Category Archives: Health, Healing, and Superfoods

Part 1: Where Are You Going to Live When Your Body Gives Out?

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Today I visited a Dialysis Center and watched so many (once vibrant) people being wheeled in and dropped off by medi-vans, helped in on walkers, or walking slowly by themselves or assisted by loved ones.  Three times a week they would be spending half of their day getting their blood purified on machines because their kidneys have failed. While there was an occasional smile, most seemed stoic, resigned to their fate, and devoid of energy.  The alternative however could be certain death.

High Blood Pressure Is Not Part of Aging

My sister and I were there with our step-mom.  So, I had more than just a casual interest.  My sister had just moved her up to Maryland this past weekend so that we could both look after her better.  Today was her first visit to the Maryland Dialysis Center and the three hours we’d expected turned into almost five hours.  We’d known for years that she had high blood pressure, but really didn’t know what that meant.  She was grown.  She took her medication and went on with her life.  Our attempts over the years to encourage her to change her southern diet and eat healthier were met with skepticism and resistance.  As fast as we’d throw out the salty staples of fat back, cracklins, and hambones, they’d reappear.  Even worse, the neighbors, friends, and church members would bring her a plate that contained many traditional yet salty foods.  And, after all, there were many people around her in her community in North Carolina with high blood pressure, so it was treated as part of aging, hereditary,  and no big deal.  Additionally there was no shortage of examples of people in their eighties, nineties, and even an occasional centenarian who were doing fine on the same diet that their parents and grandparents had been reared on.  She herself was approaching eighty-four so she’d obviously done a few things right.  Click to read Part 2: http://wp.me/ppImQ-mt

Barbara Talley is a keynote speaker, author of six books, and trainer on value-based living themes.  She also offers Effective Communication, Diversity, Leadership, Time Management, and Goal Setting workshops.  Visit her at www.thepoetspeaks.com or contact her at 301-428-4831.  You may email her at Barbara@ThePoetSpeaks.com

Part 2: Where Are You Going to Live When Your Body Gives Out?

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High Blood Pressure Is A Big Deal!

(continued from Part 1: http://wp.me/ppImQ-ld

It may be common, but it is still a really big deal.  Eventually the medication for the high blood pressure took its toll on her kidneys.  Again, more medication and business as usual.  She would have her gall bladder removed.  Then there was the shortness of breath that would lead to a slight heart attack, then congestive heart failure…. and more medicine.  Finally the kidneys failed all together.  The body does give us warning signs and we must learn to listen.  There were many points of possible intervention along the way with diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes that could have changed the tides.  But, since so many of her friends had the same conditions, she felt that it was a part of aging.  IT IS NOT!

High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Kidney Disease

Renal (kidney) disease affects all cultures and all were represented here, but there was a disproportionately large number of black people there today.  According to the CDC, “35% of African Americans have hypertension, which accounts for 20% of the African American deaths in the United States – twice the percentage of deaths among whites from hypertension.” Data in their February 2010 report suggests that the general population doesn’t fare much better, “About one out of three U.S. adults—31.3%—has high blood pressure.” “Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death in the United States.1 People of all ages and backgrounds can develop high blood pressure, and it’s preventable.”  Anemia accompanied by low energy also becomes a challenge.  Check out this report released on April 27, 2010 at Yahoo News: ‘Anemia Harder to Treat in Black Children With Kidney Disease.

Click to continue to Part 3: 10 Things You Can Do Now!  http://wp.me/ppImQ-mv

Barbara Talley is a keynote speaker, author of six books, and trainer on value-based living themes.  She also offers Effective Communication, Diversity, Leadership, Time Management, and Goal Setting workshops.  Visit her at www.thepoetspeaks.com or contact her at 301-428-4831.  You may email her at Barbara@ThePoetSpeaks.com

Part 3: Where Are You Going to Live When Your Body Gives Out?

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1. DS Hartman et al "A Practical Approach to the Cystic Renal Mass" RadioGraphics 2004;24:S101-S115

Continued from Part 2: http://wp.me/ppImQ-mt

Your Body Is Your Real Home!

There are messages everywhere in the universe if we choose to acknowledge and learn from them.  You or someone you know has a 1 in 3 chance of developing high blood pressure.  So, heed  these statistics and take care of your body before it is too late.  Your body is your real home and good health is your real wealth and greatest gift.    While everyone needs to be concerned with hypertension, “African Americans with high blood pressure have a 4 times greater risk of developing hypertension related end stage kidney disease than the general population.” Source: “The Puzzle of Hypertension in African Americans,” Scientific American.

10 Things You Can Do Now!

  1. Listen to your body and the messages regarding health that come to you and do what you must to make the necessary changes before it is too late.  And, while you’re at it.  Learn about the function of each organ and how to keep it healthy.
  2. Reduce Stress.  Stress can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension).  High blood pressure can lead to kidney failure.  Kidney failure leads to dialysis.  So, chill!  Rest; Relax; Take it easy!  Take care of yourself.
  3. Eat more fresh and organic foods and less salt.
  4. Exercise!
  5. Maintain a healthy weight!
  6. Forgive!
  7. Live simpler!
  8. Have faith and worry less.
  9. Don’t drink or smoke.
  10. And, remember your body is your earthly temple and not just some meat suit.   So take really good care of it.  After all, where are you going to live when your body gives out?

Barbara Talley is a keynote speaker, author of six books, and trainer on value-based living themes.  She also offers Effective Communication, Diversity, Leadership, Time Management, and Goal Setting workshops.  Visit her at www.thepoetspeaks.com or contact her at 301-428-4831.  You may email her at Barbara@ThePoetSpeaks.com

Health Is One of the Greatest Gifts

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High Blood Pressure, Kidney Disease, Heart Disease, Diabetes…

I sat down to eat lunch with a relative last week.  She counted out what looked to be like ten pills, one was for this, two for that, and so on.  It made me sad.  It made me think about the preciousness and precariousness of life.  So many friends of my step-mom came around to visit her while she was sick.  Every single one seemed to have a health condition, kidney problems, strokes, high blood pressure, gout, heart conditions, prostate cancer, or diabetes or a combination thereof.

Dignity Is The Greatest Service You Can Offer

I have spent a lot of time in the hospital over the past nine months with several close family members, old and young.  And one thing that has taught me is that good health is a priceless gift and being treated with dignity is the greatest service you can offer a person.

Unfortunately everyone isn’t treated with dignity.  My sister and I have spent most weekends in late February and March in the hospital with my stepmom.  When we were there we would feed her and get her up.  But we weren’t there all the time.  It was humiliating for her to have to call the nurse several times to go to the bathroom and have her come after she’d had an accident, to have to be wiped too roughly in her private areas by a young male nurse, or to have her hands shaking so bad that she couldn’t feed herself.  Several times we’d arrive to a full uneaten tray of cold food.  She’d tell us she couldn’t reach her teeth or her hands were shaking too bad.  We had to insist that they send someone to feed her even though it was obvious to everyone she needed help.  If you have a loved one in the hospital visit them often.  Give them hope and cheer them up.  And do what you must to take care of yourself and those you love to keep them out of the hospital!  Please!

Not enough spring in your step?  Continue reading about ‘6 Things You Can Do About Your Health.’ http://wp.me/ppImQ-jX

Six Thoughts About Health

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Not Enough Spring into Your Step?

Does fatigue, pain, or lack of energy have you moving more slowly?  The body is a phenomenal work of art.  Its systems are designed to keep the human machine working smoothly for well over 100 years.  But, like every other machine, ignoring the warning signs, improper care, and misuse have caused the body to fail before it is supposed to.  In celebration of spring, and to put a little more spring into your step, I’d like to share a few health observations.

Six Things You Can Do About Health

  1. The time to take care of your health is before you get sick.
  2. Visit the sick and shut-in.  Visitors give the sick the will to pull through and being of service energizes you and makes you value life more.
  3. Listen to your body, by the time you get major symptoms it could be too late.
  4. Get a competent physician and get your regular checkups.
  5. Get enough sleep, exercise, and fresh air and spring water.
  6. And, if you do get sick, make sure you have a knowledgeable advocate with you at the hospital.  If you don’t, you may not get the best care and will also not pull through as quickly.  You need to feel confident that you are getting the best care so that you can concentrate on getting well.