- Created on 28 December 2012
Resolve to Get More Sleep in 2013
There are many popular New Year's resolutions that quickly come and go: eating healthy, losing weight, managing stress and saving money. In 2013, why not focus on one health change you'll enjoy sticking to... getting more sleep.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average American sleeps about six hours and 55 minutes per night during the week, and 15 percent of adults sleep less than six hours per night.
"Lack of sleep can take a significant toll on your overall health and interfere with some of your daily activities," said Dr. Michael Thorpy, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York.
Almost everybody has trouble sleeping now and then, but many Americans experience significant problems getting to sleep or continually wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep.
Such problems may be clinical symptoms of insomnia. According to the National Sleep Foundation, if you have trouble falling asleep at night or staying asleep, or you wake up in the morning feeling unrefreshed, you may be suffering from insomnia.
Insomnia can affect people in different ways. Some sufferers have trouble initially getting to sleep, while others wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling back asleep.
To help you get better sleep this year, Dr. Thorpy suggests these simple tips:
• Set and stick to a sleep schedule. Establish a regular bedtime and wake time.
• Set aside time at night to "wind down." Spend some quiet time before bedtime. Such activities as watching TV, using the computer or working right before bedtime, or in the bedroom, can make it harder to fall asleep.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.
• Exercise regularly. Just don't exercise rigorously near bedtime and check with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen.
• Don't clock-watch. If you awaken in the middle of the night and stay in bed, don't lie there staring at the clock. And don't watch TV or use your laptop or cell phone, because these technologies stimulate the brain, making it tougher to fall back to sleep.
If these tips don't help, speak with your healthcare professional to help determine if you are suffering from insomnia and require treatment.
More information regarding insomnia is available at the National Sleep Foundation website at www.sleepfoundation.org.
- Created on 27 December 2012
Center For Human Rights Model Visits Atlanta
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights presented a sneak peak of how the exhibitions will be displayed in the new facility now under construction in Downtown Atlanta (adjacent to the World of Coca-Cola and The Georgia Aquarium).
Pictured here is National Center Director Doug Shipman who led a tour through table-top models of exhibits for the planned building. Onlookers include Andrea Young, president of Andy Young Foundation, former UN Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andy Young and Atlanta civil rights activist and former Student Movement leader Charles Black.
The design has exhibits on three levels with a total of 42,000 square feet. The model was in Atlanta for only a few days, and provided a 3-D glimpse of the project.
The Atlanta Daily World has a prominent space in the exhibit on Atlanta's history leading up to the modern civil rights movement. The exhibits follow Atlanta's civil rights history through to the current fights for human rights around the world. The exhibit space is being designed by well-known artistic producer George Wolf of New York City.
Photo By M. Alexis Scott
- Created on 24 December 2012
How to Care For and Decorate Your Tree For Christmas
Pike Nurseries experts have a few tips to select the perfect Christmas tree and keep it fresh and festive throughout the season:
• Look for a healthy green color. Run your hand
along the branch of a tree to check for needles that
hold fast and are flexible – not stiff and brittle.
• Make a fresh cut along the bottom of the trunk.
Prior to loading, Pike Nurseries does this for you
for FREE to guarantee that the tree will absorb
more water.
• Use a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of
water. Keep a watchful eye and never let the water
level drop below the bottom of the trunk, or the tree
will not be able to absorb water.
• Keep away from direct heat sources to prevent
drying and fire hazards. Practice safety around
holiday favorites such as candles, fireplaces,
wood stoves or heating vents.
• Add depth to your tree. Go heavy on Christmas
lights and zig-zag them from front to back as you
work through each layer of branches. Another trick
is to stagger ornaments at different depths on the
branches.
• Choose a festive color pallet. For a professional-
looking tree, use a color pallet that includes two or
three colors, and play with different shades of those
colors.
• Fill in holes and bare spots. Play with sprigs of
berries or silk flowers for added texture and color
to create a fuller-looking tree.
- Created on 27 December 2012
Celebration of Kwanzaa – Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
KUJICHAGULIA: "In a time in which occupation and oppression of countries and peoples are immorally presented as necessary and even salvational, the principle of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) rejects this and reaffirms the right of persons and peoples to determine their own destiny and daily lives; to live in peace and security; and to flourish in freedom everywhere." - Dr. Maulana Karanga
Kujichagulia is the second Principle of the Nguzo Saba, and it means self-determination.
Self-determination expresses itself as both commitment and practice. It demands that we as an African people define, defend and develop ourselves instead of allowing or encouraging others to do this. It requires that we recover lost memory and once again shape our world in our own image and interest. And it is a call to recover and speak our own special truth to the world and raise images above the earth that reflect our capacity for human greatness and progress.
- Created on 24 December 2012
Morehouse Welcomes AKAs
Members of the Pi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and their Emerging Young Leaders were guests at Morehouse
College during the 86th Annual Morehouse-Spelman Christmas Carol Concert.
The Pi Alpha Omega Chapter partners with Breakthrough Atlanta to mentor and positively impact the lives of girls in grades six through eight through the national initiative.
