Mind, Body & Spirit

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.

Surviving Holiday Drama

The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but they can also be the most stressful — especially when we get in the same room with certain family members. But there are things you can do to keep the peace.

Enough IS Enough: What’s in your S.H.O.E.?

Dr. Ray Charles openly shares how he overcame his own personal and professional struggles and outlines a method that takes readers on a journey of looking inward and authentically about themselves and what pebbles are hindering their success.

Kenyans see ‘hand of God’ in Kipchoge’s record-breaking marathon run

The two-hour marathon barrier has finally been broken. As Eliud Kipchoge arrived back home in Nairobi on Wednesday (Oct. 16), citizens of his country pointed at a “hand of God” in his record-breaking, sub-two-hour run in Vienna.

Through the Eyes of a Survivor: A Glimpse of Faith, Hope and Healing

Follow along as we journey through the faith, hope, and healing of Jasmine Nichol Tate. Her desire is to share wisdom and to encourage all those with eyes to see and ears to hear (Proverbs 20:12) that “God is still in the miracle-working business!”

Her Biopsy Report was Benign, But the Bill is a Spot of Contention.

When your doctor recommends an outpatient test or procedure like a biopsy, be aware that the hospital may be the most expensive place you can have it done.

Saving Our Sisters: Breaking the Silence on Black Women And Health

COMMENTARY: “I’ve seen too many women die over the past few months. Women that had so much life left to live. Women that had virtually conquered the world and transformed lives. Women who were gone too soon. I took their deaths personally.”

What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but the fight to bring awareness to the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Black women is a year-long battle.

Historically black colleges give graduates a wage boost

Graduates of historically black colleges and universities make more than peers who went to other schools, according to new findings that refute prior research that showed they suffer a ‘wage penalty.’

Fathers need to care for themselves as well as their kids – but often don’t

Two experts ask whether dads are making their health a priority. Evidence suggests not. Pressures to provide income often hold fathers back.

On A Mission To Help People Control Diabetes — And Save Money On Insulin

Karen and Steve Wickham say their Christian faith has led them to help people with Type 2 diabetes control and even reverse the condition with diet and exercise.

Confused about what to eat? Science can help

Forget fad diets and media hype. It’s time to harness the power of science to create a healthy and sustainable diet.

High-Intensity Workout and then Prayer

Females in Action, a Southern-style fitness program designed to make women stronger and develop friendships, aims to build women up through fitness, fellowship, and faith.

Make Fitness a Priority this Summer

With summer just a few short weeks away writer Natasha Sistrunk-Robinson shares her fitness plans and encourages others to get moving!

An Update on Maintaining Those New Year’s Resolutions

With us being several weeks into 2019, you might have already gotten slightly discouraged or fallen off track when it comes to the goals you’ve set for the year, so we thought it may be a good idea to revisit those resolutions with an update.

Dying While Black

The U.S. health care system can improve care for all patients at the end of life. However, this system still denies black patients the kinds of interventions that white patients often take for granted.

8 Ways to Pull Yourself Up When You’re Going through Hell

We don’t mean to lie, but when someone asks us how we’re doing, it is much easier to say that we are “fine” or “blessed” than to tell the whole truth. We are not always fine. Pull yourself up with one of these eight suggestions.

Get Fit with These Black-Owned Businesses

One of the top resolutions on everyone’s list is losing weight and getting in shape. Working out can be no fun at all, but over the last few years people have created dynamic fitness programs that are fun and effective.

How Spirit-Filled Thinkers Can Influence the Cut-Throat Healthcare Industry

“I think we should all be faith-based. We would all treat each other better, respect each other more. It should permeate everything we do.” — Dr. Shreni N. Zinzuwadia, a critical care specialist in Newark, NJ

Why Do So Many Kids Have ADHD?

Researchers, using federal survey data, note a significant increase in diagnosis and also find a rise in the rates among girls and people of color.

The Wall Street Journal: Churches Can Help Reduce Heart Disease

Health workers operating at faith communities in New York City were able to significantly lower and manage hypertension in black communities

Black men more religious than whites, research shows

Historically, women tend to be the stalwarts when it comes to religion, while men attend religious services less often and are less likely to say their faith is very important to them. But a new analysis shows that black men defy this trend.

Mixed martial arts and Christianity: ‘Where Feet, Fist and Faith Collide’

The notion that MMA and Christianity are compatible bedfellows is loosely based on the ideology of Muscular Christianity, a mostly-male, Victorian-era movement that linked the gospel with physical and mental toughness.

What’s All the Buzz About Brothas, Barbers, and Lower Blood Pressure?

Amid the buzz of hair clippers and the beat of hip-hop, barber Corey Thomas squeezes in a little advice to the clients who come into his shop for shaves and fade cuts.

Sickle Cell Patients Suffer Poor Care, Discrimination — And Shorter Lives

Patients and experts alike say it’s no surprise then that while life expectancy for almost every major malady is improving, patients with sickle cell disease can expect to die younger than they did 20 years ago.

Faith communities offer a pathway to ending AIDS in Africa

(RNS) — Since the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, many communities of faith have supported millions of people living with HIV and kept future generations free from HIV through their prevention efforts. Their engagement on the front lines of health, especially in...

What the Movies Don’t Show You About the Psychiatric Unit

I remember repeatedly telling my friends I did not want to go to the psychiatric hospital for months. I was terrified and I did not want to be labeled as “crazy.” Every time someone asked if they should call the police, I said “no.” Who would? After attempting...

Beyond the Lights: Celebrities and Mental Illness

As the conversation of mental health and illness gradually comes to the forefront of national attention, the month of May is the perfect time to raise awareness. For some reason, we tend to stigmatize mental illness and do not see it as a “real” or life-threatening...

What Black Millennials Need to Know about Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is often associated with older women. However, young women are not exempt. Although October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness of the disease, many women still take their health for granted, particularly millennials....

How to Practice Dietary Restraint During the Holidays

The next month and a half will be filled with food, here’s a little guidance to keep the holiday spread on the table and off of you.

Do Strong Religious Beliefs Help Cancer Patients Battle the Disease Better?

Faith and wellness expert Rev. Percy McCray discusses the validity of prayer and faith in the midst of cancer and other illnesses.

The Affordable Care Act and African Americans

An overview of how the Affordable Care Act may address inequities and improve health outcomes for African Americans.

What You Need to Know About the Affordable Care Act

Open enrollment for the ACA begins on October 1, but do you know some of the finer points about the plan? Find out here.

The Kermit Gosnell Case: America on Trial

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, the former operator of the Women’s Medical Society, is currently on trial for the deaths of four infants and a woman. What does his trial reveal about who we are as a country?

Black Churches Host Kidney Sunday

African-Americans are 13 percent of the US population, but represent 32 percent of kidney failure cases nationally. To combat this public health issue, black churches are hosting Kidney Sundays to raise awareness and highlight solutions to the problem.