Mind, Body & Spirit
Health is Wealth
Whether you need to cram in a visit to the health center in-between college classes or you are scheduling your very first mammogram, here’s a list of the exams you need by decade.
Remembering Black Wall Street
Our rural and urban Black communities deserve better. Take our stories and biblical connections and use them to make a difference.
‘Painless’ Glucose Monitors Pushed Despite Little Evidence They Help Most Diabetes Patients
In the nation’s battle against the diabetes epidemic, the go-to weapon being aggressively promoted to patients is as small as a quarter and worn on the belly or arm.
Black Churches Fill a Unique Role in Combating Vaccine Fears
Many of us look to our religious leaders for guidance on a wide range of issues — not just spiritual ones. Their credibility is especially crucial on matters of health.
11 weight management tips that (really!) work
It’s not too late to make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight in 2021.
Amid COVID and Racial Unrest, Black Churches Put Faith in Mental Health Care
Black Americans are less likely to receive mental health treatment than the overall population. But as needs soar this year, faith leaders are tapping health professionals to share coping skills churchgoers and the community can use immediately.
The Miracle Mentality
Acclaimed author and motivational speaker Tim Storey explains how miracles can help you get out of a bad situation and get you into a better place.
What’s not being said about why African Americans need to take the COVID-19 vaccine
Black people are skeptical about the new vaccines for many reasons. If public health leaders told the full story, maybe there would be a higher chance that Black people would want to take the vaccine.
Mastering the Unexpected
God’s special encouragement for single Christians — or anyone whose life has taken an unanticipated turn.
5 Reasons Why African Americans Should Consider Taking the COVID-19 Vaccine
Before having the chance to speak with Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, I’ll admit I was a little nervous myself. But here are five key points from our conversation that are solid reasons why you should consider taking the vaccine.
Keep Calm and Carry On – But How?
A psychologist offers 10 tips to manage the uncertainty and stress of election aftermath.
The Black Church & HIV
World AIDS Day: A national network of faith leaders, religious institutions, and community members are committed to making change and ending the HIV epidemic in Black America.
Black clergy, United Way to launch anti-coronavirus effort
The new initiative is designed to combat the coronavirus’ outsized toll on African Americans through ramped-up testing, contact tracing and treatment management.
How to host a safe holiday meal during coronavirus
COVID-19 and holiday family gatherings are not a good pair. But taking the right precautions before, during and after the family gets together can greatly reduce coronavirus risk this holiday season.
Black Doctors Work to Make Coronavirus Testing More Equitable
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium has increased access to coronavirus testing in the Philadelphia region, testing more than 10,000 people. The group’s mobile unit and pop-up testing sites also offer patients an opportunity to connect with African American health care providers.
Saved and Depressed: A Real Conversation About Faith and Mental Health
When you see a man walking down the street talking to himself, what is your first thought? Most likely it’s, “He is crazy!” What about the lady at the bus stop yelling strange phases? You immediately become guarded and move as far away from her as possible. I know you’ve done it. We all have.
Pink Ribbon Warriors
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among African American women — and their most common cause of cancer death. Here are tips for reducing your risk and winning the fight.
Good nutrition can contribute to keeping COVID-19 and other diseases away
The COVID-19 pandemic won’t be the last we face, so it’s vital that we use every preventive tool we as a society have. Think of good nutrition as a seat belt for your health; it doesn’t guarantee you won’t get sick, but it helps to ensure the best outcomes.
Tired or stressed? Maybe it’s time for a digital detox
Cell phones and other digital devices can be a great way to keep up with the news and stay connected with friends and family, but using one excessively can increase your stress levels, negatively impact sleep and limit the amount of quality time you spend with your significant other.
Rhymes Of Their Times: Young Poets Riff On Type 2
Young people are harnessing the power of poetry to raise awareness about Type 2 diabetes.
Why Black Aging Matters, Too
Old. Chronically ill. Black. People who fit this description are more likely to die from COVID-19 than any other group in the country. Yet, older Black Americans have received little attention as protesters proclaim that Black Lives Matter and experts churn out studies about the coronavirus.
COVID vaccine trial includes Black Christian university presidents
President C. Reynold Verret of Xavier University of Louisiana and President Walter M. Kimbrough of Dillard University are taking part in the Phase 3 trial of the Ochsner Health System.
Chadwick Boseman’s death from colorectal cancer underscores health gaps for African Americans
The tragic death of Chadwick Boseman at age 43 following a four-year battle against colorectal cancer underscores two important public health concerns.
‘Is This When I Drop Dead?’
Two Doctors Report From the COVID Front Lines.
Namaste Noir: Yoga Co-Op Seeks to Diversify Yoga to Heal Racialized Trauma
In dealing with her son’s violent murder, fear over the coronavirus pandemic and the stress of coping with systemic racism, Beverly Grant has found strength and peace through yoga.
What spiritual retreats can teach us about the challenges of lockdown
Learning from the example of spiritual retreats.
“Black people don’t commit suicide. That’s a white thing!”
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and this is a perfect time to shed light on what many deem a nonexistent problem.
On the Minds of Black Lives Matter Protesters: A Racist Health System
When speaking out against the loss of black lives, it is tough to separate those who die at the hands of police from those who die in a pandemic that has laid bare the structural racism baked into the American health system.
7 Tips to Help Manage Depression and Anxiety
Feeding your spirit can include praying and/or reading your Word. However, we, as Christians, may also want to consider opening our minds to additional coping strategies that will impact one’s spirit, body, and mind.
10 activities for body and mind while social distancing
Staying busy, positive, and hopeful while you’re at home due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic can help you maintain good mental and physical health.
How hope can keep you healthier and happier
Hope can be acquired. How? Here are some suggestions from an expert.
How to Avoid the Box of Limitation
You have to begin investing in self-affirmation ministry to yourself and build up the confidence muscles that may be feeble in you.
Modern Faith
Dr. Neichelle Guidry, currently the Dean of the Chapel and Director of the WISDOM Center at Spelman College, shares her authentic and uplifting approach to ministry, the new season of her podcast Modern Faith, and the woman she admires most in the Bible.
Social distancing comes with social side effects – here’s how to stay connected
Physically isolating yourself can feel psychologically isolating too. But there are ways to maintain connections in these stressful coronavirus times.
The Simple and Hard Facts About Being a Healthy Black Person
Being healthy is pretty simple, but most people in the United States find it pretty hard. And for an African American, it’s over-the-top hard. Not only is the struggle of getting healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle embedded in the culture, but there are sometimes actual physical and financial obstacles to overall health.
COMMENTARY: A beginner’s guide to meditation
Meditation removes us from the momentary, anxious world where we normally live and brings us to the timeless, serene world of the divinely empowered.
Take A Deep Breath: Making Risk-Based Decisions In The Coronavirus Era
Just last week, it seemed OK to have lunch out or maybe meet up with friends for a game of pickup soccer. Now, in the fast-moving world of the coronavirus response, that’s no longer the case. More and better social distancing is required. But what’s still acceptable?
How To Avoid Coronavirus? Lessons From People Whose Lives Depend On It
As the new coronavirus continues its spread through the U.S., the general public can look for guidance from millions of Americans with weakened immune systems who long ago adopted the rules of infection control that officials tout to avoid the contagion.
Fighting Coronavirus: Lessons Learned from How Africans got Blamed for Ebola
Immigrants experienced stigma and blame during the Ebola crisis when in fact many were instrumental in stopping the spread of the disease. A scholar who studied that response offers insights.
Black kids and suicide: Why are rates so high, and so ignored?
African American youth are at increased risk for death by suicide. An expert explains why it’s important to better understand the effects of racism, bullying and alienation on black youth.
Myrtle Beach principal honors son’s memory by blessing other babies
Felisa McDavid questioned how losing her son fit into God’s plan for her life. She asked God for direction on how to deal with the void and her feelings of hopelessness. That’s how her ministry at a hospital was born.
Effort To Control Opioids In An ER Leaves Some Sickle Cell Patients In Pain
People with sickle cell disease aren’t fueling the opioid crisis, research shows. Yet some ER doctors still treat patients seeking relief for agonizing sickle cell crises as potential addicts.
California’s first surgeon general settles in
California’s head cheerleader on improving statewide health says it’s all about “bringing people together.”
Deaf Christians often struggle to hear God’s word, but some find meaning in the richness of who they are
Deaf Christians can often feel excluded in churches. But the Christian contemplative tradition that celebrates silence and considers it a form of prayer can bring a new understanding of faith.
How putting purpose into your New Year’s resolutions can bring meaning and results
New Year’s resolutions are often no more than good ideas that last a few weeks. Research suggests, however, that putting purpose behind your resolutions can make a big difference. Here’s how.
What psychiatrists have to say about holiday blues
Have you ever felt more like singing the blues during the holidays than “Deck the Halls”? You’re not alone. Two psychiatrists explain why people feel blue during this time and share tips for how to take care.
Christmas Service Projects Have More Perks Than You Think
Giving of yourself is a selfless act that is usually beneficial for the person receiving and rewarding for the person giving. Are you looking for ideas during the holidays? Here are a few inexpensive ways to pay it forward.
Black Mothers Get Less Treatment For Postpartum Depression
A significant number of African American women don’t seek treatment for postpartum depression as early as they need it, and the standard screening tools aren’t always relevant.
Stories of Suicide and the Faith Community
The idea of suicide is absolutely unthinkable to most. However, if you look at it through the eyes of someone in the darkness of depression, the anxiety of schizophrenia, the confusion of bi-polar disorder and so many others, many people may consider ending it all to have peace.
Sit, Heal: Dog Teaches Military Med Students The Merits Of Service Animals
The newest faculty member at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences has a great smile — and a wagging tail. Students interacting with the dog are learning the value of animal-assisted therapy.