Have you seen the billboards or bus ads around town with the headline “How to Grow Healthy Kids”? Wondering what that’s all about?

Mass in Motion Kids is excited to share this media campaign targeted towards parents of children ages 2 to 12, called “How to Grow Healthy Kids”. It’s actually the first in the state to use text messaging to provide tips about healthy food and drinks, exercise and proper rest from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Parents will also receive weekly texts about promotions at local grocery stores and events happening in New Bedford. Parents shouldn’t receive more than four texts a week.

The ads have been up for about two weeks now – and we’ve even distributed flyers around town at WIC, GNBCHC, Child care programs, and local businesses. But we need your help to spread the word to make use of this exciting technology.

Parents can join by, texting “SNACK” to 877-877 for messages in English and “BOCADOS” for messages in Spanish. Data and message rates may apply – so, each text that is sent counts as one text on your data plan; if you have unlimited texting there is nothing to worry about! People can text STOP to 877-877 anytime to discontinue the service.

Please share this with your colleagues, clients, friends, and family. It’s friendly, easy to do, and a new way to reach parents!

The advertising campaign is scheduled to run through October, but the text messages to parents will continue eight weeks after they join. Visit http://massinmotionnewbedford.org/ for more information.

The New Bedford Health Department has announced that East Beach located along East Rodney French Boulevard and West Beach located along West Rodney French Boulevard, as well as the beach inside Fort Taber Park have been closed to swimming today and tomorrow, Wednesday, August 28, 2013.

Significant rainfall over the last 24 hours has raised the threat of elevated bacteria levels at these locations. City officials have closed New Bedford’s beaches to swimming as a precautionary measure to protect public health.

The water at these beaches will be tested daily until acceptable water quality levels are obtained and swimming can resume. Testing will begin on Wednesday morning, August 28, 2013. If bacterial levels are within acceptable limits at that time, the beaches will reopen on Thursday, August 29, 2013. Further updates regarding openings and closures will be made as water quality results are received.

Additional information is available by calling the New Bedford Health Department at (508) 991-6199.

The New Bedford Board of Health announced today that the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project will conduct targeted ground spraying in the very early morning of Friday, August 9, 2013 in areas of New Bedford.

This round of spraying will target the areas of Fort Taber, Brooklawn Park, Buttonwood Park, Hazelwood Park, Riverside Park, Poor Farm Area, Walsh Field, Ashley Park, Clasky Park, Ben Rose Field, and the Industrial Area and take place between 2:00 am and sunrise on Friday morning.

Residents in the vicinity of the targeted areas may wish to close their windows on Thursday night prior to the spraying.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been testing mosquito pools collected in Bristol County for the presence of EEE and WNV carrying mosquitoes. They have notified several communities in Bristol County, including New Bedford earlier today, of the recent finding of WNV carrying mosquitoes. The New Bedford location which tested positive for the presence of WNV was located in the Industrial Park area in the City’s North End. Mosquito traps are in place to collect pools of mosquitoes and monitor mosquito populations as an on-going effort to assess the effectiveness of local spraying.

The following precautions are advised:

• Avoid Mosquito Bites
• Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. While mosquitoes are out at all hours of the day, their peak biting times are from dusk to dawn. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. Otherwise, take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing, especially if you work or spend a lot of time outdoors.
• Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
• Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

• Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.
• Install or Repair Screens. Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

The New Bedford Board of Health announced today that the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project will conduct targeted ground spraying early on the morning of Monday, July 22, 2013 in areas of New Bedford.  This round of spraying will target the areas of Fort Taber, Brooklawn Park, Buttonwood Park, Hazelwood Park, Riverside Park, and the Poor Farm Area, and will take place between 2:00 am and sunrise on Monday morning. Residents in the vicinity of the targeted areas may wish to close their windows on Sunday night prior to the spraying.

The Bristol County Mosquito Control Project has been conducting surveillance in our area to track the potential for EEE and WNV carrying mosquitoes. Mosquito traps are in place to collect additional pools of mosquitoes and monitoring of mosquito populations will be on-going to assess the effectiveness of the spraying effort.

Residents may request a ground spray by calling the Bristol County Mosquito Control project at (508) 823-5253, between 8:00am – 2:00pm (June – September), or contacting them by E-mail atRequestBristolMCP@comcast.net. 

The following precautions are advised:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours – While mosquitoes are out at all hours of the day, their peak biting times are from dusk to dawn. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. Otherwise, take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing, especially if you work or spend a lot of time outdoors.

Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label.  DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children.  Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.  Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

– Drain Standing Water – Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

– Install or Repair Screens – Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

The New Bedford Board of Health announced today that the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project will conduct targeted ground spraying in the very early morning of Friday, July 5, 2013 in areas of New Bedford.

This round of spraying will target the areas of Fort Taber, Brooklawn Park, Buttonwood Park, Hazelwood Park, Riverside Park, and the Poor Farm Area, and will take place between 2:00 am and sunrise on Friday morning.

Residents in the vicinity of the targeted areas may wish to close their windows on Thursday night prior to the spraying.

The Bristol County Mosquito Control Project has begun their surveillance efforts this season to track the potential for EEE and WNV carrying mosquitoes.  Mosquito traps are in place to collect additional pools of mosquitoes and monitoring of mosquito populations will be on-going to assess the effectiveness of the spraying effort.

The following precautions are advised:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours.  While mosquitoes are out at all hours of the day, their peak biting times are from dusk to dawn. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. Otherwise, take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing, especially if you work or spend a lot of time outdoors.

Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites.  Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors.  Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label.  DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children.  Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.  Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Drain Standing Water.  Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water.  Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water.  Check rain gutters and drains.  Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

Install or Repair Screens.  Some mosquitoes like to come indoors.  Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Early in the movie The Matrix, Neo is offered two pills. The pills offer two very different paths that Neo must choose from in a short amount of time. The first pill allows Neo to go back to his old lifestyle of being a copper-top that fuels the evil machines. The second choice offers him the opportunity to make a stand, stop supporting the machines and lead humanity to freedom.

After reading this article, you will also have two very different choices. The first choice allows you to continue down the path of buying your 10-day old, chemically treated and irradiated produce from foreign lands while filling the coffers of grocery corporations.  The alternate choice of purchasing a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) leads to a healthy lifestyle that supports local farmers and workers. I’ll also showcase two local farms that offer two outstanding CSAs at a very reasonable price. Here are 5 reasons you should join me in the fight to free humanity from tainted, old and in many instances genetically modified, irradiated, soaked in pesticides fruits and veggies:

1. A CSA offers a consistent schedule of fruits and vegetables in your diet! With a CSA, you are basically purchasing the rights to a farm’s produce and pick up a bounty of fruits, veggies and other items on a weekly basis for approximately 17 weeks.

2. It doesn’t get any fresher than a CSA! When it comes to consuming fruits and vegetables, one of your primary goals should be freshness. CSA guarantees that the produce you pick up is harvested that day. It really doesn’t get any fresher than that. On average, produce in a large grocery store chain is several days if not weeks old. This is due to the global distribution of our food. Due to the low cost and longer growing seasons, large grocery stores in import much of their fruits and vegetables from California, Florida, Mexico and other southern hemisphere countries and states. Once picked, it’s not uncommon for produce to take a week to completely harvest, pack, transport and finally become available to consumers in a grocery store. With a local farm, the produce is harvested and offered to the CSA member that day.

3. CSA programs are healthier! Fruits and vegetables provide the body with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – all needed to live a healthy life. As produce ages the health benefits of consuming that produce diminishes. When you purchase your produce in a super market you really don’t know how old the produce is. The instant a fruit or vegetable is harvested, the vitamins (and health benefits) begin to deteriorate.  Additionally, produce shipped hundreds to thousands of miles can go through vast temperature changes, irradiation (to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects before shipping across borders) and other harmful processes before reaching your plate further reducing its health benefits. Buying local produce helps ensure you are getting produce that is richer in vitamins and minerals.

4. You support local farmers and workers! There is something special about eating something grown locally. First, you get to meet the people growing your food and see the farm the food is grown on. Second, your money goes into the pocket of local workers who will in turn spend their money locally. It’s a win-win for everyone!

5. CSA programs offer more than just fruits and vegetables! One of the biggest misconception with a CSA is that it is exclusively fruits and vegetables. Really, no CSA is the same and most offer things like local honey, cheeses, eggs, jams, mustard and meats. The key when choosing a CSA is price and what they have to offer. Most are VERY flexible when allowing you to substitute items (get more of one, less of another).

Recommended CSA Programs:

Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet – We did a full featured article that describes the history of the Farm and details their CSA program: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/silverbrook-farm-acushnet-2/2015/03/27. This CSA lasts for 17 weeks and offers basic ($320), standard ($420) and Master ($855) CSA programs. Full details here: http://www.thesilverbrookfarm.com/farm.html.

It’s nearly summertime again in New Bedford, which means great weather, visits to local beaches and of course farmers’ markets. Farmers’ markets provide us with fresh, locally-grown and often organic, produce at a great price. As a supporter of small business and someone that ensures vegetables make up the majority of every meal, I visit farmers’ markets every chance I get. From early July through late October, New Bedford hosts three farmers’ markets on three different days of the week. Here is a list of the three New Bedford farmers’ market locations with times and details on each.

New Bedford Farmers’ Markets List

Brooklawn Park Farmers’ Market (July 8th – Oct 28th, 2013) – MONDAY
Location: Brooklawn Park, Ashley Blvd Entrance east of Carlisle Street
Time: Mondays, 2-6pm
Details: Shoppers can pay with Cash, WIC FMNP Coupons, or Seniors’ Coupons.

Downtown New Bedford Farmers’ Market (July 12th – October 25th, 2013) – THURSDAY
Location: New Bedford Public Library (613 Pleasant Street) front steps.
Time: Thursdays, 2-6pm
Details: TBA

Clasky Common Farmers’ Market (July 6th – October 26th, 2013) – SATURDAY

Location: Pleasant Street, between Pope and Pearl Streets
Time: Saturdays, 9am – 1pm
Details: Cash, SNAP/EBT, WIC FMNP Coupons, or Seniors’ Coupons.

The Southcoast™ Health Van announces the March schedule for community screenings and vaccinations.
Free mobile health services available by the Southcoast Health Van staff include:

• Cancer screenings & education
• Blood pressure screening
• Cholesterol screening
• Teen resource information
• Glucose (diabetes) screenings
• Nutritional information and education
• Health education services
• Medical physician referral
• Vaccinations

Please note that screenings sponsored by the Southcoast Health Van are sometimes held at community locations and not always on one of the vans. Look for signs when arriving at a location if you do not see the van outside. If you plan to donate blood, please remember to bring two forms of identification.
For more information and to schedule free screenings please call Susan Oliveira, RN, at 508-679-3131 Ext. 2740 or email oliveiras@southcoast.org.

NEW BEDFORD
Monday, March 4
RAPPP Program
1208 Ashley Boulevard
Teen Program
2 to 4:30 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Tuesday, March 5
Bay Village/ Boa Vista Housing
134 South Second Street
Health Screenings, Prostate Screenings & Vaccines
1 to 6 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Wednesday, March 6
Fisherman’s Pier
52 Fisherman’s Wharf
Health Screenings & Vaccines
11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WESTPORT
Saturday, March 9
White’s of Westport
66 State Road
Health Screenings
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Tuesday, March 12
Brickenwood
52 Walker Street
Health Screenings & Vaccines
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Thursday, March 14
Roosevelt Middle School
119 Frederick Street
Health Screenings & Vaccines
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

ROCHESTER
Thursday, March 21
Rochester Plumb Corner
565 Rounseville Road
Health Screenings & Vaccines
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

DARTMOUTH
Saturday, March 23
UMass Dartmouth Family Fun Fitness Day
285 Old Westport Road
Health Screenings & Vascular Screenings
Noon to 4 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Saturday, March 23
March for Meals at Fort Taber Park
1000 South Rodney French Boulevard
Health Screenings & Vaccines
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Monday, March 25
RAPPP Program
1208 Ashley Boulevard, New Bedford
Teen Program
2 to 4:30 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Wednesday, March 27
Presidential Heights
Myrtle Street
Health Screenings & Vaccines
1 to 5 p.m.

Yoga….it is something I, as a health care practitioner, have recommended to my clients HUNDREDS of times! Until recently, the number of yoga classes I have attended totaled….zero.

Before I come off sounding like a total hypocrite, let me give you some background: I did learn some yoga in a college course, and I did practice yoga from watching a videotape…occasionally.

A live class, with an instructor? Never got around to it, even with all my good intentions. Despite often seeing people of all ages in my practice with off-the-charts flexibility… something you really WANT to have, especially as you grow older.

“Hot yoga” (also known by its licensed name, Bikram) is the practice of doing yoga in a room heated up to the body’s natural temperature, approximately 98 degrees. After one of my past love interests had a life-changing experience with it (no foolin’), I became intrigued. She lost a significant amount of weight after 45 days of hot yoga, and had a heavy emotional weight lifted off her shoulders.

So, how did I get started? Yoga on Union – adorably abbreviated as Y.O.U. – had a special rate on hot yoga some time ago. I realized that not only was I going to be doing yoga in a class for the first time ever, but I was going to be sweating my Azorean butt off, as well. That’s me, all in or nothing. Even when I am a bit apprehensive.

The owner and head instructor of Y.O.U. is Juliet Loranger, a personal friend who assured me that the class (taught by her) would be unpretentious, relaxed, and there was nothing to worry about. She was right. I arrived, mat in hand, changed my clothes and sat my water bottle next to me.

So, what was hot yoga like? To my surprise, half the students were male. Many came alone, some with significant others. Although I felt less in shape and experienced than the others around me, I was encouraged to hold poses ONLY for as long as was comfortable, and to take breaks when necessary. I recognized this as the advice of a yoga teacher who knew what she was doing. And boy, did I go for the water bottle quite a few times, in the hour-and-a-half class!

The music was relaxing and not disruptive. The site of Union Street from the many windows at twilight was lovely, seeing the streetlights come on and the view of the waterfront. Juliet was alternately encouraging and funny; true to her word, the mood was mostly relaxed and not overly-serious. Although it was strenuous and effective, I left feeling energized; a feeling of well-being and of having truly worked out my body and will.

I can wholeheartedly recommend yoga to everyone. It relaxes the spirit and strengthens the body and mind. Before attending any class, take the time to meet your instructor and question them (politely, of course) about their experience, as well as their credentials. As always, see your doctor first before starting any new exercise regimen, even more so if you are going to try hot yoga, and you are heat-sensitive. In other words, if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the…yoga studio.

Yoga on Union is located at One Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA. You can find them Yogaonunion.com, for class schedules and pricing.

What if I told you that I was going to inject something into your blood stream or teeth that in low doses can cause tremors, impaired cognitive skills, sleep disturbance, and in larger doses (and prolonged exposure) causes delirium, hallucinations, suicidal tendency, insomnia, violent muscular spasms, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Would you take it? What if I also told you this injection was banned in several European countries and most first-world countries have severely limited its use in manufacturing and health care? Would you put it into your child? Every year millions of Americans get large doses of mercury through tooth amalgam fillings and immunizations without even realizing it. There are plenty of mercury-free alternative flu shots that are readily available. Just ask your medical professional when you get your shot!

If you have amalgam fillings (those silver looking tooth fillings) you are poisoning yourself daily with mercury. If you get flu and many other shots every year, there is a good chance you are filling your blood stream with mercury and other toxins. For financial reasons, our dental and medical associations decided it was a good idea to inject mercury into our blood (through immunization preservatives) and into our teeth (through amalgam tooth fillings). Mercury has been tied to all sorts of health issues that include cancer, because it is one of the most toxic metals on earth. Thankfully, through a little education and probably a lot of cost and pain, you can reduce your mercury exposure.

What is Mercury?

I’m not a chemist, but mercury information is readily available on the internet. The Mercury Wikipedia page is a great starting point, because the bibliography on Mercury has 105 references. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control fact sheet on Mercury, “Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil, and exists in several forms.  Pure mercury, also called quicksilver, is a liquid metal that easily evaporates, giving off invisible, odorless and toxic vapors. Mercury cannot be created or destroyed.”

One of the first things you will learn about mercury is it was used for hundreds of years in medicine and dentistry, but the use quickly declined as scientists and doctors learned of its health hazards to humans. Mercury health effects are targeted to the brain and nervous system. Mercury poisoning can also result from exposure to water-soluble forms of mercury (such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury), inhalation of mercury vapor, or eating seafood contaminated with mercury.

Mercury and Alzheimer’s Disease

While listening to the radio one day, I heard an interview with a leading doctor who specialized in immunizations. I don’t remember his name, but he stated that getting five consecutive flu shots with mercury in it increased your chances of getting Alzheimer’s Disease five-fold. Here’s a good article on the subject, but I recommend you use Google and find some research yourself. I immediately grew curious and a little scared.

Mercury in Our Flu Shots

As a former active duty Air Force service member and current Massachusetts Air National Guard member, I’ve gotten countless shots over the years. In recent years, I’ve grown more health conscious and learned about a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal that is used to preserve milti-dose flu shots. There are single-dose shots that are used once and discarded, and multi-dose vials that provide multiple uses. While the needles are only used once, the multi-dose flu vial is stored until fully consumed. Thimerosal is used to keep it fresh and free of the growth of germs, bacteria and fungi, that can contaminate the vaccine. You can read more about thimerosal on the Center For Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

For the past two years I’ve ensured that I’ve received the single dose flu shot and I recommend that you insist on single dose shots as well. During the 2011 flu season, I tried to avoid getting the flu shot because that was the year I learned about the mercury preservative contained in them. My military unit insisted that I get the shot and I was told to visit my primary care doctor if I wanted to argue the point. I chatted with the head of the immunization clinic, who assured me that flu shots were  approved by the FDA. She had never heard of mercury in the flu shots. I still refused, so I was then passed off to a doctor. Yet again, he was another medical professional that had never heard of mercury in our flu shots. I showed him the link to the CDC’s website and he left the examination room to do some research. After 30 minutes, he returned with the ingredient and warning paperwork that came with the flu shots. He stated, “Michael, you are correct. Many of the flu shots out there contain the thimerosal preservative, but the Air Force switched over to the single-dose flu shots years ago.” He then told me that he was calling his wife to tell her to ensure that their children get the single-dose shots. He looked a bit perplexed and scared after reading the literature.

Mercury in Our Amalgam Fillings

Like millions of other Americans, I got tons of cavities when I was a child and had several “silver” fillings or amalgam fillings. As a child, you really do trust your doctor or dentist. Through my younger years, the dentist put seven amalgam fillings in my mouth. I recently got them all removed and luckily my dental insurance covered it. I removed them because as you eat hot foods, you heat up the amalgam fillings and release mercury into your mouth and digestive system.

Amalgam fillings and any use of mercury in dentistry are banned in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. These countries concluded that there are plenty non-mercury based fillings and it is silly to poison people and our planet. Additionally, the World Health Organization reports that “mercury from amalgam accounts for 5% of total mercury emissions and that when combined with waste mercury from laboratory and medical devices, represents 53% of total mercury emissions.” Not only are we poisoning ourselves with the toxic amalgam fillings, but we are poisoning our food supply and land with mercury.

Conclusion 

Mercury is toxic, yet sadly, all around us. Thanks to the mercury we dump into our rivers and oceans, it’s in our fish. Any wonder why the polar bear is one of the most toxic animals in the world? Mercury is in our shots and for many of us in our teeth. I made a conscious choice to ensure my flu shots and teeth are free from mercury. Make a choice in your life to insist on single-dose shots for yourself and your family and friends. If you have those “silver” amalgam fillings, visit your doctor as soon as possible and see if he/she is qualified to remove them. The time, cost and short-term pain will ensure you live with less mercury in your life.