Valerie Pogue – Black Girl Health Blog

The Butterfly Effect

January 9, 2020

The Butterfly Effect As women, we have so many things to keep track of in order to stay on top of our health and wellbeing. We have to check our breasts. We have to check our “lady parts”. And, we have to check our necks! You may have read that last sentence and questioned why I would include something as benign as the neck. But truth be told, the neck is a pretty big deal. It’s not just a place to adorn your favorite statement piece or a cute scarf. It’s much more than just a pedestal for your head. The neck is home to a butterfly-shaped gland known as the thyroid. The thyroid releases hormones that control our growth, development, and metabolism. Breathing, menstruation, weight, and...

Cheers to a Now Year!

December 18, 2019

Stay Motivated, Uncategorized

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve uttered the words “Come January…” followed by an unrealistic goal. For me, a new year represented my opportunity to start over. I could set new intentions, new declarations, and recreate my expectations moving forward. The New Year became my anecdote to failure. I was so fixated on the “new” and the “next” that I forgot to focus on the “now”. But when I began to reflect on the concept of newness, I realized that it had nothing to do with time and everything to do with my mindset. January is undoubtedly the start of the calendar year, but it is not the sole catalyst for change. A new year is simply another year if your perspective remains the...

Permission to be a Priority

December 16, 2019

Stay Motivated, Uncategorized

Being a woman is amazing, but it’s not an easy job! We have the awesome responsibility of caring for and attending to the wellbeing of our families, friends, and our communities. We hold titles such as mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, confidante, helpmate, rib, backbone, caretaker…you name it! We devote a great deal of who we are ensuring that others become who they need to be. We are socialized to do everything, and to be everything to everybody. But what do we do when being a woman becomes too much to handle? Many of us serve as the “glue”. We struggle with doing what’s best for us and doing what’s requested of us. Our capacity to keep giving and to keep going is often superseded by...

Giving Feels Good

November 19, 2019

Uncategorized

We've all heard "it is more blessed to give than to receive". But how many of us have really taken the time to examine the meaning behind this text? Giving isn't just a good thing to do. It actually makes you feel good. Research has shown that people who give are more satisfied with life. They feel as though they've made an impact and contributed to something bigger than themselves. Giving is not simply a physical task, it's very much rooted in emotions. Giving leads to tangible benefits for the receiver, and intangible rewards for the giver. There are 2 weeks left until the biggest giving day of the year, Giving Tuesday. As you prepare to offer your financial support to the organization of your choice,...

What’s Your Type?

November 13, 2019

Fight Disease

"What’s your type?" is such a loaded question. Some people might think it has to do with the qualities you are looking for in a partner. Others might think it’s in reference to blood type. For the purposes of this conversation, your “type” is all about blood sugar health. Growing up, I often heard about relatives and family friends who had “the sugar”. I was too young to question what exactly that meant, but you can imagine my surprise when I found out that was the household name for diabetes. Simply stated, diabetes is your body’s inability to regulate blood sugar levels, so the nickname actually makes perfect sense. My first exposure to diabetes was through my maternal grandmother. She was diagnosed in her 30s, somewhere...

Giving Back on Giving Tuesday

November 12, 2019

Uncategorized

Giving Tuesday is a global observance that was created to encourage generosity. It began in 2012, and is celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. What started out as a small-scale initiative has become an entire movement with the help of social media. #GivingTuesday has inspired millions to give back. On December 3, 2019, you too will have an opportunity to offer your financial resources to an organization and/or cause that is near and dear to your heart. All you have to do is identify who, make sure you identify with their why, and then WOW! them with your support. Since we are on the topic of giving...

Advocating for Your Breast Health

October 16, 2019

Body, Eat Healthy, Fight Disease

We’ve all been taught that if you see something, say something. But what if you feel something? Do you say something or do you remain silent? I was 31 years old when I had my first mammogram. I remember describing what I felt as a heaviness in my breast. I wasn’t sure if that translated well to my Gynecologist, so her examination was critical to ensuring that we were on the same page. She didn’t feel that there was any real cause for concern, but sensing my anxiety [and having a paternal great grandmother with breast cancer] she thought it would be a good idea to get screened. Being Type A, I immediately called the Radiology Center to schedule an appointment for a mammogram. My conversation with...

Author: Valerie Pogue