Tag Archives: health

Nelson Mandela Dies; South African Leader, Global Icon Was 95

Nelson Mandela has died at the age of 95, according to reports. Increased activity was noted around the Johannesburg home of South Africa’s first black president, who has been very ill, in the past 24 hours. Mandela’s death was confirmed just minutes ago. South African President Jacob Zuma announced Mandel’s passing, which marks the final chapter in a revolutionary life that changed South Africa forever. Zuma spoke about his predecessor on national TV. “Our nation has lost its greatest son, yet what made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human,” Zuma said. “We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.” “In him, we saw so much of ourselves.” Family members had gathered after Mandela’s eldest daughter said the ailing icon was putting up a fight from what she nonetheless called his “deathbed.” Nelson Mandela spent nearly three months in the hospital with a lung infection earlier this year, but kept pressing on, as has always been his way. He had been receiving intensive home-based care since he was released in September, but his health slowly declined and he passed away today. Mandela’s journey and struggle remain one of the defining stories of the 20th Century. Trained as a lawyer, he became involved in politics after 1948. As South Africa moved into a system of racial apartheid, he initially spoke out and espousing non-violent protests with the African National Congress (ANC). However, he eventually founded a militant organization and was behind a bombing campaign in the early ’60s. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1962. Mandela’s imprisonment soon became an international cause, and was eventually released in 1990 after intervention by President F. W. de Klerk. A free man at last, he spearheaded South Africa’s transition from white-minority rule after that, marking the end of apartheid with the aid of de Klerk. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was elected South Africa’s first black president in 1994. He stepped down after five years in office. Mandela is survived by his wife, Graca Machel, six children, and 17 grandchildren.

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Nelson Mandela Dies; South African Leader, Global Icon Was 95

Beyonce and Jay-Z: Going Vegan!

Beyonce and Jay-Z have pledged to take on a plant-based vegan diet for the next three weeks, the rapper announced on his website, Life + Times. “Psychologists have said it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. On the 22nd day, you’ve found the way,” Jay wrote by way of an introduction. Jay Z, Beyonce Vegan Cleanse As of December 3, “I will embark on a 22 Days challenge to go completely vegan, or as I prefer to call it, plant-based!” Bey’s husband continued. This began, he said, when a vegan friend “challenged me to embrace a ‘plant-based breakfast’ everyday. It was surprisingly easier on me than I thought…” That friend was Marco Borges, an exercise physiologist and founder of 22 Days Nutrition, a vegan, organic, and gluten-free food and lifestyle company. Jay Z calls him “the world’s best trainer,” and Pharell says he’s “a brilliant teacher of the idea that working out is not just a temporary fix to lose weight … it’s a way of life.” According to Borges’ website, 22 Days Nutrition is “a partner in the journey of Jay Z and Beyonce’s exploration of a vegan diet.” So why now? “There’s something spiritual to me about it being my 44th birthday,” he added. “And the serendipity behind the number of days in this challenge; 22 (2+2=4) coupled with the fact that the challenge ends on Christmas day. It just feels right!” Bey and Jay’s obsession with the number four is well-documented: They were married on 4/4 Blue Ivy ‘s middle name includes IV Beyonce’s fourth album was titled simply 4 He went on: “So you can call it a spiritual and physical cleanse. I will post my progress…Any professional vegans out there that have any great food spots, please help out!” As for whether this could be a permanent lifestyle change? “I don’t know what happens after Christmas. A semi-vegan, a full plant-based diet? Or just a spiritual and physical challenge? We’ll see… Best of luck and health!”

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Beyonce and Jay-Z: Going Vegan!

Top 5 Deathbed Regrets: Nurse Reveals Things Most Dying Patients Lament

If you were dying tomorrow, what do you think you would regret most? What would you look back on and wish you had done differently, given another try? A nurse who spent many years working in palliative care – spending day after day with people in the last 3-12 weeks of life – shed some light on this recently. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality, she notes, and that period at the end of one’s life allows for a great deal of self-reflection. When questioned about regrets they had or things they would do differently, common themes surfaced . Time and again. Here are the most common five: I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me . The most common regret of all. Countless dreams go unfulfilled, due to choices they had made, or not made. And from the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Are you honoring at least some of those dreams you harbor while you still can? I wish I didn’t work so hard . Another familiar refrain. The dying missed their children’s youth, their partner’s companionship. Can you simplify your lifestyle and make conscious choices to do more with less? And by creating more space in your life, be happier without the same commitments of time and stress? I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings . Many people suppress feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settle for a mediocre existence, not what they were truly capable of. Many even develop illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carry. By speaking honestly, you may raise a relationship to a new level, or rid it from your life altogether. Can you break that barrier? I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends . There are many deep regrets about friendships and not giving them the time and effort they deserved. Everyone misses friends when they’re dying. All that remains in the end, especially the final weeks, are relationships. Are you nurturing yours? I wish that I had let myself be happier . This is a surprisingly common one. Old patterns and habits die hard. Unfortunately, so do we. The “comfort” of familiarity and fear of change leaves us susceptible to pretending to others, and to ourselves, that we are content. When deep within, we longed for more. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to let go and smile, long before you are dying? What are your biggest regrets in life? What are the hardest things to change? And what else, if anything, would you add to this list? Discuss below …

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Top 5 Deathbed Regrets: Nurse Reveals Things Most Dying Patients Lament

Top 5 Deathbed Regrets: Nurse Reveals Things Most Dying Patients Lament

If you were dying tomorrow, what do you think you would regret most? What would you look back on and wish you had done differently, given another try? A nurse who spent many years working in palliative care – spending day after day with people in the last 3-12 weeks of life – shed some light on this recently. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality, she notes, and that period at the end of one’s life allows for a great deal of self-reflection. When questioned about regrets they had or things they would do differently, common themes surfaced . Time and again. Here are the most common five: I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me . The most common regret of all. Countless dreams go unfulfilled, due to choices they had made, or not made. And from the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Are you honoring at least some of those dreams you harbor while you still can? I wish I didn’t work so hard . Another familiar refrain. The dying missed their children’s youth, their partner’s companionship. Can you simplify your lifestyle and make conscious choices to do more with less? And by creating more space in your life, be happier without the same commitments of time and stress? I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings . Many people suppress feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settle for a mediocre existence, not what they were truly capable of. Many even develop illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carry. By speaking honestly, you may raise a relationship to a new level, or rid it from your life altogether. Can you break that barrier? I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends . There are many deep regrets about friendships and not giving them the time and effort they deserved. Everyone misses friends when they’re dying. All that remains in the end, especially the final weeks, are relationships. Are you nurturing yours? I wish that I had let myself be happier . This is a surprisingly common one. Old patterns and habits die hard. Unfortunately, so do we. The “comfort” of familiarity and fear of change leaves us susceptible to pretending to others, and to ourselves, that we are content. When deep within, we longed for more. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to let go and smile, long before you are dying? What are your biggest regrets in life? What are the hardest things to change? And what else, if anything, would you add to this list? Discuss below …

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Top 5 Deathbed Regrets: Nurse Reveals Things Most Dying Patients Lament

Kanye West to Barack Obama: Shut Up About Kim Kardashian!

Kanye West stopped by Harvard yesterday for a speech to that university’s School of Design class. Then, this morning, the rapper appeared on a Philadelphia radio station and addressed one of that institution’s most famous graduate students: Presdent Barack Obama! Considering Obama once referred to West as a jackass , and also said this summer that he and Kim Kardashian gave folks the wrong idea about the American dream , the hosts were curious if Kanye and the President would ever “break bread” together. Kanye West Tells Off Barack Obama It doesn’t seem likely. First, West said he and Kardashian are “pop icons” and the Commander-in-Chief called them out “just to be down.” He then elaborated, making a tiny bit of sense along the way: “I don’t care if someone’s the president or not. I care about thoughts and how you helping people and what you bring to the world. My music brings joy to people. What I create brings joy to people. Me, I’m not about me. I’m about I’ve got an idea that people are going to like. “Don’t you get frustrated around Christmas time dealing with clothing? Don’t you get frustrated with so many things? That’s Steve Jobs made things easier for people in life.” Right. Yes. Of course. Sure, ‘Ye. In conclusion, Kanye said Obama “shouldn’t mention my baby mama’s name ’cause we both from Chicago” and concluded that he doesn’t give this quasi rivalry much thought: “That’s out my thoughts,” he said. “That’s lower on my priority of thinking at this point.”  

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Kanye West to Barack Obama: Shut Up About Kim Kardashian!

Kanye West to Barack Obama: Shut Up About Kim Kardashian!

Kanye West stopped by Harvard yesterday for a speech to that university’s School of Design class. Then, this morning, the rapper appeared on a Philadelphia radio station and addressed one of that institution’s most famous graduate students: Presdent Barack Obama! Considering Obama once referred to West as a jackass , and also said this summer that he and Kim Kardashian gave folks the wrong idea about the American dream , the hosts were curious if Kanye and the President would ever “break bread” together. Kanye West Tells Off Barack Obama It doesn’t seem likely. First, West said he and Kardashian are “pop icons” and the Commander-in-Chief called them out “just to be down.” He then elaborated, making a tiny bit of sense along the way: “I don’t care if someone’s the president or not. I care about thoughts and how you helping people and what you bring to the world. My music brings joy to people. What I create brings joy to people. Me, I’m not about me. I’m about I’ve got an idea that people are going to like. “Don’t you get frustrated around Christmas time dealing with clothing? Don’t you get frustrated with so many things? That’s Steve Jobs made things easier for people in life.” Right. Yes. Of course. Sure, ‘Ye. In conclusion, Kanye said Obama “shouldn’t mention my baby mama’s name ’cause we both from Chicago” and concluded that he doesn’t give this quasi rivalry much thought: “That’s out my thoughts,” he said. “That’s lower on my priority of thinking at this point.”  

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Kanye West to Barack Obama: Shut Up About Kim Kardashian!

Brittany Murphy Poisoned? Shocking Toxicology Report, Results Raise New Questions

Brittany Murphy’s shocking death in 2009 raised many questions. A new toxicology report is likely to raise many more, given the shocking revelations within. Her father, Angelo Bertolotti, never believed the L.A. County Coroner’s report that listed Brittany Murphy’s cause of death as pneumonia and anemia. Brittany Murphy Cause of Death: Poison? Her husband Simon Monjack , 40, also died suspiciously just five months after Murphy died, further raising questions that have never been answered. No foul play was suspected in either death. Convinced that she exhibited signs of heavy poisoning, Bertolotti pushed for independent testing on his late daughter’s hair, blood and tissue samples. He reached out to The Carlson Company to conduct independent tests, and was shocked by the results. The lab reports were alarming to say the least: “Ten (10) of the heavy metals evaluated were detected at levels higher that the WHO [The World Health Organization] high levels.” “Testing the hair strand sample identified as” back of the head” we have detected ten (10) heavy metals at levels above the WHO high levels recommendation.” “If we were to eliminate the possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent.” Many of these heavy metals the report speaks of are most frequently found in rodenticides and insecticides. In other words, rat poison and the like. Her father knew that she had displayed symptoms of metal poisoning , including headaches, cramps, wheezing, disorientation, congestion and pneumonia. It’s still unclear whether she ingested such materials by accident or at the sinister behest of someone else, but her father won’t rest until he finds out. He has also spoken out about the many tabloid “rumors” that the Clueless actress had a drug problem, which contributed to her death at the age of 32. “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation,” Angelo told the Examiner. “My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie.” “Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter,” he adds, “when they complained of being under surveillance and in fear for their lives.” “I will not rest until the truth is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

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Brittany Murphy Poisoned? Shocking Toxicology Report, Results Raise New Questions

Brittany Murphy Poisoned? Shocking Toxicology Report, Results Raise New Questions

Brittany Murphy’s shocking death in 2009 raised many questions. A new toxicology report is likely to raise many more, given the shocking revelations within. Her father, Angelo Bertolotti, never believed the L.A. County Coroner’s report that listed Brittany Murphy’s cause of death as pneumonia and anemia. Brittany Murphy Cause of Death: Poison? Her husband Simon Monjack , 40, also died suspiciously just five months after Murphy died, further raising questions that have never been answered. No foul play was suspected in either death. Convinced that she exhibited signs of heavy poisoning, Bertolotti pushed for independent testing on his late daughter’s hair, blood and tissue samples. He reached out to The Carlson Company to conduct independent tests, and was shocked by the results. The lab reports were alarming to say the least: “Ten (10) of the heavy metals evaluated were detected at levels higher that the WHO [The World Health Organization] high levels.” “Testing the hair strand sample identified as” back of the head” we have detected ten (10) heavy metals at levels above the WHO high levels recommendation.” “If we were to eliminate the possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent.” Many of these heavy metals the report speaks of are most frequently found in rodenticides and insecticides. In other words, rat poison and the like. Her father knew that she had displayed symptoms of metal poisoning , including headaches, cramps, wheezing, disorientation, congestion and pneumonia. It’s still unclear whether she ingested such materials by accident or at the sinister behest of someone else, but her father won’t rest until he finds out. He has also spoken out about the many tabloid “rumors” that the Clueless actress had a drug problem, which contributed to her death at the age of 32. “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation,” Angelo told the Examiner. “My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie.” “Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter,” he adds, “when they complained of being under surveillance and in fear for their lives.” “I will not rest until the truth is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

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Brittany Murphy Poisoned? Shocking Toxicology Report, Results Raise New Questions

Jacqui Beck, British Teen, Learns She Was Born Without Vagina, Womb or Cervix

British teenager Jacqui Beck recalls that she was in “total shock” to learn that she had been born without a vagina during a routine visit to the doctor. One can only assume that would be shocking. Jacqui Beck, 17, Born With No Vagina Beck, 17, hadn’t started getting her periods. After informing her doctor, tests soon showed that she had MRKH syndrome , a genetic condition that meant she had been born without a vagina, womb or cervix. She tells the Daily Mail (UK) of the ordeal: “I left the [office] in tears. I would never know what it was like to give birth, be pregnant, have a period. All the things I had imagined doing suddenly got erased from my future.” “I was really angry … I felt like I wasn’t a real woman any more.” Shocking as it may seem, Beck is not alone here. In fact, her condition isn’t even especially rare. According to government statistics, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, or MRKH, affects one in 4,500 newborn girls. It’s not unheard of at all. The condition, research has shown, mainly affects the reproductive system and “causes the vagina and uterus to be underdeveloped or absent.” It mostly occurs in people with no family history of the disorder. The external genitalia are normal, and women with MRKH have functioning ovaries and undergo puberty. The condition is usually detected once someone with MRKH tries to have sex, or doesn’t begin having periods by age 16, as was the case with Jacqui Beck. Similarly, Christina Ruth was diagnosed with MRKH at 17. She spoke out about her condition, and the shame that came with it, in May, after graduating high school. “I had two doctors ask me why I hadn’t fixed myself yet,” Ruth said. “That’s completely inappropriate. I was born this way and should not be made to feel like I am second-rate.” Although the condition has no cure, medical procedures such as dilation or surgery can help create a vaginal canal, allowing them to have intercourse. Eggs can be removed and fertilized to be used in surrogacy. Several support communities for women with MRKH exist. The Beautiful You MRKH Foundation, a non-profit group, seeks to “eliminate the shame and isolation.” Jacqui Beck is also taking ownership of her condition. “I’m a hopeless romantic and I see it as a great test of someone’s character. Instead of focusing on it putting off men, I actually think it will help me find ‘the one’,” she said. “I want to be upfront with any men I meet and tell them straight away about my condition… If they run at the mention of MRKH then I don’t want to be intimate with them.”

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Jacqui Beck, British Teen, Learns She Was Born Without Vagina, Womb or Cervix

Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Returning to Dancing with the Stars as Guest Judge!

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is returning to the Dancing with the Stars ballroom as a guest judge for Monday’s semifinals, according to reports. Yes, he will be handing out the scores instead of complaining about them. The DWTS pro will be three alongside regular judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli for the show’s first-ever “plugged / unplugged” night. Chmerkovskiy, who appeared on Broadway in “Forever Tango” and heads up six dance studios in the New York area, was long a fixture on DWTS . He said he was always open to returning one day, so it was not a bitter parting of ways. “I never walked away, or said ‘I’m never coming back,'” he said. Simply, “I want to be able to capitalize. We all know why we’re there. Everyone is doing something to better their lifestyle, to better their life. Period.” He’s also bettering his life by dating Kate Upton . Amazing work, Maks. Five couples remain in the popular ABC dance competition after some shocking Dancing With the Stars results over the past three or four weeks: Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani, Amber Riley and Derek Hough, Bill Engvall and Emma Slater, Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke and Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff.  Who do you want to win? And are you happy Maks is back?

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Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Returning to Dancing with the Stars as Guest Judge!