TOTAL LIFE PROSPERITY » Health

Sexy Over 70 Inspiration: Ernestine Shepherd

Total Life Prosperity — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:45:24 +0000

Ernestine Shepherd is ABSOLUTELY FAB!

Even though I’m only 27 years young, I am determined to be on someone’s FAB over 40 List and this is why!

At 74 years old, standing at 5′5 and 120 pounds, Baltimore grandmother Ernestine Shepherd holds the Guinness World Records’ for oldest female bodybuilder!

She claims she was “too prissy to exercise because she didn’t want her hair or nails messed up.”

(That statement sounds shockingly familar) But At 56, she was in a dressing room with her sister trying on swimsuits for a pool party and didn’t like what she saw and decided to make a change.

Her secrets:

Shepherd runs about 80 miles per week and bench presses 150 pounds.

Bicep curls are done with 15- and 20-pound dumbbells.

Once she began to see the effects of lifting weights, Shepherd dedicated herself to becoming the oldest fitness competitor. Then, she took up running, which led to her completing eight marathons.

She eats smart. She eats several small meals a day as part of a diet plan she formulated with her trainers. She takes in 1,700 calories a day, mostly comprised of boiled egg whites, chicken, vegetables and a liquid egg white drink. And she is adamant that she does not use performance-enhancing drugs or even supplements beyond vitamin D. Read the full article to Find Out How this Grandma went From Flab to Fab

CHECK THE VIDEO OUT!

After seeing this at 74, ladies we have NO EXCUSES not to work out!

HAIRStory: How to Avoid Naomi’s Traction Alopecia

Total Life Prosperity — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:45:24 +0000

HAIRStory: Traction Alopecia

Unlike other sites that are doggin’ supermodel Naomi Campbell out about her hair, I’m using her as example of what NOT to do! Ever since I started my transition from relaxed to natural hair I’ve become more aware of HEALTHY HAIR. I was extremely shocked to see these photos of the fierce Naomi Campbell who is suffering an extreme case of hair loss associated with hair braiding, weaving and extensions which has been identified as traction alopecia.

Trichologist to the stars Philip Kingsley said tight hair styles, pony tails, hard brushing and hair extensions could all lead to traction hair loss. Hair loss is known as ‘traction alopecia’. Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham and Alexandra Burke are all reported to have suffered similar symptoms as a result of their extensions. I’m a cheerleader for protective styles such as a sew in weaves but not at the cost of my hairline! This is truly sad!

So what exactly is traction alopecia and how can women avoid it?

Traction Alopecia can also occur due to overprocessing of the hair. Chemical treatment of hair with dyes, bleaches, or straighteners disrupts the keratin structure in a manner that reduces its tensile strength. The hair can become fragile and heavy fall out can occur with brushing or combing. Hair loss is often in the frontal and temporal regions, but also depends on the hair style. With those who wear cornrows, the area most commonly affected is that adjacent to the region that is braided. The use of thermal or chemical hair straightening, and hair braiding or weaving are examples of styling techniques that place African American women at high risk for various “traumatic” alopecias.

The key to stopping traction alopecia is detecting it early. Hair styles that put unnecessary strain on the hair root must be changed for “looser, more gentle hair style. Women, who suspect they may be vulnerable to traction alopecia should take action immediately to change their hair style or treatment methods and see a dermatologist. Professional hair stylists specializing in braids, cornrows, weaving and chemical processing should warn their clients about traction alopecia.

Traction alopecia is reversible if diagnosed early, but may lead to permanent hair loss if it is undetected for a protracted period. Unfortunately, no medical treatment is available to reverse late-stage traction alopecia. Hair grafts have been identified as the only practical solution.

If you wear your hair relaxed or natural this is something to consider. Take Fergie and Victoria Beckham for example.

*UPDATED 7/8/10

After doing some more research on Traction Alopecia, I came across an informative article from Roshini at Glamazini.com. She experiments with hair products, vitamins, diet, and even prayer and documents her progression over a few years. Anyone dealing with any similar issues should definitely check out Roshini’s Big Ole Anti Alopecia Experiment

H&M’s Fashion Against AIDS Festival Collection

Total Life Prosperity — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:42:32 +0000

H&M’s Fashion Against AIDS Festival Collection

FabSugar.com gives readers an exclusive first look at H&M’s Fashion Against AIDS campaign. It’s built to mix and match and designed to take you from beginning to end of your concert stay, complete with sleeping bags, a tent, and cool headphones.

H&M is also debuting a dedicated hippie chic collection to the cause. Launching May 20th. H&M’s first festival collection will donate 25% of sales to youth HIV/AIDS awareness projects. The collection will encompass the entire festival experience — from clothes and accessories to tents and sleeping bags, raising funds to promote the message of safe sex.

Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s head of design, describes:

“For me, festivals are unique and inspirational places, as they unite both music and fashion. To hear your favorite bands, to see and meet creative people gathered together from all over the world and sporting different looks is really inspiring to me. And it’s very important to make people aware of HIV and AIDS. We want to contribute in the fight against the disease by donating a portion of the sales from this collection.”

View the rest of the collection

Look fab while working out!

Total Life Prosperity — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:25:57 +0000

Alexander Wang’s One Shoulder Sports Bra

Since I’m determined to be FAB OVER 40 I’m all about getting a good work out in and I try to look cute while doing so. Alexander Wang’s new underwear collection host a one shoulder sports bra for all the divas who want to look hot while working out!

I’m not sure of how much “support” a one- shoulder sports bra can give but they are rumored to cost between $48 to $72. Get the one shoulder sports bra by Alexander Wang on his website.

I’m not discrediting this fashionable design but the public health side of me has to stress the importance of women taking care of our bodies. So what if you’re in the IBTC (itty bitty titty committee) you still need a sports bra!

A sports bra SHOULD provide additional support to your breasts during physical exercise and be sturdier than typical bras. A good bra will minimize breast movement, alleviate discomfort, and reduce potential damage to chest ligaments. If you’re looking for some new work out gear, check out this list:

Top 10 Sports Bras for women

I Rock The Red Pump: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Total Life Prosperity — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:01:23 +0000

I Rock The Red Pump!

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is a nationwide initiative celebrated on March 10th every year to raise awareness of the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.In observance of this day, The Red Pump Project asked bloggers to participate in the 2nd annual “Rock the Red Pump” campaign: 500 in 50. As a public health professional I proudly support the campaign! I Rock the Red Pump on my blog to represent the strength and courage of women fighting HIV/AIDS or affected by the disease both directly and indirectly.

This year focuses on this statistic:

Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States. More and more women have become infected with HIV since it was first reported in the early 1980s. Today, about 1 in 4 Americans living with HIV are women.

Find a testing site near you

Learn more about the Red Pump Project and the project founder Awesomely Luvvie

Life in the district: DC set to be 1st US city giving away free female condoms

Total Life Prosperity — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:32:01 +0000

DC set to become the first US city to give away free female condoms

The District will become the first city in the United States to distribute female condoms free, part of a project that will make 500,000 of them available in beauty salons, convenience stores and high schools in parts of the city with high HIV rates. The project is funded through a $500,000 grant from the MAC AIDS Fund, a subsidiary of MAC Cosmetics. The distribution could begin within the next three weeks in parts of wards 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7. HIV/AIDS infection is the leading cause of death for black women 25-34 nationwide. A 2008 report showed the District’s HIV/AIDS rate at an alarming 3% (approximately 15,100 adults) which is considered a major epidemic. The project goal is to aggressively to attack the city’s disproportionate rate of HIV infection.

Shannon Hader, director of the D.C. HIV/AIDS Administration said:

“Anywhere male condoms are available, female condoms will be available. We’re trying to make every effort count to build on what already exists . . . to expand options rather than limit them.”

CVS became the nation’s first pharmacy to sell the female condom. Female condoms will be offered next to male condoms in all of its 56 city stores, not just in target areas. A package of three female condoms sells for $6.50. A three-pack of male condoms sells for $5 to $7.

[source]

*TotalLifeProsperityBlog does not promote pre-marital sex or risky sexual behavior but for those who choose to have sex we encourage safe sex. Protect yourself!

Work out smarter and harder!

Total Life Prosperity — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:00:32 +0000

Work out smarter and harder with interval training

It shouldn’t take an expert opinion article for me to realize interval training yields better results and proves to be the smarter way to work out. If you’re not familar, intense interval training means working very hard for a few minutes, with rest periods in between sets. According to an article on www.MSNBC.com Jan Helgerud (an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology) states that: “High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise”

Helgerud recommends people try four sessions lasting four minutes each, with three minutes of recovery time in between. I’ve tried 60 second sprints on the treadmill and they work! It takes less time to complete a harder work out. I was out of breath the first few times…and not to be gross but I noticed I sweated waaaay more doing sprints than I would doing 25 minutes on the Elliptical machine. Another expert, Stephen Bailey (from the University of Exeter) said:

“Even though interval training only takes a few minutes, its effects last for hours.You’ve exercised at such a high intensity that you’re going to create a massive disturbance in your muscles.Which creates a higher metabolism for several hours afterward, which the body will bring down by burning fat and carbohydrates.”

According to the research interval training can double endurance, improve oxygen use and strength by more than 10%, and speed by at least 5%. Read the full article:

Interval Training Can Cut Exercise Hours Sharply

Last but not least, unless you want shatter your body into a million pieces; please warm up before doing these intervals. A typical warm up consists of about 5 minutes of light jogging with a brief increase in speed. I still haven’t worked up to a full high intensity interval training work out session but I’m getting there!

Rock the Red Pump!

Total Life Prosperity — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:02:03 +0000

Rock the Red Pump!

Every year, the United States recognizes March 10th as National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. It’s a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on women & girls and encourages ladies to take action. While progress has definitely been made in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, women still represent 27% of all new AIDS diagnoses, with African-American women accounting for 66% of that group. This year focuses on this statistic:

”Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States.“

In observance of this day, The Red Pump Project is asking bloggers to participate in the second annual “Rock the Red Pump” campaign: 500 in 50. As a public health professional I proudly support the campaign!

If you’re interested in participating in the “Rock the Red Pump” campaign, please send an email to rocktheredpump@theredpumpproject.com. I hope my readers will support The Red Pump Project on March 10th!

Learn more about the Red Pump Project and the project founder Awesomely Luvvie

Health News: Abortion Info Posted online

Total Life Prosperity — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:40:48 +0000

On Friday, a judge in Oklahoma extended a temporary restraining order on a law that would post information online about women who get abortions in the state and denied the state’s motion to dismiss the case, putting the measure on hold until a February 19 hearing. Critics say the act would be harassment and an invasion of privacy. Republican State Senator Todd Lamb who helped draft the abortion legislation describes it as “a common sense measure with bipartisan support.” He says: “We’re not trying to embarrass anybody, hurt anybody, or make anybody’s identities known. “We want to collect hard data that can be a useful tool in helping prevent future unwanted pregnancies.”

WHAT?! How is data going to prevent pregnancy??? Its an invasion of privacy and seems to be in conflict with The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA {but I am not 100% sure}

Lamb says, if their identity is kept confidential, how will this violate a women’s privacy? The measure specifies women’s identities will be protected. “Nothing in the Individual Abortion Form shall contain the name, address or information specifically identifying any patient.”

The Center for Reproductive Rights argues that the measure is unconstitutional and in violation of the state’s “single subject rule” because it covers different aspects of abortion. Abortion rights supporters are extremely concerned about the intrusiveness of the questions, and fear that identities of women could be compromised, especially in small communities. Because it requires doctors to submit answers to 37 intensely personal questions they believed women can be identified or misindentified. Lamb says: “Oklahoma is a conservative state. We are a pro-life state, and I believe it’s important public policy to stand on the side of sanctity of life.”

Opposers such as former state Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton, believe “They’re trying to do away with abortions completely,” she says. “They can’t because of Roe v. Wade. But they’re finding ways around Roe v Wade.” If the law does go forward, the state Department of Health is to have the Web site up and running by March 1, 2011.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Whether you are Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, Are you in favor or opposed to this proposed legislation?

WORLD AIDS DAY 2009

Total Life Prosperity — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:02:43 +0000

Today is World’s Aids which was established in 1988 to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS projects around the world. According to statistics, AIDS is the leading cause of death among African American woman ages 25-34. It’s a huge epidemic with almost 3 million new HIV cases reported last year and 2 million HIV related deaths worldwide.

Here are the Basics:

HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system – the body’s defense against diseases.

Are and HIV and AIDS the same?

No. When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.

How is HIV passed on?

HIV can be passed on through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk.

The most common ways HIV is passed on are:

Sex without a condom with someone living with HIV
Sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment
From an HIV-positive mother (to her child) during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding (but with effective treatment and care the risk of transmission can be greatly reduced)

Is there a cure for HIV?

No, but treatment can keep the virus under control and the immune system healthy. People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life, although they may experience side effects from the treatment. If HIV is diagnosed late, treatment may be less effective.

How can I protect myself and others from HIV infection?

Always use a condom when having vaginal or anal sex. You also may want to use a condom or dental dam during oral sex although the risk of transmission of HIV is much lower. You can get free condoms from a sexual health clinic. Never share needles, syringes or any other injecting equipment.

Some 2008 HIV stats:

7,298 new diagnoses
The two groups most affected remain gay and bisexual men and black heterosexuals. Three-quarters of people diagnosed were among these two groups.
2,760 new diagnoses among men who have sex with men
2,790 new diagnoses among people from black and minority ethnic communities

For more information visit these sites:

http://www.worldaidsday.org/

http://www.aids.gov/world-aids-day/

http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/