Health

Black-Owned Health and Wellness Businesses to Support Now and Always

By Diana J. Smith 4 months ago

As the country is still grappling with the tragic death of George Floyd and the ongoing protests in its wake, musician and activist Calvin Martyr has launched #BlackOutDay2020 on July 7. This campaign calls for an economic boycott where the Black community pauses on buying to highlight their economic spending power. If they do spend money, they are encouraged to buy from Black-owned businesses only.

Just like the fashion and beauty industries, the wellness and health space is full of brands that are founded and run by Black women and men. Whether they’re selling aromatherapy candles, producing fitness-minded podcasts or shattering stigmas of what it means to be “well” for Black women, each of these companies was once just a dream and is now a hard-earned reality.

But don’t just shop these Black-owned businesses today, or this week. Support them regularly, engage with them on social media and spread

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How one school district tends to students’ emotional health during coronavirus pandemic

By Diana J. Smith 4 months ago

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. – Three months ago, the Saddle Brook school district was making steady progress toward social and emotional learning as part of a district initiative.

In-class yoga, mindfulness mantras and coping strategies for anxiety were part of the daily routine.

Then came the pandemic.

Virtual learning separated children from schoolmates and teachers as the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other health experts noted a surge in stress and depression. Next came the killing of George Floyd and racial tensions that heightened anxiety for many families. 

“I’m glad that we were in front of social and emotional learning, that we had this wellness initiative in place, because we had already been talking about it and doing it,” Superintendent Danielle Shanley said.

To address a complicated new reality, the entire faculty worked together to keep social and emotional learning at the forefront.  

“My concern was the kids

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Women’s health and fitness most at risk if leisure facilities stay closed

By Diana J. Smith 4 months ago

Ongoing closures of gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres are “disproportionately” affecting women, according to Sport England, which warns gender inequalities have been exacerbated by lockdown.

The Government-formed body expressed concern to MPs that the clock is being turned back after women’s sporting participation was boosted by last year’s football, netball and cricket world cups.

Activity levels were at record highs pre lockdown, but “less women than men” have been able to be active as families were placed under pressure by Covid-19.

“We’ve seen an exacerbation of inequalities that existed before lockdown,” said Alison Donnelly, executive director of communications and marketing at Sport England.

The Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee praised Donnelly over the Sport England-backed This Girl Can campaign, which was first developed in 2015 to promote sport and activity among women, and since then has inspired four million women to act.

“In terms of

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Health Officials Close Restaurants, Movie Theaters For Indoor Service Amid Spike In Hospitalizations, Transmission Rate

By Diana J. Smith 4 months ago

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Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer announced on Tuesday that the county was modifying its health officer order to comply with the guidelines announced on Wednesday by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

“L.A. County’s really at a critical juncture at this point in time,” said Ferrer.

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“Immediate action is necessary in order for us to get back on track to slow the spread,” she added.

In terms of hard data, Ferrer said there had been 2,002 new cases over the last 24 hours. Ferrer added that that number was lower than recent reports because one major lab was late with its numbers. But it still marked the fourth day in a row that cases have been over 2,000. There have been 105,507 COVID cases total in L.A. County.

Ferrer revealed that the average daily total deaths over the

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