Connect with us

Health

The Cigna Group Foundation and YMCA Partner To Improve Community Vitality in Five Cities

Initial Focus on Social Support for Older Adults and Teen Leadership

Published

on

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. /PRNewswire/ — Communities serve as our connection points. Cultivating relationships enhances our emotional health and can improve our physical health, strengthen our resilience, and give us energy to take on challenges. All of these dimensions make up our vitality, which is defined as the ability to pursue life with health, strength, and energy. The Cigna Group’s proprietary research finds people with high vitality are at least six times more likely to say they feel a sense of belonging in their community. This is just one of the many reasons that The Cigna Group Foundation is proud to partner with the YMCA to help support the vitality and well-being of the communities we collectively serve.

Over the next three years, The Cigna Group Foundation will support YMCA programming focused on improving personal vitality. In its first year, the program will be implemented in local YMCA locations in Houston, Memphis, Nashville, Phoenix and St. Louis. Programs across all markets are designed to help teens and young adults develop leadership and post-college skills and offer older adults more opportunities for social connection and healthy activities to improve overall mental wellness.

“Building connections – whether at home, work or school – is central to improving the health and vitality of individuals and our communities,” said David Cordani, Chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group. “The YMCA of the USA plays an instrumental role in fostering connections across the communities they serve. We are excited to partner with the YMCA to reach more people at pivotal stages of their lives with programming to support their health and well-being. Together, we are building stronger, healthier and more vital communities.” 

“The Y understands that taking even small steps to improve vitality can have a big impact on the lives of people of all ages,” said Suzanne McCormick, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA. “YMCAs provide welcoming and safe environments where all people – regardless of age or background – can get the support they need to achieve and maintain good health in spirit, mind and body. The generous funding from The Cigna Group Foundation ensures that Ys serving these five communities can help even more people understand why and how to improve their vitality.”

The programming will vary across the different cities. Some specific activities include:

Houston: At the YMCA of Greater Houston, over 500 teens will have access to experiences that foster a culture of service, including support in achieving academic and workforce goals as well as civic engagement opportunities where they experience government policies and methodologies firsthand.

Memphis: The Georgette and Cato Johnson YMCA in Whitehaven will help provide post-secondary opportunities, help bridge the achievement gap, and develop life skills that will allow city youth to succeed in life. 

Advertisement
20221115 affiliate Newsletter0000

Nashville: The Northwest Family YMCA in historically Black North Nashville will strengthen its Active Older Adults programming, which extends beyond senior-focused group exercise classes to include social events, lunch-and-learns, and fellowship and camaraderie – along with the Northwest Y’s first-ever Run, Walk or Roll event.

Phoenix: The Valley of the Sun YMCA will engage seniors in social activities to reduce isolation. This will include its YMCA Outreach Program for Aging Seniors (Y-OPAS), which provides services to seniors such as transportation to medical appointments, shopping, and errands, as well as monthly luncheons and fitness classes that promote and support self-sufficiency and independent living.

St. Louis: The Gateway Region YMCA will utilize funding for a dedicated staff person focused on improving social connectedness, decreasing isolation and identifying opportunities for seniors to be well emotionally, mindfully and physically. This will include wrap-around support through programming such as fitness classes, health resources, social activities, Senior Olympics, pickleball, nutrition education and community gardens. 

The programming at these five locations is supported by a $1 million grant, first announced last year, to better address and help improve the vitality of local communities.

About The Cigna Group Foundation

The Cigna Group Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those communities where employees of The Cigna Group live and work.

About the Y

Advertisement
20221115 affiliate Newsletter0000

Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships, and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. Learn more at ymca.org.

SOURCE The Cigna Group Foundation

Author

SLeeves SPR Newsletter

Stay up-to-date with the latest Pickleball news, and be the first to know when the newest episode of Sleeve’s Senior Pickleball Report is released on YouTube and much more.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Advertisement
20221115 affiliate Newsletter0000

Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Lifestyle

Get chronic UTIs? Future treatments may add more bacteria to your bladder to beat back harmful microbes

Researchers developed a biomaterial releasing beneficial E. coli to combat urinary tract infections by outcompeting harmful bacteria, aiming to reduce antibiotic resistance and manage chronic UTIs effectively.

Published

on

bacteria
Certain strains of E. coli can outcompete disease-causing microbes for resources. NIAID/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Sarguru Subash, Texas A&M University

Millions of people in the U.S. and around the world suffer from urinary tract infections every year. Some groups are especially prone to chronic UTIs, including women, older adults and some veterans.

These infections are typically treated with antibiotics, but overusing these drugs can make the microbes they target become resistant and reduce the medicines’ effectiveness.

To solve this problem of chronic UTIs and antibiotic resistance, we combined our expertise in microbiology and engineering to create a living material that houses a specific strain of beneficial E. coli. Our research shows that the “good” bacteria released from this biomaterial can compete with “bad” bacteria for nutrients and win, dramatically reducing the number of disease-causing microbes.

With further development, we believe this technique could help manage recurring UTIs that do not respond to antibiotics.

Bringing bacteria to the bladder

For the microbes living in people, nutrients are limited their presence varies between different parts of the body. Bacteria have to compete with other microbes and the host to acquire essential nutrients. By taking up available nutrients, beneficial bacteria can stop or slow the growth of harmful bacteria. When harmful bacteria are starved of important nutrients, they aren’t able to reach high enough numbers to cause disease.

Delivering beneficial bacteria to the bladder to prevent UTIs in challenging, though. For one, these helpful bacteria can naturally colonize only in people who are unable to fully empty their bladder, a condition called urinary retention. Even among these patients, how long these bacteria can colonize their bladders varies widely.

Current methods to deliver bacteria to the bladder are invasive and require repeated catheter insertion. Even when bacteria are successfully released into the bladder, urine will flush out these microbes because they cannot stick to the bladder wall.

Advertisement
20221115 affiliate Newsletter0000
Micrograph of clusters of pink rods scattered across a blue textured wall, while yellow blobs extend thin tendrils across the clumps
This microscopy image shows the bladder of a mouse (blue) covered with E. coli (pink) and the white blood cells (yellow) attacking them. Valerie O’Brien, Matthew Joens, Scott J. Hultgren, James A.J. Fitzpatrick, Washington University, St. Louis/NIH via Flickr, CC BY-NC

Biomaterials to treat UTIs

Since beneficial bacteria cannot attach to and survive in the bladder for long, we developed a biomaterial that could slowly release bacteria in the bladder over time.

Our biomaterial is composed of living E. coli embedded in a matrix structure made of gel. It resembles a piece of jelly about 500 times smaller than a drop of water and can release bacteria for up to two weeks in the bladder. By delivering the bacteria via biomaterial, we overcome the need for the bacteria to attach to the bladder to persist in the organ.

We tested our biomaterial by placing it in human urine in petri dishes and exposing it to bacterial pathogens that cause UTIs. Our results showed that when mixed in a 50:50 ratio, the E. coli outcompeted the UTI-causing bacteria by increasing to around 85% of the total population. When we added more E. coli than UTI-causing bacteria, which is what we envision for future development and testing, the proportion of E. coli increased to over 99% of the population, essentially wiping out the UTI-causing bacteria. Moreoever, the biomaterial continued releasing E. coli for up to two weeks in human urine.

Our findings suggest that E.coli could stick around and survive in the bladder for extended periods of time and successfully decrease the growth of many types of bacteria that cause UTIs.

Person pressing hands against stomach. bacteria
UTIs can be painful. Images we create and what actually happens are always beautiful when we have imagination/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Improving biomaterials

Our findings show that E. coli can not only control harmful bacteria it’s closely related to but also a broad range of disease-causing bacteria in humans and animals. This means scientists might not need to identify different types of beneficial bacteria to control each pathogen – and there are many – that can cause a UTI.

Our team is currently evaluating how effectively our biomaterial can cure UTIs in mice. We are also working to identify the specific nutrients that beneficial and harmful bacteria compete over and what factors may help beneficial bacteria win. We could add these nutrients to our biomaterial to be released or withheld.

This research is still at an early stage, and clinical uses are not in development yet, so if it does reach patients it will be well in the future. We hope that our technology could be refined and applied to control other bacterial infections and some cancers caused by bacteria.

Sarguru Subash, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Advertisement
20221115 affiliate Newsletter0000

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.


Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Does Your Favorite Brand of Dark Chocolate Contain Dangerous Metals?

According to a recent article from Consumer Reports, there are some brands of Dark Chocolate that contain dangerous levels of lead, and cadmium. 

Published

on

Consumer Reports found dangerous heavy metals in dark chocolate from popular brands.

Dark Chocolate

According to a recent article from Consumer Reports, there are some brands of Dark Chocolate that contain dangerous levels of lead, and cadmium. 

Dark Chocolate has become popular due to studies suggesting that they are rich in antioxidants,  which is beneficial to the heart, and it having low sugar properties that positively impact health. 

grey metal on soil. dark chocolate
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The article, which was posted in mid December, states that 28 popular brands were tested, and that 23 of them contained high levels of the dangerous metals. 

For more details, check out the article from Consumer Reports: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/

STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.

https://stmdailynews.com/

Author

  • Rod Washington

    Rod: A creative force, blending words, images, and flavors. Blogger, writer, filmmaker, and photographer. Cooking enthusiast with a sci-fi vision. Passionate about his upcoming series and dedicated to TNC Network. Partnered with Rebecca Washington for a shared journey of love and art. View all posts


Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Healthy Habits for Your Home

If you’re like most Americans, health is an important aspect of your resolutions when each new year rolls around. While factors like diet and exercise are keys to healthy living, so are the ways you care for your home and belongings.

Published

on

home

(Family Features) If you’re like most Americans, health is an important aspect of your resolutions when each new year rolls around. While factors like diet and exercise are keys to healthy living, so are the ways you care for your home and belongings.

Good Habits start at Home

Your home living environment plays a major role in your health and comfort, so incorporating some new habits like these from the cleaning experts at Swash Laundry Detergent can help you establish a healthier lifestyle.

Control Air Quality
Especially during the winter months when your home tends to be closed tight, air can grow stale. Do your best to keep air quality strong by opening windows on mild days to circulate fresh air, using an air purifier to remove irritants and pollutants, frequently vacuuming and sweeping to keep floor dust and debris under control and regularly cleaning textiles that can trap allergens and other particles.

Scale Back Detergent Use
Using too much laundry detergent isn’t just risking buildup and unnecessary wear on your washer and dryer; it can also increase the residue and buildup in your clothes, which can lead to skin irritation and damage fabric faster. Using only what you need helps protect your belongings and your skin. An option like Swash Laundry Detergent, which features a Precision Pour Cap, dispenses the detergent for you, so you only pour what you need to effectively clean each load and fight stains. A single bottle of the ultra-concentrated formula – available in Simply Sunrise, Free & Clear and Pure Linen scents – washes up to 83 loads while taking up less space than traditional, bulky detergent bottles.

Make Use of Natural Light
When winter brings day after day of dark, dreary weather, it can take a toll on your mood. Brightening your living space with natural light can positively influence your emotional state while helping with your electric bill. If you’re concerned about privacy, utilize window treatments at night, but let the sunlight bring good cheer to your living spaces during the day.

Switch Bedding on Schedule
While you sleep, your body sheds oils, cells and elements you carry into your home like pollen. Sheets should be washed once a week on the hottest water setting your fabric will tolerate (check tags for laundering directions on your sheets before washing). If your schedule makes weekly washing, drying and remaking the bed unrealistic, consider having a couple sets you can rotate so you always have fresh, clean sheets waiting to remake your bed on laundry day.

Work Up (and Wash Out) a Sweat
The materials that keep you feeling cool and fresh by wicking away sweat can quickly get stinky, but over-washing can make them lose their shape and fade. Even so, washing after every use is a must. Washing workout clothes inside out exposes the surfaces that have absorbed sweat and body oil to detergent and agitation. Be sure to close zippers, buttons, clasps and other fasteners to prevent snags. Pre-soaking with equal parts vinegar and cold water can also help eliminate odors, and washing in a gentle, cold-water cycle and drying on low heat can help protect the fabric’s elasticity and wicking properties.

Start your year off right with more advice for healthy habits around the home at Swash.com.

Advertisement
20221115 affiliate Newsletter0000

5 Ideas for an Organized, Intentional Laundry Space

Having an organized and decorated laundry room can ease the weight of your to-do list and the tension you feel from the day-to-day grind. It can also help keep your laundry routine simple, orderly and organized. Consider these tips from the laundry experts at Swash:

1. Think like a minimalist.
Empty your laundry space and sort through what you need and what you don’t. Eliminating the extras leaves room to evaluate your space. Consider whether you could organize differently to make frequently used items more accessible and make the most of your storage space. Cutting down on clutter may even make it possible to incorporate shelves or cabinets that add stylish functionality.

2. Update your space with open shelving.
Open laundry shelves offer a sense of more space, and the horizontal lines can lend a sense of calm. For an easy and attractive upgrade, try hanging 2-3 open shelves within easy reach. If you’re hesitant about the open feel, limit to just one shelf for the everyday necessities and keep the rest of your laundry supplies out of sight in a complementing cabinet. Baskets offer another option for concealing your belongings, whether you use them on the open shelves or inside cabinets to keep things tidy and clutter-free.

3. Create a practical workspace.
Mundane laundry chores like folding can be more enjoyable when you have a comfortable, dedicated space for the job. An open counter or table that folds down from the wall gives you the surface you need to fold clothing within your laundry space without disrupting the rest of the house. Other ways to add practical space include areas for sorting garments that need special attention and a place to hang items that shouldn’t be dried in the dryer.

4. Use colors and materials that evoke calm.
Natural materials and a neutral color palette can lend to a more peaceful space. Lighter neutral colors reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation and can even make a space feel more expansive. For a calm, refreshing area, start with a base of white then add natural textures like woven baskets, faux or real plants and marble stone accents in the tile flooring or backsplash. Add a calming color like blue to evoke the tranquility of the sky or ocean, or consider green to incorporate the soothing effects of nature.

5. Invest in products that bring you joy.
Choose quality pieces that aren’t overly trendy and will stand the test of time. Consider how your investment of laundry decor, including your washer and dryer, will serve you in the space in the coming years.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman making bed)

Advertisement
20221115 affiliate Newsletter0000

collect?v=1&tid=UA 482330 7&cid=1955551e 1975 5e52 0cdb 8516071094cd&sc=start&t=pageview&dl=http%3A%2F%2Ftrack.familyfeatures
SOURCE:
Swash

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

Author

  • Rod Washington

    Rod: A creative force, blending words, images, and flavors. Blogger, writer, filmmaker, and photographer. Cooking enthusiast with a sci-fi vision. Passionate about his upcoming series and dedicated to TNC Network. Partnered with Rebecca Washington for a shared journey of love and art. View all posts


Discover more from Daily News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Continue Reading

Trending