wars in foreign lands But nothin’ on education Nikola Tesla turned the Niagara Falls into energy way back when (Al Gore: Energy…) And we’re still burning coal (Al Gore: Coal…) When you can make electricity with solar and wind (Al Gore: Solar and wind…) Now who’s getting played? You and me And who’s getting paid? (Chorus x3) We’ll stand up We’ll stand up and take our planet back You and me We’ll stand up We’ll stand up and take our planet back Talkin’ ‘bout we Talkin’ ‘bout we, we, we, we I’m askin’ all the citizens to take action (Al Gore: Citizens…) Take action and take back the government Tell the government to start taxin’ pollution Makin’ laws ‘cause that’s the solution It should be against the law to make pollution So if they make products that do what the other products do But they didn’t pollute, what are you gonna choose? Al Gore: We should tax what we burn, not what we earn. To those who say the challenge is not politically viable I suggest they go before the American people and try to defend the status quo And then bear witness to the people’s appetite for dramatic change The time is now. Please leave your comments below to let the Elev8 community know what will you do to help the environment? Are you doing anything now, to create a better world for future generations? Sending positive vibes to Elev8 – Robin Downes Related Articles: World Water Day: The Importance Of Freshwater The Spirit Of Earth Day Water, Consciousness And Intent
At this season of the year, we celebrate the grandeur of God’s creation in the beauty of the flowers and the return of the robins. We clasp our loved ones in rituals of food and drink, laughter and embrace. Some of us will also sit in services of silence, music, and sacred readings. We will contemplate the mystery of the holy and the sanctity of all life. In the Christian calendar, yesterday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. During this week Christians are asked to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross, an event that took place nearly two millennia ago at a place which still remains the epicenter of religious and political violence today. By lunar coincidence, this week also marks, on Tuesday, the festival of Pesah, or Passover, the most celebrated Jewish holiday of the year. Passover commemorates God’s deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Jesus had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his disciples when he was caught in the web of events that led to his death. While most Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the New Testament weaves the central events of this week into one overarching story of redemptive history. As St. Paul put it, “For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). To those who would reduce the meaning of this week to a mere fable connoting existential truth, Christians say: “What you call myth that is history!” and, conversely, “What you call history that is a myth!” The myth of human self-sufficiency, the illusion that the ebb and flow of nature’s passions are all we need to build a human life upon, the fantastic hoax that lasting moral order in the world can be derived from the will to power or political ingenuity alone It is the fact that something happened back then and there, in space and in time, something so shattering that the grinding wheels of fate were stopped by it and death is now no longer allowed to have the final word. Related Stories Who Do You Call King Of Glory?
