Saturday, April 28, 2018
Friday, April 27, 2018
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Health & Nutrition Strategies for Cancer Survivor's & Everybody Else
What's in your diet?
I'm extremely impressed with Sentara
Healthcare's intention to build a comprehensive cancer center in our
commuting region. Cancer rates are expected to rise by 30% in the
next 12 years. This initiative will allow patients the full spectrum
of care including diagnostic and treatment. Also, in a stunning turn
of positive events, Vidant to our south is also proposing world class
cancer class This is a much needed and very positive response to
Northeast North Carolina's cancer disparities.
When I relocated to the region 10 years
ago, and began my cancer advocacy, options were very limited.
Mere screening was a challenge. The
nearest comprehensive center is at least 3 hours away. Not good for a
region where breast and prostate cancer are some of the highest in
the country. Cancer disparities include delivery of health services
including epidemiology research. A comprehensive cancer center will
offer clinical trials and studies to determine causes. Epidemiology
is the branch of medicine that deals with incidence, distribution and
possible control of diseases and their factors. That correlates well
with my food safety expertise. I define it as “cause and effect “
of which I'm a disciple. I agree with and support the research and
published reports regarding cancer's, dietary links. In fact, I'm
betting my life on that proposition.
Kudos to the GBM (Green Bronx Machine).
I started looking at this 501c3 from my hometown, a couple of years
ago. It's a student based initiative to grow food in urban areas,
beginning in a neighborhood that I frequented. Some of GBM' s mission
statement is that “healthy students help drive healthy schools,
and that healthy schools are the heart of a healthy community. They
envision growing communities where those that are “apart from”
become “apart of”. I like that concept. They're learning, it's
all about the food, at an early age. If they figured it out in the
South Bronx, we're behind the curve.
The Albemarle region of North Carolina,
is agriculture based. It's been known for centuries for its rich soil
and long growing period. Agriculture is a culture, somehow or another
we've gotten away from eating local grown food to eating imported
stuff that's poor quality or fake, has to be preserved, and has poor
shelf life. Maybe that's the reason our region's health disparities
are the worst in the state and consequently, we're among the poorest.
Clearly its a result of decades of misguided leadership because it
wasn't always that way.
Developing the “Organic Capital of
the World”,means developing clean sustainable agriculture
enterprises like spin farming (small plot intensive farming) which is
a method of small acreage farming that can generate a six figure
annual income of organic produce. Or high tunnel and green house
farming for year round yields. Clean certified organic food will fix
the health disparities, and make a major commercial economic impact.
It's time.
On a personal note. I had my annual
scans and complete blood work. Deleting all dairy and enriched
carbohydrates from my diet did not have an impact on my lab results.
However, I've seemed to have reduced my inflammatory outbreaks, to a
minimum.
Finally, here's a couple of voluntary
recalls that may be of interest to our region: Johnsonville Sausage's
Jalapeno Cheddar Smoked Sausage , Est. 34224. was recalled for
extraneous material (hard plastic), Tony Downs Food Co.'s Canned
Breast in Water, P-65 was recalled for extraneous material (hard
plastic. Let food be your
medicine.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Friday, April 20, 2018
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Why I enjoy ‘SERVING’ in the NC General Assembly By: Representative Bob Steinburg, NC House District 1
Special
to the Albemarle Tradewinds
When
most folks think about those who represent them in Washington, D.C.
or in Raleigh, some envision their elected officials out of touch. I
get it. In many cases they are. The federal government has grown to
become so behemoth it often seems out of control and unresponsive to
the needs of the citizenry. Each district in the U.S. House of
Representatives consists of almost 700,000 individuals. You want to
talk with your representative? It can be a daunting challenge.
In
the North Carolina General Assembly, I represent about 82,000
individuals in my House District; Senate District 1 has an additional
100,000 persons. While these numbers are large and will continue to
grow as our state experiences significant increases in population,
one likely could have a greater opportunity to personally interact
with his or her state representative, especially if that
representative considers constituent service important. I do! With me
and my office, it is job 1.
When
I first ran for the House in 2010 I did so in part because of my
strong desire to serve. I was frustrated by seldom hearing from my
representative, and if I did it was via mail or email. Was anyone
really listening? I said to myself, “If I ever had the opportunity
to serve in the legislature, I would do all I could to personally
connect with those who reached out to me and my office for help.
I
got that chance when I was first elected to the state House in 2012.
Being a new legislator presented many issues and challenges and a
steep learning curve. You don’t just step into a legislative seat
and hit the ground running. You must stop, look, listen and learn.
There are committee meetings, caucus meetings, legislative sessions,
phone calls to return, letters to answer along with emails and texts.
It is also imperative to learn the myriad of proper protocols
including House and Senate rules of operation. There are duties to
perform and events to attend, at home and in Raleigh. Legislators
have a full plate.
While
writing a bill of major import and then doing all you can to shepherd
it to passage is a fulfilling and rewarding experience, it cannot, in
my view, hold a candle to helping a constituent work through an issue
where few or no apparent doors appear open. It is difficult for a
constituent to try and navigate through unchartered, seemingly
unnavigable and sadly all too often, the unfriendly waters of a
government bureaucracy. The most satisfying aspect of being an
elected representative is to help charter the course to get those
problems or issues resolved. It is most important that a
representative be there for their constituents when they need them
most. Nothing is more important to me than this.
In
almost six years of representing the citizens of North Carolina House
District 1, I have received many requests for help. Some are related
to things like getting a road fixed, stop signs or stop lights
placed, securing a historic marker or other issues related to
committees I may serve on like Agriculture, which I co-chair.
Then
there is the prison crisis that was thrust upon us after the five
murders of state employees last year. Four of those deaths occurred
in Pasquotank County and one occurred in neighboring Bertie County.
A National Correctional Institute report confirmed what many have
suspected for years: our prisons are in crisis and in absolute need
of reform from top to bottom. I am doing everything I can to ensure
that reform is put on the front burner of the legislature and
thoroughly addressed before another life is needlessly and tragically
lost.
But then there are other
issues that constituents need help with; the ones no one ever hears
about but are every bit equally as important to those that are going
through them. The young boy whose mother is a teacher who was in a
horrible accident and is told that the Moms health insurance won’t
pay for the specialized care he will need in Atlanta if he is to have
any chance at a near complete recovery. The gentleman who called me
and told me he had two weeks to live and wanted another chance at
life. Could I get him into an experimental program at Duke that might
extend his life? The mom who was being transferred to North Carolina
but was told her special needs foster child could not accompany her
because of red tape with another state. These are but three of many
examples I could cite that our office has worked to successfully
resolve for the folks we faithfully serve.
Serving
in the legislature continues to be an honor and a privilege. I hope
voters in this upcoming primary will allow me to continue to serve
northeastern North Carolina in the Senate next year. Service to
others is a gift from God. The General Assembly allows me to help
others in ways I could never have imagined. Thank you for allowing me
to serve you, the wonderful folks who call northeastern North
Carolina home.