Health
5 Lifestyle Changes to Help Combat Incontinence
(Family Features) Sometimes living a healthy lifestyle can feel like an impossible task when combined with all your other responsibilities like working a full-time job, taking care of family and friends or spending time in the gym. Add dealing with an underlying health condition and it may seem almost overwhelming.
For example, a condition such as urinary incontinence is a common problem that is often difficult to manage and can range from a light leak while coughing or sneezing to even greater loss of bladder control.
In fact, almost two-thirds of U.S. women over the age of 20 will experience leaking, according to the experts at FitRight Fresh Start. While stress, aging and obesity can cause incontinence, certain health events unique to women such as pregnancy, childbirth and menopause can also cause problems with the muscles and nerves that help control your bladder.
Consider these healthy lifestyle changes to help combat issues like urinary incontinence:
Focus on Fluid Intake
While it may seem counterintuitive when dealing with certain conditions, it’s important to hydrate appropriately. In fact, drinking too infrequently can cause other issues like dehydration. To avoid frequent or urgent needs to urinate, the Mayo Clinic recommends drinking smaller amounts throughout the day, such as 16 ounces with each meal and 8 ounces between meals. If you find yourself waking multiple times at night to urinate, try drinking more of your fluids in the morning and afternoon rather than evening, and avoid alcohol and beverages with caffeine like coffee, tea and soda.
Make Dietary Modifications
The things you eat can have an impact on your condition – both positively and negatively. For example, alcohol; spicy foods; chocolate; artificial sweeteners; caffeinated, carbonated and citrus beverages; and high-acid foods, like citrus and tomatoes, may contribute to bladder irritation, according to the National Institutes of Health. On the other hand, consider incorporating more of these foods considered good for bladder health:
- Blueberries
- Green beans
- Cauliflower
- Winter squash
- Sea bass
- Eggs or egg whites
- Whole grains
- Nuts
Manage Bladder Leaks
Changing day-to-day habits may improve bladder control, but for those living with leaks, it’s important to manage the condition rather than letting it disrupt your life or define you. One way to do that is choosing products that allow you to live your life to the fullest.
For example, created for women by women, FitRight Fresh Start offers a range of options including discreet underwear, surface protectors, liners and pads that fit close to your body and smoothly under your clothes – all available in a variety of sizes and styles – deliver one-of-a-kind wetness and odor control and uncompromising personal care. The proven power of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda helps fight odor faster and longer, and ultra-advanced materials instantly absorb and trap moisture to keep you feeling dry and confident all day long. Additionally, they’re built for maximum comfort for discreet use whether you’re staying on the couch or heading out on the town, and the 100% breathable materials enriched with vitamin E help soften and protect sensitive skin.
Maintain a Healthy Weight and Stay Active
Two factors that have been shown to be part of nearly every healthy lifestyle include overall body strength and weight loss, which can be improved by increasing physical activity. Seek out exercises you enjoy so you can get physical while having fun. Aim for 30 minutes daily of low-impact activities such as brisk walking, biking or swimming.
Stop Smoking
As a habit that can be detrimental to overall health, smokers are also more likely to suffer more severe symptoms from a variety of conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic. For instance, heavy smokers may also develop a chronic cough, which could cause pressure on the bladder, further aggravating urinary incontinence.
Find more savvy tips to slow urinary incontinence at FitRightFreshStart.com.
Understanding Urinary Incontinence
If you’re experiencing bladder leaks, dealing with them and the frustrations they bring shouldn’t keep you from freely living your full, multifaceted life. Designed for women by women, FitRight Fresh Start offers this information to help you learn about leaks and understand what’s happening to give you the power to keep bladder leaks from disrupting or defining your life.
Common Kinds of Urinary Incontinence
Strong urges: That overwhelming need to use the restroom right away is known as urge incontinence, which frequently involves some level of unwelcome, involuntary leakage.
Stress and pressure: This is the type of incontinence many people experience and hate when they leak a little (or sometimes a lot) simply because a tiny sneeze or good laugh put extra pressure on the bladder. Jumping and heavy lifting are also causes.
Ongoing overflow: If it feels like your bladder is never completely empty and you feel a slow, continuous drip, you’re experience overflow incontinence.
Common Causes of Urinary Incontinence
Motherhood: Carrying a bundle of joy inside your body for nine months then giving birth is bound to put pressure on your pelvic floor muscles, which don’t always bounce back, especially after multiple births.
Menopause: Leaks can begin in perimenopause, before you actually stop having periods, usually in your 40s or 50s. As hormones shift, lower estrogen levels can lead to less elastic, weaker pelvic floor muscles.
Medical issues: Health conditions like diabetes, nerve or joint conditions, urinary tract infections and obesity can cause bladder leaks, too, as well as physical limitations that inhibit your ability to make it to the bathroom in time.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
SOURCE:
FitRight Fresh Start
https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/
Child Health
Pediatric Cancer Goes Beyond a Victory Bell: How Research and Innovation Improve Survivorship Rates
(Feature Impact) For every tear-jerking video found online of a child ringing a bell that signifies a cancer journey victory, there are dozens, if not more, people working behind the scenes. From leading minds in cancer research to doctors, nurses and support staff, a vast network of people and decades of medical advancements make those moments possible.
In fact, in the last 10 years, the FDA approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. Those breakthroughs – and the children they impact – come with a cost, which is why Hyundai Hope on Wheels has served as a pioneer in increasing survival rates by investing $303 million in pediatric cancer research over nearly three decades.
Those funds have supported more than 1,600 grants to 210 institutions, leading to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials and new drug development while bringing hope at all stages of a child’s cancer journey.
However, there remains work to be accomplished. According to a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that. In fact, more than one-third of respondents said they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard the term but don’t fully understand what it means.
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment, including planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy.
Survival rates continue increasing with scientific and technological breakthroughs, up from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing roughly 40,000 more children surviving their diagnoses. More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by that progress.
For survivors, treatment is just the beginning. Research, follow-up care and long-term funding determine what comes next, and every grant funded and every survivorship program backed means more children reaching adulthood.
According to the survey, more than 80% of adults said they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, creating opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer. Collaboration among leading minds, made possible by funding from organizations like Hyundai Hope on Wheels, has led to the development of comprehensive approaches to help children thrive during life after cancer, including enhanced medical records, AI integration, socioemotional support and combatting long-term side effects.
Find more information and ways you can join the fight by visiting HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
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Food and Beverage
4 Daily Brain Health Habits for Better Cognition
Daily Brain Health Habits: Your brain works hard for you, so it’s only fair to return the favor by practicing simple everyday habits to keep this important organ strong and thriving. Start by tweaking your daily routine to focus on these four habits and eating nourishing recipes like California Grape and Sardine Avocado Toast.
4 Daily Brain Health Habits for Better Cognition
(Feature Impact) Your brain works hard for you, so it’s only fair to return the favor by practicing simple everyday habits to keep this important organ strong and thriving.
Start by tweaking your daily routine to focus on these four habits.
Prioritize Sleep
Getting quality sleep is vital for proper brain function. If you find you’ve slipped into the habit of staying up later than you should or notice your sleep being disrupted during the night, those are signs to revisit your sleep hygiene practices. Start by establishing a regular bedtime and wake-up time that will give you the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep. Turn your bedroom into a comfortable refuge from the world – keep it cool and dark, and set up fans or noise machines if you need them to quiet your mind. Avoid consuming caffeine or alcohol too close to bedtime and try switching to a book instead of a screen when it’s time to wind down.
Eat Smart
Just like the rest of the body, the brain is nourished by food. Some of its favorite foods are options rich in healthy fats like fish, avocado, olive oil and nuts, as well as vegetables like leafy greens, which offer carotenoids, and fruits such as grapes, which deliver antioxidants and other polyphenols.
Combine several of these powerful brain-boosting foods at once with this California Grape and Sardine Avocado Toast recipe. The fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and the avocado offers a boost of healthy unsaturated fat, while the grapes add protective dietary flavonols, which may help promote anti-inflammatory and beneficial antioxidant activity.
A study published in the scientific journal “Neurology” found a higher intake of certain flavonols – including three naturally found in grapes – is associated with a 48% decreased risk of developing Alzheimer dementia.
Get Moving
Adding even more proof that what’s good for your body is good for your mind, getting regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your brain. Motivate yourself by choosing a form of movement you genuinely enjoy, whether it’s a daily walk on a nearby nature trail, a dance class, a bike ride or a heart-pumping workout video.
Challenge Your Mind
Don’t forget to give your brain its own workout, too. Doing something mentally stimulating every day is a great way to keep yourself sharp, and there are plenty of ideas to choose from. Try learning a new language, picking up a musical instrument, playing a mind-engaging card or board game, doing a puzzle, reading a book or immersing yourself in a creative writing or art project. The options are nearly endless, and if you want to make your brain extra happy, you can snack on handfuls of grapes as you enjoy your hobby.
Learn more about the connection between grapes and brain health and discover more recipes by visiting GrapesFromCalifornia.com.
California Grape and Sardine Avocado Toast
Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
- 1 large firm, ripe avocado, halved and pitted
- 4 small slices rustic whole grain bread (1/2-inch thick), toasted or grilled
- 1 individual container sardines in olive oil or water, drained
- 1/2 cup quartered red and black Grapes from California
- Aleppo pepper flakes
- fresh cilantro, snipped
- 1 lemon half
- salt (optional)
- With spoon, scoop avocado out of skin and use fork to coarsely mash.
- Spread onto bread slices and top with whole or torn sardines. Sprinkle grapes over sardines.
- Top with generous sprinkle of Aleppo pepper, cilantro, squeeze of fresh lemon and salt, if desired.
Nutritional information per serving: 290 calories; 11 g protein; 29 g carbohydrates; 16 g fat (50% calories from fat); 2.5 g saturated fat (8% calories from saturated fat); 20 mg cholesterol; 210 mg sodium; 6g fiber.
SOURCE:
California Table Grape Commission
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Health
Truth Initiative and NAACP Expand Partnership to Advance Health Equity and Increase Access to Proven Quit Resources
Health Equity
When we talk about health equity, we’re really talking about who gets the chance to live a longer, healthier life — and who has been systematically denied that chance. Tobacco and nicotine addiction remain a clear example of that imbalance, especially in Black communities and other historically marginalized groups.
That’s why Truth Initiative and the NAACP are expanding their partnership to increase access to proven quit support and to reframe nicotine cessation as something bigger than an individual choice. Their new phase of collaboration launches the Breath of Freedom Movement, powered by Truth Initiative and the NAACP — a community-centered effort that combines civil rights leadership with public health expertise.
A movement rooted in community and accountability
The Breath of Freedom Movement builds on the work of the Breath of Freedom coalition, an alliance led by Truth Initiative across Black-led organizations. The coalition’s mission has been to reclaim the narrative around tobacco use, confront the ways the industry has shaped that narrative, and connect people to support that respects culture, history, and lived experience.
This expansion arrives at a critical moment. According to the press release, approximately 45,000 Black Americans die each year from smoking-related illness. The burden is not accidental — it has been driven in large part by decades of targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products.
The release highlights another stark disparity: more than 80% of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared with 43% of adult smokers overall. Menthol products are often described as easier to start and harder to quit, which makes access to culturally relevant cessation resources not just helpful, but essential.
Launching at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago
The Breath of Freedom Movement will officially launch at the NAACP National Convention, taking place July 18–22, 2026, in Chicago. The convention theme, “We, The People,” commemorates the nation’s 250th anniversary and marks 100 years since Chicago first hosted the NAACP conference in 1926.
As part of the convention programming, Truth Initiative will debut the Rise Together EXperience: Culture, Community, and Nicotine-Free Lives — an immersive mobile exhibit designed to explore how tobacco use and industry marketing tactics have impacted Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities. The exhibit is also meant to connect people to quit support in a way that feels accessible and grounded in real community conversations.
What the expanded partnership will do
Truth Initiative and the NAACP say this partnership is designed to move beyond awareness and into action — action that’s rooted in community spaces where trust already exists. The expanded collaboration will focus on:
- Hosting culturally relevant presentations, community forums, workshops, and healing-centered discussions about the health consequences of smoking, vaping, and nicotine addiction, with a focus on disproportionate impacts.
- Advancing the Breath of Freedom mission by reframing nicotine cessation as an act of liberation and resistance to the tobacco industry’s exploitation of Black communities.
- Co-developing and distributing culturally relevant public health content, including toolkits, digital resources, and community-informed cessation materials.
- Promoting awareness of and access to proven quit resources — including Truth Initiative’s EX Program — in partnership with Black-led organizations, faith-based groups, LGBTQ+ advocates, and other culturally aligned stakeholders.
- Strengthening local, regional, and national outreach strategies that elevate community voices and mobilize grassroots support for nicotine prevention and cessation.
In the release, Dr. Chris T. Pernell, Director of the NAACP Center of Health Equity, underscored that health equity requires more than information — it requires accountability and community-rooted action that connects people with tools for healing and freedom from addiction.
Quitting as liberation — not just willpower
One of the most important shifts in this work is the language: quitting isn’t framed as a moral test or a matter of “just trying harder.” Instead, it’s positioned as a supported process — and as a way for communities to push back against systems that have profited from addiction.
As Dr. Dartis noted in the announcement, the tobacco industry has targeted Black communities for generations with products and marketing designed to drive nicotine addiction. The expanded partnership aims to meet people where they are — in trusted spaces, through meaningful conversations, and with resources that recognize culture and lived experience.
Bridging public health data and lived experience
The press release also notes that Dr. Dartis will be featured in an upcoming NAACP docuseries focused on bridging the gap between public health data and the lived experiences of Black men in America. The project will explore the systems, relationships, and environments that shape health outcomes, while highlighting resilience and calling for accountability from the systems meant to serve communities.
How to get free quit support
If you or someone you care about is ready to quit smoking, vaping, or other nicotine products, free support is available through Truth Initiative’s EX Program.
- Text JoinFreedom to 88709
- Visit exprogram.com
Local resources (Arizona)
If you’re in Arizona and want additional, local support, consider these options:
- Arizona Smokers’ Helpline (ASHLine): Call 1-800-55-66-222 or visit https://www.azdhs.gov/ashline/ for free quit coaching and support for Arizona residents.
- Arizona 2-1-1: Dial 2-1-1 (or visit 211arizona.org) to get connected to local health services, community programs, and support resources.
- Primary care clinics and community health centers: If you have a regular doctor or use a community clinic, ask about quit plans and nicotine replacement options. Many clinics can help you build a step-by-step approach and connect you to additional programs.
The takeaway
The Breath of Freedom Movement is a reminder that nicotine addiction doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s connected to policy, marketing, access to care, and the long history of unequal health outcomes in the United States. By combining community leadership with proven quit resources, Truth Initiative and the NAACP are working to ensure that communities most impacted by tobacco-related harm have the support they need to heal, quit, and thrive.
Credit: Truth Initiative. News provided by Truth Initiative via PRNewswire, July 17, 2026.
- Related Links
- https://www.exprogram.com (or exprogram.com)
- https://www.azdhs.gov/ashline/
- https://211arizona.org
💪 Your health journey starts here! Explore the latest health news, fitness tips, wellness trends, and healthy living advice. Share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe to the STM Daily News newsletter to stay informed and inspired every day.
