Max n' Out Entertainment » Health & Fitness

Ohio Pro Wrestler Gets 32 Years In HIV Assault Case!

Osupa — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:17:48 +0000

Associated Press

Posted January 24th 2012

CINCINNATI: A former professional wrestler was sentenced Monday to 32 years in prison for having sex with women without telling them he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS.

Andre Davis, 29, was sentenced in a Hamilton County court on 14 counts of felonious assault. Davis, who wrestled using stage names including Gangsta of Love and Sweet Sexy Sensation, was convicted in November.

Prosecutors had said Davis violated state law by not telling a dozen sex partners about his HIV status or lying to them.

Davis told the judge Monday that he was a “sex addict” and that his addiction grew worse when he lost his dream of becoming a professional wrestler after getting the HIV test results.

He said sex addiction is probably the worst addiction anyone could have.

“Drugs and alcohol are terrible, but sex is something everybody wants,” he said.

Davis, who said he didn’t disclose his HIV test results because he didn’t want his family to know, said he never intended to hurt anyone.

“I am not a monster,” he said.

Assistant prosecutor Amy Tranter had argued during trial that Davis should go to prison for a long time, saying the case was about his responsibility to tell the women his test results.

“He’s a manipulative man and a liar,” Tranter said Monday.

Davis’ attorney, Greg Cohen, had argued that the state law regarding HIV and felonious assault is poorly written because it doesn’t require proof that there has been harm or an attempt to commit harm.

Cohen told the judge that his client was sorry for what he had done and that the women Davis slept with also had some responsibility for choosing to have unprotected sex.

The judge, citing medical privacy laws, had prohibited attorneys from bringing up whether any of the women was infected with the virus, which can be transmitted through unprotected sex.

The Cincinnati Enquirer has reported that World Wrestling Entertainment told Davis in July 2009 that it wouldn’t hire him because he failed his physical and tested positive for HIV.

Cohen had noted during the trial that a company, not a doctor, told Davis that he was HIV-positive and that he did not think prosecutors could prove that Davis has HIV. But the state law requires those who test positive for HIV to inform their sex partners of that status and it was not necessary to prove that Davis is HIV-positive, Tranter said.

Cohen told The Associated Press that an appeal will be filed.

He said the constitutionality of the law “is probably going to be raised, and there are some legal issues regarding the admission of certain types of evidence.”

Davis, who could have received over 100 years in prison, faces similar charges in Warren County, north of Cincinnati.

6 Carbs To Add To Your Diet To Help You Stay Slim!

Osupa — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:33:32 +0000

EatingWellMagazine.com

By Nicci Micco

Posted January 19th 2012

I’ve never been a fan of low-carb diets: our bodies and our brains need carbohydrates to work effectively. (Find out 6 more reasons your body needs carbohydrates here.)

Of course, not all carbohydrates are created equally. First of all, fruits, dairy and vegetables are all sources of carbohydrates. And when it comes to starches, there are indeed “good” carbs (we’ll get to that in a sec) and the “bad” ones that, if you eat them all the time, can raise your risk of developing diseases like heart disease and diabetes. (We’re talking about doughnuts, cakes and even refined white breads.) On the flip side, eating “good carbs” in place of refined ones can reduce your risk of these very same diseases-and may even help you to lose weight because they’re generally rich in fiber.
Here are 6 “great” carbs to keep in your diet.

Whole-wheat pasta. Because sometimes you just need pasta-and whole-wheat kinds offer two to three times more fiber than refined white varieties, but they’re just as versatile and delicious. (Similarly whole-wheat bread and brown rice are healthier choices than their “white” counterparts.)
To cook: Follow the package directions!
Recipes to Try: Slimmed-Down Fettuccine Alfredo & More Skinny Pasta Recipes

Quinoa: Consider it souped-up couscous. A delicately flavored whole grain, it provides some fiber (2 grams per 1/2 cup) and a good amount of protein (4 grams). Note: Research shows protein can help you feel full for longer. Rinsing quinoa removes any residue of saponin, its natural bitter protective coating.
To cook: Bring 2 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup quinoa. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Recipes to Try: Pear-Quinoa Salad and More Low-Calorie Quinoa Recipes

Barley is available “pearled” (the bran has been removed) or “quick-cooking” (parboiled). While both contain soluble fiber that helps keep blood cholesterol levels healthy, pearl barley has a little more.
To Cook: Pearl barley-Bring 1 cup barley and 2 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
Quick-cooking barley-Bring 1 3/4 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup barley. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Bulgur is cracked wheat that’s been parboiled so it simply needs to soak in hot water for most uses-a perfect low-maintenance grain. It’s also a good source of feel-full fiber: just 1/2 cup delivers 5 grams.
To Cook: Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water or broth over 1 cup bulgur. Let stand, covered, until light and fluffy, about 30 minutes. If all the water is not absorbed, let the bulgur stand longer or press it in a strainer to remove excess liquid.

Wheat Berries are the whole, unprocessed kernels of wheat. They’re terrific sources of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc and, yes, fiber.
To Cook: Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones, and rinse with water. Bring 4 cups water or broth and 1 cup wheat berries to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still a little chewy, about 1 hour. Drain.

Popcorn. Because when you’re craving pretzels or potato chips…you’re certainly not going to reach for a bowl of oatmeal. Popcorn satisfies a snack craving and it’s a whole grain. No, I’m not kidding: 3 cups of popped popcorn (what you get by popping 1 heaping tablespoon of kernels) equals one of your three recommended daily servings of whole grains and contains 3 grams of fiber.
To cook: Toss a heaping tablespoon into an air popper.

Don’t Miss: 5 Diet Myths That Are Making You Gain Weight

Do you avoid carbs when you’re trying to lose weight?

By Nicci Micco

Nicci Micco is editor-at-large for EatingWell and co-author of EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners. She has a master’s degree in nutrition and food sciences, with a focus in weight management.

City of Cleveland Kicks Off Year of Local Foods!

Osupa — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:21:03 +0000

City of Cleveland

Posted January 19th 2012

CLEVELAND - As part of the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability is kicking off the “Year of Local Foods” by hosting a Local Food Fair on January 20, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda. The event is free and open to the public and will give people the opportunity to engage with local vendors, businesses, and farmers. There will be informational tables set up for people to learn how to access local food from the farmers in their communities.

Attendees will be able to sample and purchase a variety of healthy local foods.

Sustainable Cleveland 2019 is a ten year initiative that engages people from all walks of life to work together to adopt more sustainable practices.

WHO: Mayor’s Office of Sustainability

Local vendors, businesses, and farmers

WHAT: Cleveland Conserves’ Year of Local Foods Kick-off

WHEN: Friday, January 20, 2012

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: City Hall Rotunda

601 Lakeside Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Please note that you must bring photo identification to enter the City Hall Rotunda.

Eat Yourself Lucky: Good Luck Foods For New Year’s Day!

Osupa — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:55:28 +0000

Delish.com

By Megan Ahern

Posted December 30th 2011

Around the world, people eat certain foods that are thought to symbolize luck in the new year. We’ve collected different cultural traditions and recipes to try so you can have the best year ever.

CLICK HERE FOR NEW YEARS GOOD LUCK FOOD AROUND THE WORLD

Looking for a traditional New Year’s Day spread? We’ve got special brunch menus that are great for families or for fancy occasions.

What Our Ancestors Ate For The Holidays!

Osupa — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:47:33 +0000

TheRoot.com

By Natalie Y. Moore

Posted December 26th 2011

Today’s Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are just a taste of how African Americans used to eat.

Before you slice into that sweet potato pie, douse those greens in hot sauce or cut a corner of macaroni and cheese this holiday season, consider what you may be missing.

African-American food historian Leni Sorensen says that the iconic images of soul food during Thanksgiving and Christmas represent a small slice of black American culinary customs. “There’s a wide repertoire of food. Everybody understands the iconic list of greens and pork chops and corn bread and sweet potato pie. But that is only a minor list of all of the different foods that people eat within their own communities,” says Sorensen, a researcher at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

In the late 19th century, geography factored in how people celebrated the yuletide season. During this time, African Americans lived mostly a rural existence, which translated into a farm-to-table lifestyle.

The Taste of Country Cooking by the late culinary giant Edna Lewis resonates for Sorensen because it shows patterns of local community informing holiday celebrations.

“She writes beautifully [about the] central Virginia area and getting ready for Christmas,” Sorensen says. Lewis reminisces about family members telling her stories of the 1880s and 1890s. This was the only time of year in which they savored almonds, oranges and raisins. Christmas Eve supper consisted of oyster stew, country ham and yeast bread with blackberry jelly, alongside cakes and cookies.

In South Carolina, Christmas dinner might consist of rice and shellfish. In New Orleans, the buffet would be filled with seafood from the Gulf Coast.

In the 20th century, as blacks migrated north, new dishes emerged in the urban environment. “People moved away from being on farms very dramatically. Urban families began to eat very differently,” Sorensen says. Domestic workers cooked what the families they worked for craved or perhaps stood behind the stove in a hotel kitchen. And that widened their breadth of cooking.

Thumbing through seminal African-American cookbooks underscores the diversity, and perhaps even peculiarity, of Thanksgiving and Christmas menus — certainly not evocative of what many black families will pile their plates with on Turkey Day.

In the mid-20th century’s The Ebony Cookbook: A Date With a Dish, Freda DeKnight includes a menu for Thanksgiving that features avocado and crabmeat cocktail, eggplant casserole, suet pudding with rum sauce and squash pie. The turkey is prepared in wine.

She also creates a holiday buffet, prefacing the menu by writing, “Red and green predominating in every conceivable combination, gaiety, the spirit of giving … If it isn’t ice or snow, then it’s the tropical touch of live green, real poinsettias, flowers, berries and every imaginable form of life proving that it is time to celebrate. So it’s little wonder that at this time the Board Gourmets have passed a law to ‘Eat, Drink and be Merry,’ and this you shall do if you follow The Little Brown Chef’s menu of colorful, fabulous foods!” DeKnight’s macaroni salad with whole shrimp on a bed of romaine lettuce is molded to resemble a wreath of holly.

To Sorensen, these recipes are proof that African Americans are deeply intertwined with American culinary traditions. “I do resist in many ways that there’s this separate, distinct African-American way to be. I believe that we have been so completely immersed and integral to the development of the general American culinary scene,” Sorensen says.

Spoonbread & Strawberry Wine: Recipes and Reminiscences of a Family by sisters Norma Jean and Carole Darden offers oral history and recipes in chronicling African-American life and culture. Their grandmother’s traditions trickled down. She lived on a dairy farm and wanted milk and cream in the family’s dishes. A favorite dish was painted Christmas cookies, made with rose water and orange-flower water.

This doesn’t mean that soul food this season is antithetical to the black food experience; it’s just not the only one.

Sorensen prepared Thanksgiving dinner for her family this year. She’s been cooking since age 9. Her dinner table will have turkey with corn bread dressing on the side, many quarts of giblet gravy, whole cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. But in homage to her stepfather — who hailed from Algiers, La. — she’ll make smoked oysters for an appetizer, corn and peas as a side dish. And finally, candied yams in a cast-iron pot — without marshmallows. Just like he taught her.

Natalie Y. Moore is a reporter for WBEZ-Chicago. Follow her on Twitter.

Journal Retracts Cleveland Clinic-Linked study!

Osupa — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:19:02 +0000

NewYorkTimes.com

By David Tuller

Posted December 23rd 2011

The journal Science on Thursday fully retracted a controversial study that had linked a mouse leukemia retrovirus to chronic fatigue syndrome, a disabling illness affecting an estimated 1 million people in the United States.

Some data in the study were retracted in September, when the Cleveland Clinic, which participated in the initial research, reported that its findings were the result of laboratory contamination. The notice posted by Science on Thursday cited additional concerns about the research, although the wording made it clear that not all the original authors agreed to the retraction.

“The majority of the authors have agreed in principle to retract the report, but they have been unable to agree on the wording of their statement,” wrote the editor-in-chief, Bruce Alberts. The journal was therefore “editorially retracting” the study on its own, he wrote.

The study, published in October 2009, had been hailed by people with chronic fatigue syndrome as proof that their devastating condition had an organic rather than a psychological origin. As a result, some patients began taking anti- retroviral drugs normally used to treat HIV in hopes that they might work against the suspected retrovirus.

But subsequent research failed to support a link to the mouse retrovirus, called XMRV, although one study found an association with related mouse leukemia retroviruses.

The retraction caps a tumultuous two years of research into chronic fatigue syndrome and marks a surprising twist in the career of Judy A. Mikovits, the senior author of the Science study and former research director of the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease in Reno, Nev.

As doubts grew among scientists about her findings, the relationship between Mikovits and the institute deteriorated. She departed amid a dispute in September and was jailed briefly last month in California after accusations by institute officials that she had taken vital laboratory materials.

The institute, based at the University of Nevada, filed a civil suit, and this week a judge in Nevada ordered Mikovits to return any of the materials in her possession.

Despite the legal morass, Mikovits is continuing to work on a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to clarify whether XMRV or related mouse leukemia viruses are connected to chronic fatigue syndrome. Findings from that study, led by Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, a professor of epidemiology and neurology at Columbia University, are expected by March.

Mikovits said in a telephone interview that she remained confident of retroviral involvement in chronic fatigue syndrome and believed that any retraction should have waited until the NIH study is completed.

“That will be the definitive answer,” she said. “If we’re wrong and we can’t reproduce it, then we’ll be wrong, and that’s how science works.”

She declined to comment on her legal difficulties.

The intense scientific debate over the cause of the illness has convinced some leading researchers that patients are suffering from an immune system disorder that is most likely set off by one or more infectious agents, even if XMRV is not one of them. Research and treatment initiatives are under way at Stanford, Mount Sinai, Columbia and other leading medical centers.

In a statement, Annette Whittemore, president of the Whittemore Peterson Institute, said that Thursday’s retraction “is just one chapter in a very important process of scientific discovery.

“We remain focused on the patients who have been underserved and look forward to the rigorous review of our scientific research,” she said.

Lipkin, who is also the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia, said he believed the retraction was premature.

“In my view, the investigation should be allowed to proceed while we sort out what’s real and not real,” Lipkin said. Those with the illness, he added, are “a group of people who have had their hopes dashed more than once, and they deserve a full hearing of the data.”

Almost 1 In 5 Women In U.S. Have Been Sexually Assaulted, CDC Reports!

Osupa — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:19:55 +0000

Bloomberg.com

By Molly Peterson

Posted December 20th 2011

Almost one in five U.S. women have been sexually assaulted, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a 2010 survey of 16,507 adults, 18.3 percent of women and 1.4 percent of men said they had been victims of rape or attempted rape at some point in their lives, the CDC said today in the first report of its kind.

Victims of domestic violence, rape or stalking are more likely to suffer long-term health problems such as frequent headaches, chronic pain and difficulty sleeping, the CDC report said. Previous research by the health agency suggests such violence costs the U.S. more than $8 billion in medical expenses, mental-health costs and lost productivity.

“The numbers from the first year of data collection are astounding,” Linda Degutis, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said on a conference call with reporters. The survey is the first to provide national estimates and data from all states on sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking, she said.

About 1.3 million women were sexually assaulted in the 12 months prior to the survey, according to the report. About 5.2 million women, and 1.4 million men, were stalked in that period. More than 12 million women and men said they had been the victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the previous year, Degutis said.

“Most of these victims first experienced these types of violence before they were 25 years old, often during their teenage years,” she said.

Previous Report Dwarfed

The CDC figures dwarf a Department of Justice estimate that 188,380 sexual assaults occurred in the U.S. last year, a 24 percent decline from 2009. That study, released in September, surveyed 40,974 U.S. households.

“The measurement of rape or sexual assault represents one of the most serious challenges in the field of victimization research,” the Justice Department said in its report. “Rape and sexual assault remain sensitive subjects that are difficult to ask about in the survey context.”

Studies show most sexual assaults go unreported, in part because victims may feel ashamed, embarrassed, or afraid that police won’t believe an assault occurred, according to the Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice.

State Statistics

Alaska had the highest rate of sexual violence against women in the CDC survey, with 29 percent reporting that they had been raped in their lifetimes. Oregon and Nevada followed, with 27 percent and 26 percent, respectively.

Virginia had the lowest prevalence of rape, with 11 percent of women saying they had been victims of the crime. Tennessee had the second-lowest rate with 13.6 percent, followed by Delaware with 14.2 percent.

Oklahoma had the highest rate of domestic violence, and North Dakota had the lowest. About 49 percent of women surveyed in Oklahoma, and 25 percent in North Dakota, said they had been raped, assaulted or stalked by a partner in their lifetimes.

“The prevalence of sexual and intimate-partner violence is staggering,” Esta Soler, president of Futures Without Violence, a San Francisco-based advocacy group, said today in an e-mail. “Given that victimization is starting younger, we need to do more to prevent violence with intervention programs for children and adolescents.”

More than 42 percent of female rape victims said the crime occurred before they had reached the age of 18, and 80 percent said they were raped before the age of 25, according to the report. Almost 28 percent of male rape victims said the crime occurred when they were 10 years old or younger.

The Atlanta-based CDC developed the study, known as the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, with the Defense Department and the National Institute of Justice. The agency began collecting surveillance data last year from English- and Spanish-speaking adults living in the U.S.

The aim of the study is to help officials “stop the violence before it happens,” Degutis said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Molly Peterson in Washington at mpeterson9@bloomberg.net

Michelle Obama Event Breaks World Record For Most People Doing Jumping Jacks In 24-Hour Period!

Osupa — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:25:35 +0000

Associated Press

Posted December 13th 2011

WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama now holds part of a world record.The first lady announced in an email Monday that her October bid to break the record for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period succeeded. Mrs. Obama says 300,265 people participated, shattering the old record.

In order to achieve her goal, Mrs. Obama led about 400 elementary and middle-school students from Washington in jumping jacks on the South Lawn of the White House. Other jumping jacks events were held around the world on Oct. 11.

The effort was organized by National Geographic Kids magazine in support of the first lady’s Let’s Move! initiative to promote physical fitness and healthy eating for children.

Harlem Hairdressers Join Fight Against HIV/AIDS!

Osupa — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:39:18 +0000

DNAInfo.com

By Jeff Mays, DNA Info Reporter/Producer

Posted December 7th 2011

(PHOTO: ROCHELLE WALTERS, OWNER HAIR ON MADISON)

HARLEM — As a hairdresser for the past 23 years, Rochelle Walters often develops very personal relationships with her clients. That’s why she has no problems dishing out warnings about safe sex or the prospects of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS.

Now Walters is going to use her chair at Hair on Madison to officially spread information about HIV/AIDS as part of the Hairdressers Against AIDS campaign.

The program, sponsored by the L’Oreal Fondation D’ Entreprise in conjunction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is designed to help hairdressers speak to their clients about the disease.

“We become their confidants,” said Walters. “They know we are not going to steer them wrong. We become the other doctor, giving them prescriptions of life knowledge.”

Walters and other participating hairdressers will soon be handing out pamphlets with detailed information about prevention and testing.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn joined Assemblymen Robert Rodriguez, celebrity hairstylists and AIDS activists in Harlem for Worlds AIDS Day, to kick off the advocacy campaign’s second year.

“We see our hairdressers more than anyone else. They know about our families, the birth of a child, our deepest, darkest secrets,” said Christine Schuster, U.S. chair of Hairdressers Against AIDS.

Harlem Councilwoman Inez Dickens said she visits her hairdresser every 10 days but only sees her primary care doctor once per year. “They are our therapists. I talk to my hairdresser much more than I should,” said Dickens.

Celebrity hairdresser Kimmi Hendrix, whose clients include Jennifer Hudson, Adam Sandler and Queen Latifah, said she’s had both a client and close friend pass away from AIDS.

And when she told a friend and fellow stylist that she was participating in this initiative, the stylist told her for the first time that they had been living with HIV for 20 years.

“There is a regular dialogue about these issues that needs to take place and the salon is the best place for this conversation because when people walk out of the salon, the conversation continues,” said Hendrix.

More than 1.2 million Americans have HIV/AIDS and about 20 percent of those infected are unaware of it. In the African-American community AIDS is the leading cause of death for women ages 25 to 34 years old.

Even as talk of a vaccine or cure increases, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still wreaking havoc among black women. While women account for 1 of 4 new infections overall, African-American women make up two-thirds of new infections among women.

“It’s the ‘Not Me’ syndrome,” said Deborah Levine, vice president of community development for the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. “A lot of women think AIDS doesn’t look like me or sound like me. I’m a better judge of character.”

For Maria Davis, 51, a hip-hop promoter and HIV/AIDS activist who contracted the HIV virus 16 years ago from a heterosexual relationship, the campaign will address what she calls the “mental thing” surrounding HIV/AIDS.

“We have to get into their heads and figure out why they think HIV/AIDS is a disease they can’t get or that they don’t need to talk about,” said Davis, who fell victim to the idea that she couldn’t get the disease because she wasn’t gay or an IV drug user.

“People need to understand that you don’t have to be infected to be affected by this disease,” said Davis.

High Heels Still Hurt, Still Hazardous To Your Health!

Osupa — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:06:33 +0000

HuffingtonPost.com

By Marielle Bingham

Posted November 21st 2011

Evidence has confirmed what women have already known for years: uber-high heels are not only painful to wear, but also a hazard to your health. In other news, the sky is still blue.

A recent survey of 1,000 women done by the shoe company MBT found that more than 40% of the high-heel wearers have suffered an accident in them — most often from falling over, according to the Guardian.

In addition to injuries due to clumsiness, Luisa Dillner writes in the Guardian that heels over three inches carry a health risk. Three inches?! That’s what we call a kitten heel.

According to Dillner, heels surpassing the three-inch mark can “seriously increase the pressure on the ball of your foot (up to seven times with heels over 3in high) and affect pretty much every part of your lower body as you walk.”

The uneven weight distribution from high heels results in a shorter calf muscle and a thicker Achilles tendon. This makes it extra painful when the foot is flat on the ground and results in sore and inflamed tendons, according to a study in The Journal of Experimental Biology. Bunions and hammer toes are some of the other painful effects from heels.

Previous studies have also proven the inconvenient truths of stilettos, as a similar study out of Harvard found an increased risk for arthritis in one’s knees from reckless heel-wearing.

Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? And here’s the kicker: the guy you’re trying to impress with those sexy heels isn’t even noticing. Another study showed that men don’t even take note when women wear those sky-high pumps.

In conclusion… we will continue to wear high heels.