Go Red! for Women Weekly Digest 0326

In this week's issue, I want to address the use of medicinal foods to combat health maladies such as heart disease. This use of food as medicine ought to be preventative as well as restorative. Nourishing and nutritious foods help the body to fight its way towards health. Using food to maintain and restore health is both right and good, and a good method of achiving the correct modification of lifestyle so necessary to achieving optimal health.

So, what are these so-called super foods?

*purple grapes and purple grape juice

*cinnamon

*black, green, oolong tea

*spinach

*salmon

*vitamin D

*olive leaf extract

*orange juice


Grapes prevent LDL buildup. Grape juice increases the immune system. Cinnamon increases good/HDL cholesterol while declining blood pressure. Teas contrel stress cortisols from circulating in the body. Spinach strengthens blood vessels. Olive leaf decreases blood pressure. Orange juice increases the production of collagen which keeps veins and capillaries strong. Vitamin D decreases inflammation and increases immunity. Fish oil and cod liver oils regulate cholesterol and have antiinflammatory properties.

With all the advances in science, sometimes it is the small and accessible changes that can do the most good. All of these foods are within reach, and within budget. As some of them do the same things, then concentrate on your diet and you may just be surprised at how your health improves!



GO RED! FOR WOMEN HEART HEALTH CHECKLIST FOR 0326:

1. Get your numbers www.goredforwomen.org

2. Make an appointment with your doctor to see what you can do to improve health.

3. Add healthful foods to your diet. You can do it! Try at least three things off of the list and add them to your daily meals.

4. Have a laugh! Give yourself a good chuckle to get your heart going!


Once again, from the bottom of my heart,

From my heart to yours,

Doula Angelita
Heart Health Ambassador
San Jose American Health Association

Half the Sky Live

Half the Sky LIVE: San Jose to participate in the premiere
March 4, 7:11 PMSan Jose Stay-at-Home Moms ExaminerDoula AngelitaPrevious Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe Subscribe






"Women hold up half the sky." This is a Chinese proverb according women the respect they deserve for being an integral part of the human experience. Though in actual fact, the whole of Chinese history can be seen as a struggle of the yin and the yang, the male and the female, women do hold a peculiar role in many societies.

Necessary for reproduction, to bring forth an heir, to cement alliances, to forge new enterprises, at the same time wholesale slavery and prostitution, genital mutilation, mass rape, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, bullying, etc. conspire to keep women subjugated and in a position of inequality. International Women's Day addresses these disparities, and seeks to shine a light on those issues which maintain women in an inferior position. For this reason, in honour of International Women's Day, a special 500 city screening of "Half the Sky LIVE" will occur-and San Jose movie theatres will present the event on three screens.

Half the Sky LIVE is an interactive event in which there will be a screening of Marisa Tomei's film "Woineshet" the story of one Ethiopian woman who finds a pathway to triumph despite rape, forced marriage, and discrimination. In addition to the viewing, there will be readings from the Half the Sky book of various other women profiled in the book. India.Arie, Sarah Ferguson, Sheryl Wudunn, and Maria Bello are scheduled to perform the dramatic readings. In addition, there will be a discussion panel featuring the women and a chance to sign up and volunteer with various organizations supporting women worldwide.

In San Jose, the following cinemas will showcase the film at 7:30P:

CineArts @ Santana Row, 3088 Olsen Dr. 800.32632646-983#

AMC Eastridge 15, 2190 Eastridge Loop, 408.274.2274

Century 20 Oakridge, 925 Blossom Hill Rd. 800.32632646-972#

This is an important event for the San Jose Community, especially in view of the fact that San Jose is home to the Woman's Club. Founded in 1894, this venerable organization is dedicated to promoting the causes of humanity through the works of women. Not only do they support the Half the Sky LIVE event, they have a year's worth of activities to celebrate the cause of women. " Half the Sky LIVE puts a new and fresh set of eyes on the situation of women, something that we uphold here at the Woman's Club", declares member Diana Zappel. "We give our full support to Half the Sky LIVE" she continues.

For all those interested in how the triumph of the human spirit trumps institutionalized inhumanity, for all who are interested in women's studies, for all interested in seeing and participating in a discussion of the human condition, Half of the Sky LIVE affords a wonderful opportunity to do just that. The fact that three screens in San Jose will be occupied with this event at 7:30P is a testament to San Jose's committment to women and women's issues.

More About: Doula Angelita · San Jose's Community Doula · Uganda · Education · San Jose · black history month · family activities · women's issues · women's advocacy · girl power ShareThis

Of interest..8 rules..

Here are some rules of Life to ponder:

1. Give credit, take blame.

2. Don't boast, compliment.

3. In progress? Finish then celebrate!

4. Don't throw sand or mud.

5. Take a nap. Frequently.

6. Good manners cost nothing.

7. Speak not in anger.

8. Look in the mirror and like who you see.


Happiness for today!

Of interest to women...

Recently, I had the welcome opportunity to read an entertaining and informative slim volume, "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. Ms. Guiliano, born in France, is a businesswoman who rose through the ranks of Veuve Clicquot using her personal business manifesto as well her own brand of savoir faire. With a master's in French and German, and a command of many other languages, Ms. Giuliano's talents as an entrepreneur are in high demand. The authoress of three volumes, her confidence and soignee are very much appreciated.

In "French Women Don't Get Fat", Ms. Guiliano begins a dialogue in which she compares and contrasts the lifestyle choices of American with French women. Skillfully intertwining history and anecdotes, she illustrates the pathway that each culture takes to achieve their goals and ideals. For example, the constant need for technological connectivity has displaced civility, and the art of human interactions such as flirting, socializing and friendship. Also, she make the point that while one culture has a relaxed, friendly and nonstressed relationship with food, the other has a love/hate, schizophrenic attitude towards food and food rituals.

Ms. Guiliano presents an opportunity for us to re-examine the ways that we interact with both food and with the world around us. In more ways than one, she challenges us to see our experiences through different eyes.

Ms. Guiliano's other titles include:

French Women for All Seasons

Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire

French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook(April 2010)

Of interest to mothers

Two new items, one a book and one a research article, attracted my attention recently. "Get me out" by Randi Hutter Epstein, MD is a book chronicling the development of obstetrics throughout history. The other is an article published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, reveals the truth behind two famous obstetrics pioneers.

"Get me out" is a thick tome, rich in information and details about the movement of the birth process from the women-dominated home to the male dominated hospital setting. Along the way, there are various schemes, secrets, deals and plots, and many people who did things we look at askance today in the name of "science". There are also heroes, and those in-between, but the real recommendation of this book is in the flow of the story, and the unfolding of the big picture behind birth.


Mr. Don Shelton, in writing on the careers of Mssrs. Hunter and Smellie, aims to reveal that much of the knowledge that is taken for granted now was obtained under the most horrendous conditions. Body snatching, the abuse of the poor, the indifference to the marginalized-these were all taken for granted in the quest for knowledge. Well-known is the perpetual experimentation on slaves; this study reveals that poor whites fared little better in the search for clues as to how the human body worked. The gem of this study is that it gives both pause and food for thought as to how some of the medical miracles and advancements were obtained.

GO RED! For Women 2010!

Today is the day to pull out your red clothing, red shoes, red wig,your garnet and ruby jewellry, red power suit...it is time to GO RED! for women and to help save lives-including your own. Here in San Jose, the American Heart Association and its heart ambassadors, including San Jose's Community Doula, Doula Angelita, will be going red to spread the word about heart health and how to keep your heart happy and working well.

Your heart pumps blood ceaselessy throughout the body. All organs are nourished as well as the happy fact that the blood carries oxygen so that your lungs can fill with air. The heart is hard-working and uncomplaining, pumping, adjusting, finding a way to keep the flow going even when it suffers damages. One of the most important facts about the heart is that it takes a licking and keeps on ticking long after parts of it have died due to disease.

With the Go Red! initiative, the American Heart Association has a whole series of videos, on-line tools and outreach opportunities to keep your heart alive and well. Most of the advice is well-known: healthy diet, daily exercise, positive outlook, and getting adequate rest are all important ways to keep your heart healthy and happy. Additionally, there are recipes, opportunities to connect with others looking to improve their heart health, and ways to spread the word on heart health throughout the community.

To keep your heart healthy, the simplest point of reference is the ABC of Heart Health. This involves avoiding tobacco, become more active, and choose good nutrition. This message is simple, portable and fits in perfectly with the GO RED! philosophy. GO RED! is the slogan to signal the wake-up call to action for each one of us. GO RED! is not for one day only, it is a life-long committment. GO RED! for women is a way to women to think about taking good care of ourselves so that we can continue to care for the others who enrich our lives.

Doula Angelita, as a proud heart ambassador, will sponsor a series of Go Red! forums online every Friday in February. This Friday's forum will talk about the GO RED! system for maintaining heart health. She will also take questions from the general San Jose community regarding heart health. To connect with her or with the San Jose Heart Association, send an email to: sanjosecommunitydoula@gmail.com.

Am I my brother's keeper?

It is a question as old as time, as relevant as today, as urgent as tomorrow. Am I my brother's keeper? Am I responsible for the welfare and upkeep of my neighbor? Just who is my neighbor?How much should I help?

These questions are the very same questions that great men throughout history have wrestled with, from Jesus, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Eli Wiesel. Great men and women throughout history have always pondered this question, and as long as man is on the earth it will always be with us.

On this day of contemplation of the man Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the meaning of his life and legacy, and in view of the recent tragedy in Haiti, it is good, well, prudent and just to ponder these and other questions.

Many are worried that committing aid to Haiti will bankrupt this already fragile economy of this country. Others worry about an increase in immigration. Still others are apprehensive over the potential for violence. Scores are predicting that things will never change, that Haiti will continue as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, etc.

Today, let us all go forth, with humility and good will. Let us think upon the words of Dr. King:"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." With Haiti, as with all the other countries of the world, neglect, abuse, intolerance, indifference will reap a whirlwind. Let us all sow peace, love, understanding, and rebuild Haiti with a will, and a purpose: to keep and maintain our brother in safety, with love and respect.