November is National Diabetes Month, when communities join to bring awareness to the disease. From an eye care standpoint, diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Early detection and timely treatment can greatly reduce the risk of vision loss and blindness. Diabetes is a condition where the body has too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. This occurs because the body either doesn’t make or can’t use the hormone insulin as it should, causing sugar to build up. … [Read more...] about Diabetic Eye Disease: A Leading Cause of Blindness
Columnists
Understanding Diabetes in Pets
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes mellitus is caused by an irregularity in the production of a hormone called insulin. Insulin is one of the hormones produced by the pancreas and it regulates the body’s ability to use glucose. Glucose comes from the food that your pet eats and is, in turn, the food for your pet’s cells. Without the proper amount of insulin, the cells cannot take glucose from the bloodstream and pull it into the cells to use for energy. This results in an … [Read more...] about Understanding Diabetes in Pets
CASA Volunteers Making a Difference in Child Abuse
Have you ever read a horrific story of child abuse and wondered what to do? Instead of passive despair, let the tragic incident serve as a galvanizing call to action for us all to commit to ending abuse and securing the safety and future of every child in Coconino County. We can make a difference when we all become advocates for children. For some of us, advocacy comes in a formal role. Teachers, child care workers, health care providers and others who come in daily contact with children can be … [Read more...] about CASA Volunteers Making a Difference in Child Abuse
Applying Rapid Tension Release Massage
Rapid Tension Release (also known as vibration or percussion) Massage uses rapid movement to ease muscle tension and reduce aches and pains. This specialized massage technique provides concentrated, rapid, short-duration pulses deep into the hard-to-reach muscles and tissues to stimulate blood flow and relax tight muscles, ligaments, tendons and the fascia that covers and connects all the body’s soft tissues and organs. Massage Envy’s Hypervolt massage device has varying speed and intensity … [Read more...] about Applying Rapid Tension Release Massage
Financially Preparing for the New Year
What do you want to do? Lose weight? Learn a second language? Get in shape? Take a vacation? Get out of debt? What better time to commit yourself to a new course of action in life than at the end of the year? More than 40 percent of Americans “usually” make New Year’s resolutions. Another 17 percent make resolutions “infrequently.” Losing weight and eating healthy took the top spot of resolutions in 2017, at 21.4 percent. Next up: making self-improvements, 12.3 percent. Third place goes to … [Read more...] about Financially Preparing for the New Year
Practical Tips for End of Life Care
The end of one’s life is a natural part of our lifecycle; yet, it is typically the least understood. Subsequently, providing care at the end of life can present an uncomfortable experience to not only the individual but also the family. An increasing number of people are choosing to die in the comfort of their own home. Many of those who are terminally ill have arranged hospice care services, but not all. Whether or not your loved one is on hospice services, it is important to understand the … [Read more...] about Practical Tips for End of Life Care
Fall Campus Forum: NAU Thriving in A Changing World
Last month, Northern Arizona University’s faculty and staff from around the state gathered online and on our Flagstaff campus for the 2018 Fall Campus Forum. I enjoy the many ways I get to interact with our Lumberjack family throughout the year, but our Campus Forum is especially valuable. It is a great way to hit “pause” on our busy lives and take time to focus on the impact we have on our students, our state and our world. It is a time to celebrate what we have accomplished and remember what … [Read more...] about Fall Campus Forum: NAU Thriving in A Changing World
Practicing Love, Service, Thanksgiving
Hello, Flagstaff! As I sit to write this, we are less than nine days away from the general election. It’s also been one horrifying news cycle after another. Last week, a man walked into a synagogue and opened fire, killing 11 people while spewing anti-Semitic hatred. Two African-Americans were killed for being black in a Kroeger. The shooter in that case had been unable to enter a predominantly black church. Historically, people died in the fight against racism – and people are still … [Read more...] about Practicing Love, Service, Thanksgiving
How to Control Diabetes
In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that more than 100 million adults in the United States are living with diabetes or prediabetes. More than 30 million Americans – or approximately 10 percent of the population – have diabetes. In 2015, diabetes was the leading cause of death in the U.S. Among adults, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations and new cases of blindness. Other complications include obesity, heart … [Read more...] about How to Control Diabetes
Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety
For most people, speaking in public can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Fear of public speaking is all in the mind. Here are some suggestions to work with your mind to ease the fear and deliver a better, more comfortable speech. Before the Talk Know your stuff. It’s much easier to be confident if you know what you are talking about. If you aren’t going to use technology, practice without technology. If you are going to use technology, practice with technology and without technology, … [Read more...] about Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety