There have been some troubling findings in health news recently. Gertraud Maskarinec and colleagues from the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii found that, regardless of weight, diabetes was at least two times more common among ethnic groups than whites.Also, from a Honolulu Advertiser article: More people are visiting community health centers which provide medical, dental and mental health services to underserved populations, including the uninsured, under-insured, low-income people, immigrants, the elderly, those who live in rural areas and the homeless. Although patient use is increasing, current funding will not provide for program growth. Emmanuel Kintu, Kalihi-Palama Health Center executive director, said his center saw a 21 percent increase in the number of uninsured people it served in 2008, compared with 2007. He said many of the uninsured had recently lost their jobs or seen big cuts to their work hours. Kintu said the tough economic times are forcing his center and others statewide to consider some difficult choices to stay afloat. Those could include turning patients away, he said, or laying off workers.During these tough times, we urge everyone to take responsibility for improving their health and the health of their families. Lā‘au lapa‘au is a cost-effective, natural way to increase physical, mental, and spiritual health, and it’s something you can easily do for yourself. We hope that you try to eat well, sleep, exercise, drink lots of water, and try to decrease stress (maybe through exercise, laughter, meditation, reflecting on the good stuff in your life). Also, incorporating koa (warriors) such as nīoi (chili pepper), ‘ōlena (tumeric), kalika (garlic), and awapuhi (ginger) will strengthen your body. These koa are easy to find and easy to add to your diet. But to learn more, visit our event on April 17. For more info, there's a listing under Events. Please feel free to contact us also.
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