April is a little known, but important month of observance – National STD (sexually transmitted disease) Awareness Month. The Center for Disease Control is promiting this month of awareness, and has plenty of information on signs and symptoms, places to get screened and more.  Every year in the U.S. an estimated 20 million people will contract an STD according to statistics most of them teens under the age of 25. California has some of the highest rates of infection in the country and Sacramento has some of the highest in California with 2,778 reported cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia just in teens between the ages of 15 and 19 in 2009. "Stigma, inconsistent or incorrect condom use, limi

It didn't happen overnight. Or in the span of a week, month or even year. Nothing worthwhile ever does. No, it's still happening and taking on new forms every day. And my happiness has increased with each and every step toward better health and peace of mind. But first, let's backtrack to my unhealthy days – days of fried food at 2 a.m., several drinks a night, a few cigarettes and little exercise. I used the excuse of being a journalist to justify my unhealthy habits. It's a stressful job, and back then, the only way I knew to relieve that tension was to party with my reporter friends. After a grueling day hearing about some accused pedophile's actions in court, or covering another fata

On February 19th, non-profit agency, The Effort, will hold grand opening ceremonies at their new Rancho Cordova Community Health Center, (10423 Old Placerville Road), which houses a primary care medical clinic for all ages and state-of-the-art children’s dental clinic. The celebration also heralds the announcement of the change from their longstanding name, “The Effort” to the on-site unveiling of a new name and logo that better reflects the agency’s mission and the scope of services they provide. Elected Dignitaries slated to address grand opening attendees include Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Senator Darrell Steinberg, Assemblymembers Ken Cooley, Roger Dickinson, and Dr. Richard Pan. “

Sacramento-based nonprofit California Food Literacy Center is launching its inaugural Food Literacy Academy in February. The call for applications is now open and the deadline is Monday, Jan. 28, at noon. The Food Literacy Academy is an intensive 10-week training program that will prepare community volunteers to become certified Food Literacy Advocates, equipping them with the skills needed to teach food literacy in their community. “Right now, demand for food literacy classes outpaces the number of trained teachers,” said Amber Stott, founder of California Food Literacy Center. “We created the Food Literacy Academy to build an army of certified advocates to be critical players in our re

Since CA is an agriculture state, I think it is a total shame that we connect our agriculture industry and our farms economics to junk food production as West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon want the fast food spot that are not being used to be given to startup business and connecting it all to the well being of our local agriculture support. I thought with 25% adult obesity rates in Sacramento will be a wakeup call if not then our growing 900 fast food restaurants will tell them we are heading the wrong way to over 40% obesity rate so soon, and amazes me how our system works not in tandem. As we have in California a great Obesity Prevention Programs that are run by CDC and other pr

In a world of fast food, smartphones, and massive multiplayer online games, health and fitness tend to sit sadly on the sidelines. Fortunately, there are groups who recognize the importance of keeping our world physically active, and who strive to educate our youth; one such group is the National Danish Performance Team (NDPT). The NDPT, who will be performing their new show Zoom at the Memorial Auditorium this Saturday, is a dance & gymnastics team from Denmark who tour the world every other year to enourage young people to live active, cheerful, and healthy lifestyles. In order to better understand the mission of the NDPT, I rendezvoused with the team at Hiram Johnson High School this

Having an eating disorder can be a very traumatic experience for an individual. Fortunately, there are programs that are dedicated to helping people that suffer from eating disorders recover and live a normal and healthy life. I had the pleasure for touring Sacramento’s Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program (SEDOP), and gained exposure to the amazing program offered. Summit is an accredited center for eating disorder treatment and prevention. The program was founded in 2000, and there are treatment centers located in Roseville, Calif., and Fresno, Calif. The treatment center serves adolescents and adults, males and females, with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders. Summit

From injury treatment and prevention to finding time in your busy schedule for fitness, there is something for almost everyone at the Kaiser Permanente Health and Fitness Expo and Runners Workshops this Friday and Saturday at the Sacramento Convention Center. This is also where runners in the California International Marathon will pick up their bib number and information packet for the race. The expo will feature seminars, workshops and discussions for all athletes, not just runners. You’ll also hear from Olympians, endurance athletes, fitness trainers and several Kaiser Permanente physicians and staff who can offer information and inspiration. Members of the Kaiser Permanente sports med

The Sacramento State University Union is working toward making children’s wishes come true this Holiday season through the “Wish Upon A Star” gift drive. Economic hardships have affected us all and the spirit of giving is more important than ever to help those less fortunate than us. To help make a wish come true, come to the “Wish Upon a Star” display in the University Union main lobby during building hours, choose a star, purchase the wish listed on the star, and then share the very special holiday gift with a child. The donated gifts benefit the Sunburst Projects, who provide ongoing family support services for HIV/ AIDS impacted families with children. The gift drive runs now through

Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project has become Sacramento's newest and fastest growing way of urban farming locally. This program has been designed to focus on promoting good health and providing experiential learning opportunities for the residents of Sacramento to produce healthy food, improve access to healthy food for all, and to model land and environmental care and protection. Not only does this program provide healthy, certified organic produce for over 80 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members and local stores, restaurants, and farm stands, Soil Born Farms has also created several educational and food access programs in partnerships with local schools and a

Kelley Rees and Magdelena Ford were fired up when they followed the Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte Get-Out-the-Vote bus from the Capitol building Friday to Reno, where they will be through Super Tuesday. Rees and Ford, both 22, recently graduated from UC Davis and had never done volunteer campaign work before. But they felt there is so much at stake for young women in this election that they jumped at the chance to talk to voters in Washoe County, the key swing county in the key swing state of Nevada. They are among hundreds of Californians who have headed to Nevada during the final days before the election to get voters to the polls. “Mitt Romney and lots of members of Congress w

SACRAMENTO – Lions and tigers and bears (and sugar), oh my! Halloween to most children means candy, a lot of candy. With childhood obesity on the rise in the United States, what can families do to stay healthy amongst the candy corn, chocolate nougat bars and gummy bears? Healthy and Halloween aren’t usually two words that are seen together, but there are good and easy alternatives that will make Halloween a little less scary for your family’s health.  Here are a few recommendations from the American Heart Association: Think about a healthier version of treats to give out at your house: Mini boxes of raisins, 100% juice juice-boxes, snack-sized pretzels, pre-packaged trail mixes, pre-pac

Health disparities and lack of healthy equality greatly impact the health and well-being of a community. The California Endowment, a private health foundation, recognizes the importance of closing the health disparities gap, fights to expand access to health care for underserved communities and focuses on improving the health of Californians. The California Endowment is taking the action to improve the health of Californians, and in 2010 launched a plan titled “Building Healthy Communities” that works to improve communities and encourage the ideology that prevention is priority. Part of this initiative includes the “Health Happens Here” initiative, which focuses on improving communities’ a

Many senior citizens spend what should be their golden years dealing with complications from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, when in fact, many of these could be avoided by taking medication as directed. Medication adherence is one of the most critical health issues facing our nation. Even though 45 percent of Americans have one or more chronic conditions that require medication, one in three people never fill their prescriptions and three out of four don’t take their medications as directed, costing Americans $290 billion each year. According to sources provided by the California Diabetes Program, those 65 and older are more than twice as likely to have diabetes as younger American

It's time once again for Mercy's fabulous women's event, Care Begins with Me. The event is on Tuesday, October 9 from 5 - 9 pm at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. Guest speaker, Reneé Rongen, will deliver her humorous, powerful and life changing message about how to "Live Life from the Inside Out." Reneé Rongen is a nationally recognized speaker and author who has been dubbed by media as "The Mother of Motivation and a combination of Lily Tomlin, Oprah and Mother Teresa." her messages transcend age, culture and profession. Reneé's comedic timing, coupled with her acclaimed gift as a master story teller, will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. In addition, throughout the night,  atten

On Saturday, Oct. 20 the Sacramento Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure will host “Artists for the Cure” at Creative Vera Studio (1200 S St.) beginning at 6 pm. The event is expected to draw 125 guests, and will feature works donated by 30 local artists. The fun evening of art, fashion and live music will be catered by Le Cordon Bleu. A fashion show with clothing created by young area designers, coordinated by the International Academy of Design and Technology, will be a highlight of the evening. All donated artwork will be included in a silent auction, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the local Komen Affiliate. Among the contributing artists are: Chris Kidsolar, Jar

On October 6, 2012 the first-ever Sacramento Red Dress Party will launch in Sacramento. A major success in larger metropolitan markets such as Chicago, Seattle and Portland, the event is designed to benefit local HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention stops. The venue for the event’s Sacramento debut will be at Badlands, located at 2003 K Street, right in the heart of Lavender Heights. Benefitting Sacramento’s Gay & Lesbian Center (The Center), the Red Dress Party is the brainchild of David Heitstuman, president of The Center’s board, and will assist in provide much-needed funds to support its programming. Shara Murphy, Director of Sacramento’s Gay and Lesbian Center, explains, “Su

In a recent "Oral Health Begins At Birth" ad, First Five of Sacramento used disinformation to promote water fluoridation. The eight page ad was seen in the mid-August 2012 Sacramento News & Review. First Five was born out of Prop 10, using tax on tobacco to fund various childhood health programs. In the first paragraph Mike Blount laments the lack of dental care in California. Blount goes on to claim water fluoridation is an "investment toward the health of area residents." He then makes broad claims of the supposed effectiveness of the program and its effect on tooth decay. Another story dramatizes a seven month old treated for dental decay, including statements by his mother on fluoride

Hundreds of heart disease and stroke survivors will help lead thousands of participants at the American Heart Association’s 22nd annual Sacramento Heart Walk on Saturday, September 22 at William Land Park. The annual Heart Walk is the largest local event for the association and is expected to draw 5,000 walkers while raising nearly $600,000. Funds raised from the event will go toward the American Heart Association’s overall goal to help fund research and find better ways to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke. “The Sacramento Heart Walk is all about promoting walking as an easy way for individuals and families to get out and get active so that they can lower their risk of

The curious greyish orange mass that fuels the fermentation process used in brewing kombucha tea looks like a cross between a flattened jellyfish and a rubbery pancake. Located at the bottom of the brewing jar, it helps create a carbonated, fermented tea that is full of probiotics and live cultures. This amber-hued concoction is growing in popularity in the health food realm for its reservoir of health benefits, and will soon carve its very own niche in Sacramento. Kombucha Kulture, a mobile draft kombucha trailer, should be ready to roll with the rest come the end of August, co-owner Brianne Giatras said. While the original plan was to raise money via Kickstarter to back a brick-and-mor