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They are doing it again because we didn't hang them the last time. The World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme ran yet another pandemic simulation the first week of April with the goal “to test a new global coordination mechanism for health emergencies”. An actual conspiracy, not a theoretical one. Twenty regional health agencies across 15 countries participated, as well as 350 health emergency groups, simulated how national sovereignty would be usurped under the threat of another plandemic and given to the World Health Organization. They were short on details, but the goal was to create the justification for the “Pandemic Treaty” to get another shot at approval. The Octopus of Global Control Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3xu0rMm Hypocrazy Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4aogwms Website: www.Macroaggressions.io Activist Post: www.activistpost.com Sponsors: Chemical Free Body: https://www.chemicalfreebody.com Promo Code: MACRO C60 Purple Power: https://c60purplepower.com/ Promo Code: MACRO Wise Wolf Gold & Silver: www.Macroaggressions.gold LegalShield: www.DontGetPushedAround.com EMP Shield: www.EMPShield.com Promo Code: MACRO ECI Development: https://info.ecidevelopment.com/-get-to-know-us/macro-aggressions Christian Yordanov's Health Program: www.livelongerformula.com/macro Privacy Academy: https://privacyacademy.com/step/privacy-action-plan-checkout-2/?ref=5620 Brain Supreme: www.BrainSupreme.co Promo Code: MACRO Above Phone: abovephone.com/macro Promo Code: MACRO Van Man: https://vanman.shop/?ref=MACRO Promo Code: MACRO My Patriot Supply: www.PrepareWithMacroaggressions.com Activist Post: www.ActivistPost.com Natural Blaze: www.NaturalBlaze.com Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/macroaggressionspodcast
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday new visa restrictions against foreign nationals involved in censoring the speech of U.S. citizens. “For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio announced in a post on social media platform X.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas Gaza chief, Mohammad Sinwar, one of its most wanted and the younger brother of the deceased group's leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been eliminated.The U.S. and Argentina are calling on other nations to follow their lead in leaving the World Health Organization. After a meeting between US health secretary RFK Jr. and the Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday, the two nations are now proposing an alternative to the WHO.
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski returns to the tried and true topic of WWII, continues her obsession with Jack O'Connell, and shares media she's been interested in as of late.
Today we have Jenny. She is 53 yeas old from Belgrade, MT and took her last drink on August 25th, 2015. This episode brought to you by Better Help – 10% off of your first month Exact Nature use code RE20 to save 20% off your order The message that alcohol is good for you is outdated. Paul shares an article from GQ that was released shortly after the World Health Organization declared that no amount of alcohol is safe for you. WELCOME to all our new listeners to the RE podcast! [03:56] Thoughts from Paul: In the interviews on this podcast, you've heard the word nature probably hundreds of times as a powerful tool to help overcome an addiction. Today Paul shares with us a specific free tool that can enhance your experience in nature: the Merlin bird app. There is science behind how birding can help you heal. Listening to birds reduces cortisol, slows your heart rate and triggers the parasympathetic nervous system which calms us. The opposite of addiction is connection, and Paul shares that he feels a connection to some of his local birds. He encourages us to give birds a chance as they have the capacity to take our connection to nature to the next level. [08:03] Paul introduces Jenny: Jenny was originally a guest on episode 86. Jenny lives in Belgrade, MT and says teaching fitness classes is her passion. She enjoys music, her chickens, playing golf and pickleball, and loves concerts and comedy as well. Jenny had her first drink when she was just nine years old. Her parents drank socially and any time there was a party at their house, she and her brother or friends would sneak alcohol. In high school, she and her friends didn't participate in activities, so they just drank and dabbled with marijuana and hallucinogens. Jenny moved from Helena to Bozeman to attend college and it was then when the drinking and drug use ramped up. While working in a restaurant, Jenny says drinking after work was common, and she was later introduced to harder drugs which she used for several years. Jenny quit the harder drugs but drinking remained. It ebbed and flowed after she got married and had kids. Her drinking escalated when her husband became a firefighter and would work very long shifts. This time was stressful for Jenny with multiple young children and battling postpartum anxiety. Over time Jenny would start drinking earlier in the day but felt she was very high functioning therefore didn't see her drinking as a problem. Jenny began to realize that her drinking was becoming an issue, but no one said anything to her, so she decided to quit on her own without telling anyone. She didn't attend AA and just used exercise and podcasts to help her quit. It took a bit for others to notice, but she was confident in her decision in spite of them insisting that she didn't have a problem. In 2016, Jenny learned she had stage 2 breast cancer. She says that it was aggressively treated and once in remission, she didn't know what to do with herself. She started running half marathons and decided to use her degree in exercise and wellness and started teaching exercise classes which she loves. Recently, Jenny and her husband hit a rough patch, and they have been attending counseling. Their counselor told Jenny they thought she might be a dry drunk and suggested she start the AA program. Jenny says she needed to hear that and has recently began going to AA and has gotten a sponsor who she is about to tackle step work with. Jenny also has learned that she suffers from several different disorders that have given her a lot of “a-ha” moments about who she is. Jenny shares her journey with the world now. She believes being our authentic selves is most important. Jenny has learned that she needs to protect her mental health and her sobriety above all. Jenny's parting piece of guidance: listen to that inner voice. Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up. I love you guys. RE on Instagram RE merch Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes
Cohosts Yvette Raphael and Ben Plumley unpick the major news coming out of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. – from the new pandemic treaty, to WHO budget and staffing cuts, to increases in membership fees and voluntary contributions. They ruminate on how the current seemingly-unstoppable geopolitical chaos is affecting the ability of global health institutions like the World Health Organisation to deliver – and deliver on what exactly? What can the WHO actually do in such a fractured political climate? They reflect on US Secretary of Health and Human Service's video presentation to the World Health Assembly, which at the very best, can't be called the best example of American power and diplomacy. Which perhaps was the point. They cover a few broader issues Which leads them to a few extra-curricular activities – the diplomatic manner in which South African President Cyril Ramaphosa immediately deflected a bizarre meeting at the US White House, complete with lies, videotape and no offers of jumbo jets. Before hitting Geneva, Yvette was at the European Congress on Obesity and Weight Management in Barcelona delving into the complex interactions between HIV and weight issues. They close out a no holds barred conversation on a recent announcement made by the Global Fund of a new groundbreaking partnership between Mozambique and a Kenyan pharmaceutical company, which they were too coy to name. So Yvette and Ben give the company, United Corporation Ltd of Kenya a big shout out… 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:24 Support and Subscription Reminder 00:56 World Health Assembly Recap Begins 01:23 Yvette's European Trip and Obesity Congress 02:02 HIV and Weight Issues Discussion 04:09 Elon Musk's Controversial Comments 08:19 Pandemic Treaty and Global Health Governance 14:32 WHO Budget Cuts and Leadership Changes 18:15 Global South's Role in Health Funding 28:45 China's Growing Influence in Global Health 33:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 45:14 Closing Remarks and Acknowledgements
Good Sunday morning to you,I am just on a train home from Glasgow, where I have been gigging these past two nights. I've had a great time, as I always seem to do when I go north of the wall.But Glasgow on a Saturday night is something else. My hotel was right next to the station and so I was right in the thick of it. If I ever get to make a cacatopian, end-of-days, post-apocalyptic thriller, I'll just stroll through Glasgow city centre on a Friday or Saturday night with a camera to get all the B roll. It was like walking through a Hieronymus Bosch painting only with a Scottish accent. Little seems to have changed since I wrote that infamous chapter about Glasgow in Life After the State all those years ago. The only difference is that now it's more multi-ethnic. So many people are so off their heads. I lost count of the number of randoms wandering about just howling at the stars. The long days - it was still light at 10 o'clock - make the insanity all the more visible. Part of me finds it funny, but another part of me finds it so very sad that so many people let themselves get into this condition. It prompted me to revisit said chapter, and I offer it today as your Sunday thought piece.Just a couple of little notes, before we begin. This caught my eye on Friday. Our favourite uranium tech company, Lightbridge Fuels (NASDAQ:LTBR), has taken off again with Donald Trump's statement that he is going to quadruple US nuclear capacity. The stock was up 45% in a day. We first looked at it in October at $3. It hit $15 on Friday. It's one to sell on the spikes and buy on the dips, as this incredible chart shows.(In other news I have now listened twice to the Comstock Lode AGM, and I'll report back on that shortly too). ICYMI here is my mid-week commentary, which attracted a lot of attentionRight - Glasgow.(NB I haven't included references here. Needless to say, they are all there in the book. And sorry I don't have access to the audio of me reading this from my laptop, but, if you like, you can get the audiobook at Audible, Apple Books and all good audiobookshops. The book itself available at Amazon, Apple Books et al).How the Most Entrepreneurial City in Europe Became Its SickestThe cause of waves of unemployment is not capitalism, but governments …Friedrich Hayek, economist and philosopherIn the 18th and 19th centuries, the city of Glasgow in Scotland became enormously, stupendously rich. It happened quite organically, without planning. An entrepreneurial people reacted to their circumstances and, over time, turned Glasgow into an industrial and economic centre of such might that, by the turn of the 20th century, Glasgow was producing half the tonnage of Britain's ships and a quarter of all locomotives in the world. (Not unlike China's industrial dominance today). It was regarded as the best-governed city in Europe and popular histories compared it to the great imperial cities of Venice and Rome. It became known as the ‘Second City of the British Empire'.Barely 100 years later, it is the heroin capital of the UK, the murder capital of the UK and its East End, once home to Europe's largest steelworks, has been dubbed ‘the benefits capital of the UK'. Glasgow is Britain's fattest city: its men have Britain's lowest life expectancy – on a par with Palestine and Albania – and its unemployment rate is 50% higher than the rest of the UK.How did Glasgow manage all that?The growth in Glasgow's economic fortunes began in the latter part of the 17th century and the early 18th century. First, the city's location in the west of Scotland at the mouth of the river Clyde meant that it lay in the path of the trade winds and at least 100 nautical miles closer to America's east coast than other British ports – 200 miles closer than London. In the days before fossil fuels (which only found widespread use in shipping in the second half of the 19th century) the journey to Virginia was some two weeks shorter than the same journey from London or many of the other ports in Britain and Europe. Even modern sailors describe how easy the port of Glasgow is to navigate. Second, when England was at war with France – as it was repeatedly between 1688 and 1815 – ships travelling to Glasgow were less vulnerable than those travelling to ports further south. Glasgow's merchants took advantage and, by the early 18th century, the city had begun to assert itself as a trading hub. Manufactured goods were carried from Britain and Europe to North America and the Caribbean, where they were traded for increasingly popular commodities such as tobacco, cotton and sugar.Through the 18th century, the Glasgow merchants' business networks spread, and they took steps to further accelerate trade. New ships were introduced, bigger than those of rival ports, with fore and aft sails that enabled them to sail closer to the wind and reduce journey times. Trading posts were built to ensure that cargo was gathered and stored for collection, so that ships wouldn't swing idly at anchor. By the 1760s Glasgow had a 50% share of the tobacco trade – as much as the rest of Britain's ports combined. While the English merchants simply sold American tobacco in Europe at a profit, the Glaswegians actually extended credit to American farmers against future production (a bit like a crop future today, where a crop to be grown at a later date is sold now). The Virginia farmers could then use this credit to buy European goods, which the Glaswegians were only too happy to supply. This brought about the rise of financial institutions such as the Glasgow Ship Bank and the Glasgow Thistle Bank, which would later become part of the now-bailed-out, taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).Their practices paid rewards. Glasgow's merchants earned a great deal of money. They built glamorous homes and large churches and, it seems, took on aristocratic airs – hence they became known as the ‘Tobacco Lords'. Numbering among them were Buchanan, Dunlop, Ingram, Wilson, Oswald, Cochrane and Glassford, all of whom had streets in the Merchant City district of Glasgow named after them (other streets, such as Virginia Street and Jamaica Street, refer to their trade destinations). In 1771, over 47 million pounds of tobacco were imported.However, the credit the Glaswegians extended to American tobacco farmers would backfire. The debts incurred by the tobacco farmers – which included future presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (who almost lost his farm as a result) – grew, and were among the grievances when the American War of Independence came in 1775. That war destroyed the tobacco trade for the Glaswegians. Much of the money that was owed to them was never repaid. Many of their plantations were lost. But the Glaswegians were entrepreneurial and they adapted. They moved on to other businesses, particularly cotton.By the 19th century, all sorts of local industry had emerged around the goods traded in the city. It was producing and exporting textiles, chemicals, engineered goods and steel. River engineering projects to dredge and deepen the Clyde (with a view to forming a deep- water port) had begun in 1768 and they would enable shipbuilding to become a major industry on the upper reaches of the river, pioneered by industrialists such as Robert Napier and John Elder. The final stretch of the Monkland Canal, linking the Forth and Clyde Canal at Port Dundas, was opened in 1795, facilitating access to the iron-ore and coal mines of Lanarkshire.The move to fossil-fuelled shipping in the latter 19th century destroyed the advantages that the trade winds had given Glasgow. But it didn't matter. Again, the people adapted. By the turn of the 20th century the Second City of the British Empire had become a world centre of industry and heavy engineering. It has been estimated that, between 1870 and 1914, it produced as much as one-fifth of the world's ships, and half of Britain's tonnage. Among the 25,000 ships it produced were some of the greatest ever built: the Cutty Sark, the Queen Mary, HMS Hood, the Lusitania, the Glenlee tall ship and even the iconic Mississippi paddle steamer, the Delta Queen. It had also become a centre for locomotive manufacture and, shortly after the turn of the 20th century, could boast the largest concentration of locomotive building works in Europe.It was not just Glasgow's industry and wealth that was so gargantuan. The city's contribution to mankind – made possible by the innovation and progress that comes with booming economies – would also have an international impact. Many great inventors either hailed from Glasgow or moved there to study or work. There's James Watt, for example, whose improvements to the steam engine were fundamental to the Industrial Revolution. One of Watt's employees, William Murdoch, has been dubbed ‘the Scot who lit the world' – he invented gas lighting, a new kind of steam cannon and waterproof paint. Charles MacIntosh gave us the raincoat. James Young, the chemist dubbed as ‘the father of the oil industry', gave us paraffin. William Thomson, known as Lord Kelvin, developed the science of thermodynamics, formulating the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature; he also managed the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable.The turning point in the economic fortunes of Glasgow – indeed, of industrial Britain – was WWI. Both have been in decline ever since. By the end of the war, the British were drained, both emotionally and in terms of capital and manpower; the workers, the entrepreneurs, the ideas men, too many of them were dead or incapacitated. There was insufficient money and no appetite to invest. The post-war recession, and later the Great Depression, did little to help. The trend of the city was now one of inexorable economic decline.If Glasgow was the home of shipping and industry in 19th-century Britain, it became the home of socialism in the 20th century. Known by some as the ‘Red Clydeside' movement, the socialist tide in Scotland actually pre-dated the First World War. In 1906 came the city's first Labour Member of Parliament (MP), George Barnes – prior to that its seven MPs were all Conservatives or Liberal Unionists. In the spring of 1911, 11,000 workers at the Singer sewing-machine factory (run by an American corporation in Clydebank) went on strike to support 12 women who were protesting about new work practices. Singer sacked 400 workers, but the movement was growing – as was labour unrest. In the four years between 1910 and 1914 Clydebank workers spent four times as many days on strike than in the whole of the previous decade. The Scottish Trades Union Congress and its affiliations saw membership rise from 129,000 in 1909 to 230,000 in 1914.20The rise in discontent had much to do with Glasgow's housing. Conditions were bad, there was overcrowding, bad sanitation, housing was close to dirty, noxious and deafening industry. Unions grew quite organically to protect the interests of their members.Then came WWI, and inflation, as Britain all but abandoned gold. In 1915 many landlords responded by attempting to increase rent, but with their young men on the Western front, those left behind didn't have the means to pay these higher costs. If they couldn't, eviction soon followed. In Govan, an area of Glasgow where shipbuilding was the main occupation, women – now in the majority with so many men gone – organized opposition to the rent increases. There are photographs showing women blocking the entrance to tenements; officers who did get inside to evict tenants are said to have had their trousers pulled down.The landlords were attacked for being unpatriotic. Placards read: ‘While our men are fighting on the front line,the landlord is attacking us at home.' The strikes spread to other cities throughout the UK, and on 27 November 1915 the government introduced legislation to restrict rents to the pre-war level. The strikers were placated. They had won. The government was happy; it had dealt with the problem. The landlords lost out.In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917, more frequent strikes crippled the city. In 1919 the ‘Bloody Friday' uprising prompted the prime minister, David Lloyd George, to deploy 10,000 troops and tanks onto the city's streets. By the 1930s Glasgow had become the main base of the Independent Labour Party, so when Labour finally came to power alone after WWII, its influence was strong. Glasgow has always remained a socialist stronghold. Labour dominates the city council, and the city has not had a Conservative MP for 30 years.By the late 1950s, Glasgow was losing out to the more competitive industries of Japan, Germany and elsewhere. There was a lack of investment. Union demands for workers, enforced by government legislation, made costs uneconomic and entrepreneurial activity arduous. With lack of investment came lack of innovation.Rapid de-industrialization followed, and by the 1960s and 70s most employment lay not in manufacturing, but in the service industries.Which brings us to today. On the plus side, Glasgow is still ranked as one of Europe's top 20 financial centres and is home to some leading Scottish businesses. But there is considerable downside.Recent studies have suggested that nearly 30% of Glasgow's working age population is unemployed. That's 50% higher than that of the rest of Scotland or the UK. Eighteen per cent of 16- to 19-year-olds are neither in school nor employed. More than one in five working-age Glaswegians have no sort of education that might qualify them for a job.In the city centre, the Merchant City, 50% of children are growing up in homes where nobody works. In the poorer neighbourhoods, such as Ruchill, Possilpark, or Dalmarnock, about 65% of children live in homes where nobody works – more than three times the national average. Figures from the Department of Work and Pensions show that 85% of working age adults from the district of Bridgeton claim some kind of welfare payment.Across the city, almost a third of the population regularly receives sickness or incapacity benefit, the highest rate of all UK cities. A 2008 World Health Organization report noted that in Glasgow's Calton, Bridgeton and Queenslie neighbourhoods, the average life expectancy for males is only 54. In contrast, residents of Glasgow's more affluent West End live to be 80 and virtually none of them are on the dole.Glasgow has the highest crime rate in Scotland. A recent report by the Centre for Social Justice noted that there are 170 teenage gangs in Glasgow. That's the same number as in London, which has over six times the population of Glasgow.It also has the dubious record of being Britain's murder capital. In fact, Glasgow had the highest homicide rate in Western Europe until it was overtaken in 2012 by Amsterdam, with more violent crime per head of population than even New York. What's more, its suicide rate is the highest in the UK.Then there are the drug and alcohol problems. The residents of the poorer neighbourhoods are an astounding six times more likely to die of a drugs overdose than the national average. Drug-related mortality has increased by 95% since 1997. There are 20,000 registered drug users – that's just registered – and the situation is not going to get any better: children who grow up in households where family members use drugs are seven times more likely to end up using drugs themselves than children who live in drug-free families.Glasgow has the highest incidence of liver diseases from alcohol abuse in all of Scotland. In the East End district of Dennistoun, these illnesses kill more people than heart attacks and lung cancer combined. Men and women are more likely to die of alcohol-related deaths in Glasgow than anywhere else in the UK. Time and time again Glasgow is proud winner of the title ‘Fattest City in Britain'. Around 40% of the population are obese – 5% morbidly so – and it also boasts the most smokers per capita.I have taken these statistics from an array of different sources. It might be in some cases that they're overstated. I know that I've accentuated both the 18th- and 19th-century positives, as well as the 20th- and 21st-century negatives to make my point. Of course, there are lots of healthy, happy people in Glasgow – I've done many gigs there and I loved it. Despite the stories you hear about intimidating Glasgow audiences, the ones I encountered were as good as any I've ever performed in front of. But none of this changes the broad-brush strokes: Glasgow was a once mighty city that now has grave social problems. It is a city that is not fulfilling its potential in the way that it once did. All in all, it's quite a transformation. How has it happened?Every few years a report comes out that highlights Glasgow's various problems. Comments are then sought from across the political spectrum. Usually, those asked to comment agree that the city has grave, ‘long-standing and deep-rooted social problems' (the words of Stephen Purcell, former leader of Glasgow City Council); they agree that something needs to be done, though they don't always agree on what that something is.There's the view from the right: Bill Aitken of the Scottish Conservatives, quoted in The Sunday Times in 2008, said, ‘We simply don't have the jobs for people who are not academically inclined. Another factor is that some people are simply disinclined to work. We have got to find something for these people to do, to give them a reason to get up in the morning and give them some self-respect.' There's the supposedly apolitical view of anti-poverty groups: Peter Kelly, director of the Glasgow-based Poverty Alliance, responded, ‘We need real, intensive support for people if we are going to tackle poverty. It's not about a lack of aspiration, often people who are unemployed or on low incomes are stymied by a lack of money and support from local and central government.' And there's the view from the left. In the same article, Patricia Ferguson, the Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Maryhill, also declared a belief in government regeneration of the area. ‘It's about better housing, more jobs, better education and these things take years to make an impact. I believe that the huge regeneration in the area is fostering a lot more community involvement and cohesion. My real hope is that these figures will take a knock in the next five or ten years.' At the time of writing in 2013, five years later, the figures have worsened.All three points of view agree on one thing: the government must do something.In 2008 the £435 million Fairer Scotland Fund – established to tackle poverty – was unveiled, aiming to allocate cash to the country's most deprived communities. Its targets included increasing average income among lower wage-earners and narrowing the poverty gap between Scotland's best- and worst-performing regions by 2017. So far, it hasn't met those targets.In 2008 a report entitled ‘Power for The Public' examined the provision of health, education and justice in Scotland. It said the budgets for these three areas had grown by 55%, 87% and 44% respectively over the last decade, but added that this had produced ‘mixed results'. ‘Mixed results' means it didn't work. More money was spent and the figures got worse.After the Centre for Social Justice report on Glasgow in 2008, Iain Duncan Smith (who set up this think tank, and is now the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) said, ‘Policy must deal with the pathways to breakdown – high levels of family breakdown, high levels of failed education, debt and unemployment.'So what are ‘pathways to breakdown'? If you were to look at a chart of Glasgow's prosperity relative to the rest of the world, its peak would have come somewhere around 1910. With the onset of WWI in 1914 its decline accelerated, and since then the falls have been relentless and inexorable. It's not just Glasgow that would have this chart pattern, but the whole of industrial Britain. What changed the trend? Yes, empires rise and fall, but was British decline all a consequence of WWI? Or was there something else?A seismic shift came with that war – a change which is very rarely spoken or written about. Actually, the change was gradual and it pre-dated 1914. It was a change that was sweeping through the West: that of government or state involvement in our lives. In the UK it began with the reforms of the Liberal government of 1906–14, championed by David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill, known as the ‘terrible twins' by contemporaries. The Pensions Act of 1908, the People's Budget of 1909–10 (to ‘wage implacable warfare against poverty', declared Lloyd George) and the National Insurance Act of 1911 saw the Liberal government moving away from its tradition of laissez-faire systems – from classical liberalism and Gladstonian principles of self-help and self-reliance – towards larger, more active government by which taxes were collected from the wealthy and the proceeds redistributed. Afraid of losing votes to the emerging Labour party and the increasingly popular ideology of socialism, modern liberals betrayed their classical principles. In his War Memoirs, Lloyd George said ‘the partisan warfare that raged around these topics was so fierce that by 1913, this country was brought to the verge of civil war'. But these were small steps. The Pensions Act, for example, meant that men aged 70 and above could claim between two and five shillings per week from the government. But average male life- expectancy then was 47. Today it's 77. Using the same ratio, and, yes, I'm manipulating statistics here, that's akin to only awarding pensions to people above the age 117 today. Back then it was workable.To go back to my analogy of the prologue, this period was when the ‘train' was set in motion across the West. In 1914 it went up a gear. Here are the opening paragraphs of historian A. J. P. Taylor's most celebrated book, English History 1914–1945, published in 1965.I quote this long passage in full, because it is so telling.Until August 1914 a sensible, law-abiding Englishman could pass through life and hardly notice the existence of the state, beyond the post office and the policeman. He could live where he liked and as he liked. He had no official number or identity card. He could travel abroad or leave his country forever without a passport or any sort of official permission. He could exchange his money for any other currency without restriction or limit. He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. For that matter, a foreigner could spend his life in this country without permit and without informing the police. Unlike the countries of the European continent, the state did not require its citizens to perform military service. An Englishman could enlist, if he chose, in the regular army, the navy, or the territorials. He could also ignore, if he chose, the demands of national defence. Substantial householders were occasionally called on for jury service. Otherwise, only those helped the state, who wished to do so. The Englishman paid taxes on a modest scale: nearly £200 million in 1913–14, or rather less than 8% of the national income.The state intervened to prevent the citizen from eating adulterated food or contracting certain infectious diseases. It imposed safety rules in factories, and prevented women, and adult males in some industries,from working excessive hours.The state saw to it that children received education up to the age of 13. Since 1 January 1909, it provided a meagre pension for the needy over the age of 70. Since 1911, it helped to insure certain classes of workers against sickness and unemployment. This tendency towards more state action was increasing. Expenditure on the social services had roughly doubled since the Liberals took office in 1905. Still, broadly speaking, the state acted only to help those who could not help themselves. It left the adult citizen alone.All this was changed by the impact of the Great War. The mass of the people became, for the first time, active citizens. Their lives were shaped by orders from above; they were required to serve the state instead of pursuing exclusively their own affairs. Five million men entered the armed forces, many of them (though a minority) under compulsion. The Englishman's food was limited, and its quality changed, by government order. His freedom of movement was restricted; his conditions of work prescribed. Some industries were reduced or closed, others artificially fostered. The publication of news was fettered. Street lights were dimmed. The sacred freedom of drinking was tampered with: licensed hours were cut down, and the beer watered by order. The very time on the clocks was changed. From 1916 onwards, every Englishman got up an hour earlier in summer than he would otherwise have done, thanks to an act of parliament. The state established a hold over its citizens which, though relaxed in peacetime, was never to be removed and which the Second World war was again to increase. The history of the English state and of the English people merged for the first time.Since the beginning of WWI , the role that the state has played in our lives has not stopped growing. This has been especially so in the case of Glasgow. The state has spent more and more, provided more and more services, more subsidy, more education, more health care, more infrastructure, more accommodation, more benefits, more regulations, more laws, more protection. The more it has provided, the worse Glasgow has fared. Is this correlation a coincidence? I don't think so.The story of the rise and fall of Glasgow is a distilled version of the story of the rise and fall of industrial Britain – indeed the entire industrial West. In the next chapter I'm going to show you a simple mistake that goes on being made; a dynamic by which the state, whose very aim was to help Glasgow, has actually been its ‘pathway to breakdown' . . .Life After the State is available at Amazon, Apple Books and all good bookshops, with the audiobook at Audible, Apple Books and all good audiobookshops. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe
Wellness expert and author Heather Grzych speaks with health innovator James Maskell about one of today's most pressing health concerns: cognitive decline. James shares his personal story of helping his father recover from severe memory loss due to mold exposure and explains why the current medical model is failing to address conditions like Alzheimer's effectively. The conversation explores the early warning signs of cognitive issues, the importance of community-based care, and how lifestyle factors like sleep, nutrition, and social connection play a critical role in brain health. James also discusses his work at the intersection of functional medicine, technology, and community, including new tools like AI-powered decision support and virtual care groups aimed at reversing cognitive decline and transforming how we deliver healthcare. James Maskell is on a mission to flatten the curve of healthcare costs and has spent the past decade innovating at the cross section of functional medicine and community. To that end, he first created the Functional Forum, the world's largest integrative medicine conference with record-setting participation online and growing physician communities around the world. His first organization, podcast and best selling book of the same name, Evolution of Medicine, prepares health professionals for this new era of personalized, participatory medicine. Since then he has created a number of organizations to scale access to health focused care. His projects include Knew Health (affordable alternative to health insurance acq. 2019) HealCommunity (virtual groups as a service acq 2023, and TruNeura (AI powered decision support for reversing cognitive decline). He also consults startups, healthcare systems and sovereign nations in their efforts to adapt to Non Communicable Disease. He is an in demand speaker, thought leader and impresario, being featured by the World Health Organization, TEDMED, HuffPostLive and TEDx, as well as lecturing to healthcare audiences internationally. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two daughters. www.jamesmaskell.com Heather Grzych, ADLC is an American author and expert in Ayurvedic medicine who was formerly the head of product development for a multi-billion-dollar health insurance company. She currently serves as the president of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and is part of the faculty at Mount Madonna Institute College of Ayurveda. Heather's first book, The Ayurvedic Guide to Fertility, has sold thousands of copies worldwide, and her writing has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Yoga Journal, and the Sunday Independent. Her podcast, Wisdom of the Body, holds an average rating of 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and is in the top 3% of podcasts globally. Connect with Heather: Learn more at www.heathergrzych.com Instagram.com/heathergrzych Facebook.com/grzychheather Read the first six pages of The Ayurvedic Guide to Fertility for FREE: https://www.heathergrzych.com Connect with Heather to balance your health with Ayurveda: https://www.heathergrzych.com/book-online
The World Health Organization has now officially passed a controversial pandemic accord. The international agreement is legally binding. What this agreement does is create a new program for the global sharing of pathogen data and samples, on anything that could potentially spark a pandemic. It also makes it so that any pharmaceutical manufacturer that's part of this system now has to give 20 percent of its products for “equitable” distribution.In other news, President Donald Trump met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a press event at the White House. During the talks, Trump raised his concerns that the government in South Africa has not taken strong enough actions to prevent the land seizures and killings of white farmers.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Hidden Lightness with Jimmy Hinton – The FBI has ramped up its efforts to track, arrest, and prosecute child sexual abusers with renewed intensity, and Americans are taking notice. Dan Bongino captured the tone perfectly when he declared, “We're about to ruin your summer if you're a bad guy.” The World Health Organization estimates that 1 billion children globally will...
Welcome to Real Food Recovery, a podcast created by two lifelong processed food addicts with over 100 years of addiction (and recovery) between them. Paige Alexander and Jamie Morgan Reno use their Real Food Recovery podcast and social media channels to share their struggles, lessons learned, tools, tips, and resources that freed them from decades of food addiction, obsession, and loss. In this episode, we have a fascinating conversation with Molly Painschab, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) with a passion for helping individuals overcome the challenges of food addiction and find sustainable recovery. As a co-founder of Sweet Sobriety, an innovative online platform dedicated to ultra-processed food addiction recovery, Molly provides resources, education, and support to individuals worldwide on their journey to healing. Molly is also a prominent voice in the food addiction recovery space as a co-host of the Food Junkies Podcast, a globally recognized platform where experts, advocates, and individuals share their experiences and insights about food addiction, treatment, and recovery. Additionally, Molly co-hosts the Food Shrinks Podcast, offering listeners evidence-based strategies and solutions for breaking free from the grip of ultra-processed foods. Beyond her work with clients and media, Molly is actively involved in advocacy efforts for the recognition of food addiction as a legitimate diagnosis. She serves on the committee responding to the World Health Organization's rejection of their application to recognize food addiction, contributing to research, public awareness campaigns, and professional discourse aimed at challenging stigma and advancing understanding of this issue. You can find more information about Molly www.sweetsobriety.ca In every Real Food Recovery episode, Paige and Jamie take time to answer viewer questions about processed food addiction, obsession, and recovery, be sure to submit yours on their YouTube Channel or Facebook Page. You can also follow Real Food Recovery on Instagram (@realfoodrecovery4u), TikTok (@realfoodrecovery) or at www.realfoodrecovery4u.com.
With the 78th World Health Assembly in full swing, we dig into the main talking point of the conference: the Pandemic Agreement. The landmark treaty was adopted during this year's edition of the annual summit. The agreement is designed to create a world better prepared for pandemics, ensuring a more equitable distribution of lifesaving medical interventions — a key challenge highlighted by the COVID-19 response. We delve into what this means for pandemic preparedness and chart the essential next steps. During the conversation, we also discuss the funding challenges faced by the World Health Organization and possible solutions that are being explored to ensure its sustainable future. For this special episode of our podcast series recorded live on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly, Devex Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Helen Clark, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, the principal adviser to the director-general on program management and the continental incident manager for mpox at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters: https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters
In Episode 149 of Brad & Abbey Zerbo Live, the duo delivers a high-energy breakdown of Trump's strategic withdrawal from the World Health Organization, just as global leaders sign on to a new pandemic treaty. They celebrate the U.S. skipping the World Health Assembly, dissect the propaganda playbook behind the plandemic narrative, and spotlight Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s scorched-earth video address to the WHO, which Brad and Abbey call “the best polite F-you in history.” The conversation expands into the dangers of global governance, Biden's billion-dollar WHO reversal, and the psychological manipulation used to manufacture consent. They also cover a jaw-dropping Trump-era deregulation effort that slashed 47 burdensome rules, explore the hidden impact of unelected bureaucrats, and praise efforts to free the American worker from regulatory strangleholds. With anecdotes about construction jobs, COVID weaponization, Crossfire Hurricane, and Alaska's untapped resource potential, the episode fuses humor, insight, and fire. As usual, the pair wraps with some fan favorites, mosquito alerts, camping rants, and a rally cry for real patriotism. Packed with receipts and righteous outrage, this episode is Brad and Abbey at their uncensored best.
In this episode, Dr. Kate O'Brien, Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals at the World Health Organization (WHO) shares her perspective on the state of global immunization programs halfway through Immunization Agenda 2030; the challenges associated with current measles outbreaks in the United States and around the world; why people who have never seen children die from preventable diseases may seem complacent about vaccines; steps that can be taken to strengthen vaccine confidence while ensuring equitable access to immunization programs; and what's at risk as the United States and other funders cut support for biomedical research and development at a moment when there are numerous promising products to prevent infectious diseases in the research and development pipeline.
In a rare glimmer of hope, 115 Gazans have resettled in France through a university refugee programme, though many had to leave their families behind. Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza grows dire, with 2 million people facing famine, according to the World Health Organization. The World Food Program has exhausted its aid supplies, and while Israel allowed a small number of food trucks to enter on Sunday, humanitarian organisations say it's far from enough after two months of a complete blockade. France 2 has the full report.
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski answers sample AP Literature questions, goes down a Google rabbit hole, and researches birds. Thank you to Dunkin for sponsoring this episode!
Police in El Salvador have arrested Ruth López, a prominent human rights defender who headed the anti-corruption unit at the rights group Cristosal. Also, Ontario approves billions of dollars for four small modular nuclear reactors, making Canada the first G7 country to implement them for civilian use. And, the World Health Organization approves an agreement to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics. Plus, sonideros are gaining widespread popularity and becoming a symbol of cultural pride in Mexico City.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
The British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has announced the suspension of negotiations with Israel on a new trade agreement - due to what he called its "intolerable" and "abominable" recent actions in Gaza. The World Health Organisation says two million people in Gaza are starving. As Israel allows some aid in after an eleven week blockade, the British government says it's nowhere near enough. Also on the programme: Tanzania detains two prominent human rights activists who had travelled to Dar es Salaam to observe an opposition leader's treason case. And we'll have an appreciation of a ballet maestro with an iron fist.(Photo: Britain's Foreign Minister David Lammy delivers a statement on the Israel and Hamas ceasefire deal, at the House of Commons, in London, Britain, January 16, 2025. Credit: House of Commons/Handout via REUTERS)
In our news wrap Tuesday, the UN says no aid has reached Palestinians two days after Israel ended its three-month blockade, the FDA is changing the way it approves annual COVID-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization approved an agreement on how to handle future pandemics and New Orleans police arrested a maintenance worker at the jail where 10 inmates pulled off a daring escape. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Canada Post workers poised to walk off the job on Friday morning. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls joint statement from Canada, UK and France a huge prize for Hamas; more explosions rock southern Gaza. Ontario government buying 2 new helicopters to boost security along the U-S border. Toronto Police to re-investigate 2015 drowning of two men from the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. G7 finance officials meet in Banff, ahead of leaders' summit next month. Researchers say long waits for hip and knee replacements in Canada could be eliminated. World Health Organization approves global treaty on improving pandemic preparedness.
In our news wrap Tuesday, the UN says no aid has reached Palestinians two days after Israel ended its three-month blockade, the FDA is changing the way it approves annual COVID-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization approved an agreement on how to handle future pandemics and New Orleans police arrested a maintenance worker at the jail where 10 inmates pulled off a daring escape. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports the World Health Organization has approved an agreement to better prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics in the wake of the devastation wrought by the coronavirus.
US President Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin truce talks, but Moscow does not commit to a timeline. Britain agrees to remove some trade barriers and collaborate with the European Union on defense as London tries to reset ties with the bloc five years after Brexit. China pledges continued support for the World Health Organization.
Episode 191: Diagnosis of ADHDFuture Dr. Granat explains how to diagnose Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She explained the influence of social media in increasing awareness of ADHD. Dr. Arreaza added input about the validated tools for ADHD diagnosis and highlighted the importance of expert evaluation for the diagnosis of this disorder. Written by Yen Stephanie Granat, MSIV. Ross University School of Medicine. Comments and editing by Hector Arreaza, MD.You are listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California, a UCLA-affiliated program sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care provider for additional medical advice.Steph: I love podcasts—many of us do—and if you, like me, spend any amount of your leisure time listening to podcasts, perusing the news, or scrolling social media; you've likely noticed an alarming trend in the number of discussions we seem to be having about ADHD. It has grown into a very hot topic over the past couple of years, and for some of us, it seems to have even begun sneaking into our “recommended videos” and across our news feeds! Naturally, for the average person this can spur questions like:“Do I have ADHD? Do we all have it? How can I be certain either way, and what do I do if I find myself relating to most of the symptoms that I'm seeing discussed?”Granted that there is a whirlpool of information circulating around this hot topic, I was hoping to spend a bit of time clearly outlining the disorder for anyone finding themselves curious. I believe that can best be achieved through outlining a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand definition of what ADHD is; outlining what it is not; and helping people sift through the fact and the fiction. As with many important things we see discussed on the internet, we're seeing is that there is much more fiction than fact. Arreaza: I'm so glad you chose this topic! I think it is challenging to find reliable information about complex topics like ADHD. Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook are great social media platforms, but we have to admit that fake news have spread like a fire in recent years. So, if you, listener, are looking for reliable information about ADHD, you are in the right place. With ADHD, there aren't any obvious indicators, or rapid tests someone can take at home to give themselves a reliable “yes” or “no” test result. People's concerns with ADHD are valid, and important to address, so we will discuss the steps to identify some of signs and symptoms they are seeing on TikTok or their favorite podcaster. Steph: Healthcare anxiety is a vital factor to consider when it comes to large cultural conversations around our minds and bodies; so, I hope to sweep away some of the misconceptions and misinformation floating around about ADHD. In doing so, I want to help alleviate any stress or confusion for anyone finding themselves wondering if ADHD is impacting their lives! We might even be able to more accurately navigate these kinds of “viral topics” (for lack of a better term) next time we see them popping up on our news feeds.Arreaza: The first thing I want to say about ADHD is “the crumpled paper sign.”Steph: What is that?Arreaza: It is an undescribed sign of ADHD, I have noticed it, and it is anecdotal, not evidence based. When I walk into a room to see a pediatric patient, I have noticed that when the paper that covers the examination table is crumpled, most of the times it is because the pediatric patient is very active. Then I proceed to ask questions about ADHD and I have been right many times about the diagnosis. So, just an anecdote, remember the crumpled paper sign. Steph: When you have patients coming to you asking for stimulants because they think they have ADHD, hopefully, after today, you can be better prepared to help those patients. So, for the average person—anyone wanting to be sure if this diagnosis applies to them—how can we really know?”Arreaza: So, let's talk about diagnosis.Steph: Yes, the clearest information we have is the DSM-5, which defines these disorders, as well as outlines the specific criteria (or “checkpoints”) one needs to meet to be able to have a formal diagnosis. However, this manual is best utilized by a trained professional—in this case, a physician—who can properly assess your signs and symptoms and give you a clear answer. Steph: ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is among the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. That is not to say it does not affect adult—it does—and because it can be easy to miss, it's very possible for someone to have ADHD without knowing. Arreaza: I recently learned that ADD is an outdated term. Some people with ADHD do not have hyperactivity but the term still applies to them. Steph: Yes, there are multiple types that I will explain in just a bit. But overall the disorder is most simply characterized by a significant degree of difficulty in paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or in being overly active in a way that the individual finds very difficult to control. (CDC)Arreaza: How common is ADHD?Steph: The most recently published data from The CDC estimates that 7 million (11.4%) of U.S. children between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. For adults, it is estimated that there are 15.5 million (6%) individuals in the U.S. who currently have ADHD. Arreaza: I suspected it would be more than that. [Anecdote about Boy Scout camp]. Steph: I totally agree. With short videos on TikTok, or paying high subscription fees to skip ads, it feels like as a society we all have a shorter attention span. Arreaza: Even churches are adapting to the new generation of believers: Shorter sermons and shorter lessons.Steph: When it comes to better understanding these numbers, it's also important to know that there are three distinct presentations of ADHD recognized by The CDC and The World Health Organization. Arreaza: The DSM-5 TR no longer uses the word “subtypes” for ADHD. Instead, it uses the word "presentation" to describe the different ways that ADHD may manifest in a person. That reminded me to update my old DSM-5 manual and I ordered it while reading today about ADHD. This means people with ADHD are no longer diagnosed as having a “subtype”. Instead, they are diagnosed with ADHD and a certain “presentation” of symptoms.Steph: These presentations are:Inattentive TypePeople often have difficulty planning or completing tasksThey find themselves easily distracted (especially when it comes to longer, focus-oriented tasks)They can often forget details and specifics, even with things that are part of their daily routineThis used to be referred to as “ADD” (you'll notice the absence of an “H”, segue).Hyperactive-Impulsive TypePeople often have a sense of intense “restlessness”, noticeable even in calm environments.They tend to be noticeably more talkative, and might often be seen interrupting others, or finishing their sentences.They find significant difficulty in being still for extended periods. Because of this, they are often unable to sit through a movie or class time, without fidgeting or getting up and moving around.With this category of ADHD, we often see an impulsiveness that unwittingly leads to risky behavior. Because of this, accidents and bodily injury are more common in individuals with this type of ADHD.Combined TypeThese are individuals who exhibit symptoms from both “Inattentive” and “Hyperactive-Impulsive” ADHD equally.Some listeners might have noticed that the categories are quite different, meaning that ADHD presents in different ways depending on the person! Two people who have ADHD can be in the same room and have vastly different presentations, whilst still having many of the same types of challenges. You also might have noticed what makes the discussion so interesting to the general public, which is also the thing that makes speaking to a professional to get formally tested so important:The diagnostic criteria rely heavily on patterns of behavior, or external variables; rather than on how a person might feel, or certain measurements taken from lab tests.Arreaza: Diagnosing ADHD requires evaluation by a professional who is properly trained for this. Fortunately, we have tools to assist with the diagnosis. The attention deficit must be noted in more than one major setting (e.g., social, academic, or occupational), that's why the information should be gathered from multiple sources, including parents, teachers, and other caregivers, using validated tools, such as:The Neuropsychiatric EEG-Based ADHD Assessment Aid (NEBA), recommended by the American Academy of NeurologyThe Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale (VADPRS) and the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Teacher Rating Scale (VADTRS), recommended by the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.For adults: The validated rating scales include the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS).Steph: This is important because nearly everyone alive has experienced several, if not most, of these behavioral patterns at least once. Whether or not an individual has ADHD, I'm certain we could all think of moments we've had great difficulty focusing or sitting still. Perhaps some of us are incredibly forgetful, or act more impulsively than the average person might find typical. Getting a professional diagnosis is important because it is in skillfully assessing “the bigger picture” of a person's life, or their patterns of behavior, that a skilled physician, who understands the nuances and complexities in these disorders, can properly tell each of us whether we have ADHD, or not.Essentially, most of us could stand to use a bit more focus these days, but far fewer of us would meaningfully benefit from the kinds of treatments and therapies needed by individuals with ADHD to live healthier, more happy and regulated lives.Arreaza: I had a mother who came to discuss the results of the Vanderbilt Questionnaire. I think she left a little disappointed when she heard that, based on the responses from her and the teacher, her son did not have ADHD. Some kids may have behaviors such as being distracted during a meeting, forgetting about homework or having a lot of energy, but that does NOT mean necessarily that they have ADHD, right?Steph: Absolutely! The important thing to remember here is that these patterns of behavior outlined in the DSM-5 are merely an external gauge for a neurological reality. What the science is showing us is that the brains of people with ADHD are wired differently than that of the more “neurotypical” brain. Much like a check engine light would serve as a signal to a driver that something under the hood needs attention; these patterns of behavior, when they begin impeding our day to day lives, might tell us that it's time to see a professional (whether it be an auto mechanic or a trained physician). I think we all know someone who drives with their check engine light and not a care in the world. Arreaza: How serious/urgent is ADHD? Why should we care to make the diagnosis?Steph: Although we've yet to see anyone incur harm solely from having ADHD, it does lead to quite a range of more serious issues, some of which might prove more urgent. In the cases of ADHD, specifically, what we know is that there is a notable degree of dysregulation in some key neurotransmitters, like dopamine and norepinephrine. More plainly, what we are seeing in the brains of people with ADHD is a disruption, or alteration, of some of the brain's key chemicals.These neurotransmitters are largely responsible for much-needed processes like Motivation, Satisfaction, Focus, Impulse control, even things like energy and feelings of happiness. Many of these things serve as “fuel” for our day-to-day lives; things we'd call our “executive function”. These are also what prove dysfunctional in those struggling with ADHD. It is in this sense that we might be able to bridge a meaningful gap between ADHD as being seen through patterns of behaviorthat signal a real, neurological reality.Steph: We often hear of the brain referenced as a kind of supercomputer. A more accurate assessment might be that the brain is more of a network of interconnected computers that run different processes and require continual communication with one another for our brain to function properly and seamlessly. What we're seeing in members of the population with this diagnosis, is a significant disruption in these lines of communication. Although this is a very broad oversimplification, for the purposes of our metaphor is to think of it like our brain chemicals getting caught in a traffic jam, or parts of our brain attempting to communicate to one another with poor cell signal. Arreaza: Making the diagnosis is critical to start treatment because having that level of dysfunction sounds like having a very difficult life.Steph: Yeah! I think that's why this conversation matters so much. There's a sense of urgency there, because much of life is, in fact, boring. Things like paying bills, exercising and eating well, work and school—these are all things that are vital to health and wellbeing in day-to-day life; and for the more neurotypical brain, these things might prove occasionally challenging. Yet, they are still doable. For those with ADHD however, this goes far beyond mere boredom or “laziness” (which proves to be a trigger term for many—more on that in just a bit).For folks listening, I wanted to offer some statistics that show why this is such a big concern for the public, whether one has a formal ADHD diagnosis or not. The facts are figures are:Children with ADHD are more than five times as likely as the child without ADHD to have major depression.A significant increase in the prevalence of anxiety is seen in ADHD patients, ranging from 15% to 35%, when accounting for overlap in symptoms.There are significant correlations in youth diagnosed with ADHD, and those diagnosed with what are known as “externalizing disorders”. These are things like Conduct Disorder, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder.We are seeing a much higher rate of academic problems in kids who have ADHD, like reading disorder, impaired verbal skills, and visual motor integration.We're finding that many, if not most, of these connections are being made after diagnosis. In the case of the “internalized disorders”, like depression and anxiety, we're often seeing years between ADHD diagnoses and the diagnoses of major depressive disorder or anxiety disorders. Given this framework, much of the data is theorized to point towards what we call “negative environmental circumstances”, otherwise known as “ADHD-related demoralization”.For children, this often looks like struggling with sitting still during class, failing to get homework done (because they forgot, or couldn't focus on the tasks at hand), and struggling to focus their attention on what their teacher is saying during lecture. These things often lead to bad grades, discipline or forced time sitting still in detention. This can be seen in more problems at home, with children being disciplined often for behavior that they struggle immensely to control.For adults, this can mean forgetting to pay your bills, missing work meetings, having trouble making appointments, or having difficulty with day-to-day tasks, really anything that requires sustained attention. We often see adults with ADHD who are chasing normalcy with caffeine addictions or even struggling with substance use. Arreaza: Substance use disorder actually can be a way for some people living with ADHD to self-treat their symptoms. Steph: These differences between the individual's experience and the world around them can lead to really powerful feelings of failure or inadequacy. They can affect your social life, your sense of community, and even further limit your capacity to seek help.Literacy in these things is so important—not just for the individual who feels that they may have ADHD, but also for those who are likely to encounter people with ADHD in their own lives. Understanding why some of these patterns pop up, even those who might not have a formal diagnosis, can go a long way to properly approaching these behaviors with success and with empathy.Arreaza: Learning about ADHD is fundamental for primary care doctors. We talked about the high prevalence and the influence of the media in increasing awareness and sometimes increasing public panic. So, we have to be prepared to diagnose or undiagnosed ADHD. Steph: Whether we're the physicians in the room, or the patient in the chair, I think it's important to have a clear understanding of what ADHD is and how it can affect lives. Thanks for listening, I hope we were able to teach you a little more about ADHD. ______________Even without trying, every night you go to bed a little wiser. Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast. We want to hear from you, send us an email at RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. See you next week! _______________References:NICHQ-Vanderbilt-Assessment-Scales PDF: https://nichq.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NICHQ-Vanderbilt-Assessment-Scales.pdfADHD: The facts. ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association. (2023, January 11). https://add.org/adhd-facts/American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5 Task Force. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5™ (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.Gnanavel S, Sharma P, Kaushal P, Hussain S. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and comorbidity: A review of literature. World J Clin Cases. 2019 Sep 6;7(17):2420-2426. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i17.2420. PMID: 31559278; PMCID: PMC6745333.Staley BS, Robinson LR, Claussen AH, et al. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis, Treatment and Telehealth Use in Adults — National Center for Health Statistics Rapid Surveys System, United States, October – November 2023. CDC.Gov, MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:890-895.Danielson ML, Claussen AH, Arifkhanova A, Gonzalez MG, Surman C. Who Provides Outpatient Clinical Care for Adults With ADHD? Analysis of Healthcare Claims by Types of Providers Among Private Insurance and Medicaid Enrollees, 2021. J Atten Disord. 2024 Jun;28(8):1225-1235. doi: 10.1177/10870547241238899. Epub 2024 Mar 18. PMID: 38500256; PMCID: PMC11108736. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38500256/Mattingly G, Childress A. Clinical implications of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: what new data on diagnostic trends, treatment barriers, and telehealth utilization tell us. J Clin Psychiatry. 2024;85(4):24com15592. https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/implications-adult-adhd-diagnostic-trends-treatment-barriers-telehealth/Didier J. My four kids and I all have ADHD. We need telehealth options. STAT News. Published October 10, 2024. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.statnews.com/2024/10/10/adhd-medication-shortage-telehealth-dea-congress/.Hong J, Mattingly GW, Carbray JA, Cooper TV, Findling RL, Gignac M, Glaser PE, Lopez FA, Maletic V, McIntyre RS, Robb AS, Singh MK, Stein MA, Stahl SM. Expert consensus statement for telepsychiatry and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. CNS Spectr. 2024 May 20:1-12. doi: 10.1017/S1092852924000208. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38764385. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38764385/Gabor Maté: The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. (2022). Youtube. Retrieved April 27, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttu21ViNiC0. Theme song, Works All The Time by Dominik Schwarzer, YouTube ID: CUBDNERZU8HXUHBS, purchased from https://www.premiumbeat.com/.
In 2015, the World Health Organisation set the goal of eradicating rabies deaths from dog-bites to “Zero by 2030”. A team at the University of Glasgow and colleagues in Tanzania have been assessing the efficacy of dog vaccination schemes for reducing the numbers of human infections over the last 20 years. As Prof Katie Hampson tells Science in Action, in rural areas especially, vaccinating dog populations does work, but you need to keep at it, and not leave patches untouched. It should be funded as a public health measure, rather than a veterinary issue. Last weekend, the remains of a failed 1972 Soviet mission to Venus landed harmlessly somewhere back on earth. As the BBC's Maddie Molloy explains, the fears were that the robust lander craft would survive re-entry into earth's atmosphere as it was originally engineered to withstand the harsh pressures and chemistry of Venus. How and why then would sketches be emerging of Chinese plans to launch a sample-return mission to Venus in the next decade? Science Journalist Andrew Jones describes some of the challenges they will face collecting droplets of the highly acidic atmosphere somewhere 60km above the surface and turning round to head back to earth. Why? William Bains of Cardiff University is one of a growing number of scientists interested in exploring some of the more exotic possibilities for complex organic biology in the otherwise destructive sulphuric, hot, dense, low pH clouds they will find. Could a different sort of information-encoding molecular chemistry enable life, though not as we know it? Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production Coordinator: Jasmine Cerys George and Josie Hardy Photo: A domestic dog receives a rabies vaccine during a mass vaccination in Bunda, Tanzania, October 8, 2012. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Next week, the global health community will convene in Geneva for the World Health Organization's annual decision-making summit, the World Health Assembly. We preview the pivotal discussions expected to shape the coming year, including the implications of recent leadership changes and cost-saving initiatives at WHO, as well as the evolving role of philanthropic organizations in funding global health. We also discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's self-described “big, beautiful bill,” which made its way through a key congressional tax-writing committee on Wednesday. The 389-page plan would increase taxes on private foundations, place a 5% tax on remittances for non-U.S. citizens, and allow the government to revoke the tax-exempt status of organizations it says support terrorists. To analyze these stories, and others, Devex Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and senior global health reporter Jenny Lei Ravelo for the latest episode of our podcast series. Join our global health reporting team in person or online in Geneva from May 19 to 22 as we host a series of events and roundtables on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly. This journalist-led summit will bring sector leaders to discuss and explore solutions to some of the most pressing issues in global health. Check out the lineup of programs and register here: https://pages.devex.com/devex-checkup-at-wha-78.html
Christian Lindmeier, International Spokesperson for the World Health Organisation discusses the situation on the ground in Gaza.
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski speaks in her native tongue, discusses Jack O'Connell, and recounts her experience at the F1 race in Miami.
“Measles is back, and it's a wake-up call,” proclaimed one regional director from the World Health Organisation who went on to add, “without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.”Measles is a childhood disease which can be deadly. We've been successfully vaccinating against it for decades. So much so that many younger physicians have never seen a child with the disease. But recently, the recorded number of cases has been rising - and this is a global trend. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to man. In an unvaccinated population it will spread like wildfire. So what's behind the rapid rise of measles cases around the world? According to one of our expert witnesses it comes down to three Cs: complacency, convenience and confidence.In this edition of the Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal looks into what's causing the rise in measles cases around the world and asks how this trend can be reversed.Contributors:Doctor Claudia Cojocaru – Romanian physician and neonatologistRobb Butler - Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health: World Health OrganisationDr Benjamin Kasstan-Dabush -Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineFatima Cengic, Regional Immunization Specialist, Europe and Central Asia: UNICEFPresenter: Sandra Kanthal Production: Katie Morgan Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey Technical Producer: James Beard Editor: Tara McDermott
1 in 6 women experience infertility according to the World Health Organization. After 5 years of trying to concieve, Angela Gaston decided to try in vitro fertilization (IVF). In this episode, she shares the long, and at times disappointing, journey of creating the family she's always wanted. Angela's story is a reminder not to give up and that there are multiple ways to start a family. The process may have felt imperfect, but as a phenomenal woman, she persevered through hard times. Now, she gets to experience the joys of motherhood. In this episode you'll hear about: trying to concieve while battling PCOS, symptoms of PCOS, feeling defeated while trying to concieve, feeling like a failure as a wife, exploring fertility and alternative family options like medication, intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and surrogacy, the importance of mindset during periods of infertility, having a long distance partner while pregnant, managing anxiety, giving yourself grace, hearing a heartbeat for the first time, and things she wish she knew before trying to concieve. At the end of the episode, we reframe her limiting belief "you can't get pregnant" to fit more within Angela's desired reality. Stay tuned until the end to shift your mindset. Connect With Us! Angela Gaston @ajlgaston2 @lauren.e.will @ipwomanpodcast imperfectlyphenom.com
Guest Bio This episode featured the co-founders of a first-of-its-kind fertility insurance solution called Flora Fertility. Dr. Christy Lane, President and Co-Founder Dr. Christy Lane is global leader of InsurTech, an investor, founder and award-winning health scientist with expertise in AI, digital health, and wearable devices. Dr. Lane is the Co-Founder of Flora Fertility, the Stanford Wearable Health Lab, as well as Founder and former CEO of Vivametrica. Dr. Lane is also a Venture Partner with IA Capital, an InsurTech/fintech venture firm in New York. Dr. Lane has built her career in women's health research since the 90's, and is blazing a new path forward to combine critical components of wearable tech to help inform insurance policy to make fertility treatments more accessible. As a mom of 3, Dr. Lane has gone through IVF herself and deeply understands the emotional and financial challenges of treatment. She has been recognized as Top 40 Under 40 in Calgary, Female Founders of Insuretech Winner and Top 20 Women in Tech. Laura McDonald, CEO and Co-Founder Laura McDonald is the Co-Founder of Flora Fertility, the first individually-owned insurance solution for fertility and women's health. She formerly founded, scaled, and sold Canada's largest financial media company focused on women and wealth and is passionate about educating women about financial freedom and helping them achieve those goals. She has guided product wholesaling for a major insurance company and helped scale a DTC AI model in the e-commerce space to have global market adoption across 100+ countries. She is a mother of four and the author of two best-selling personal finance books and a former media personality in the financial sector. Highlights from the Show The interview discusses the innovative approach of Flora Fertility, a company co-founded by Christy Lane and Laura McDonald. The company focuses on providing individually owned private insurance coverage for fertility, aiming to address the high demand and financial burden associated with fertility treatments. The discussion highlights the prevalence of fertility issues, with statistics indicating that one in six people may require fertility treatment, a figure recognized by the World Health Organization as a global health issue in 2023. Flora Fertility's insurance product is designed to be accessible and affordable, targeting women aged 20 to 34 with policies ranging from $15 to $70 per month, offering up to $50,000 in coverage for fertility treatments. The founders emphasize the importance of community and education, aiming to create a supportive environment for policyholders that includes perks, benefits, and educational resources. The episode also touches on the broader implications of women's health and the need for more investment and innovation in this area. It highlights the potential for Flora Fertility to change perceptions of insurance among younger generations and to serve as a gateway for other insurance products. The founders' personal experiences with infertility and their professional backgrounds in healthcare and entrepreneurship are key drivers behind the company's mission. Key Points: Innovative Insurance Solution: Flora Fertility offers a unique insurance product specifically for fertility treatments, addressing a significant gap in the market. Global Health Issue: Fertility issues affect one in six people globally, as recognized by the World Health Organization in 2023, highlighting the importance of accessible fertility treatment options. Affordable Coverage: The insurance policies are designed to be affordable, with monthly premiums ranging from $15 to $70, providing up to $50,000 in coverage. Target Demographic: The primary target audience for these policies is women aged 20 to 34, a demographic that can greatly benefit from early and proactive fertility planning. Community and Education: Flora Fertility emphasizes the importance of building a supportive community for policyholders, offering educational resources and additional benefits. Broader Implications for Women's Health: The initiative underscores the need for more investment and innovation in women's health, potentially reshaping perceptions of insurance among younger generations. Founders' Motivation: The personal experiences of the founders with infertility, combined with their professional expertise in healthcare and entrepreneurship, drive the mission and vision of Flora Fertility. This episode is brought to you by The Future of Insurance book series (future-of-insurance.com) from Bryan Falchuk. Follow the podcast at future-of-insurance.com/podcast for more details and other episodes. Music courtesy of Hyperbeat Music, available to stream or download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and more.
Israel continues to maintain a blockade on Gaza and today the World Health Organisation warned that hunger in the territory could have a lasting impact on "an entire generation". Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, speaks to Drivetime.
An Irish entrepreneur, born with sight loss, has secured €2 million in funding to develop pioneering AI software to make the internet more accessible for people of all abilities. Prompted by the development of generative AI, the company, Nexus Inclusion, is set to launch ahead of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) coming into force on June 28th, 2025. The EU legislation requires all businesses trading in Europe to have digitally accessible websites, apps and online products. Founder and CEO Kyran O'Mahoney, an award-winning tech entrepreneur, was born with a 17 per cent vision. He knows firsthand the challenges of navigating life in a digital era. "I founded Nexus Inclusion to change the world so no one is excluded because they are different," commented founder Kyran O'Mahoney. "It is my firm belief that technology and, more importantly, the emergence of AI is the next thing to change the world for people excluded from digital products." According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are 1.3 billion people with a disability worldwide. One in four people needs assistance to access online content, yet less than four per cent* of the top one million websites globally are accessible to people with disabilities. Combining deep knowledge of accessibility, technology, and GenAI, the Nexus Inclusion tech will exceed legislative standards. Unlike accessible tools currently on the market, NexusAI offers real-time solutions for people of all abilities, empowering people with disabilities and those with social or economic restrictions to use technology independently. "If you look at the banking sector, it is still incredibly inaccessible, yet we have an inherent right to financial independence and financial freedom. Some elderly, vision-impaired or people with learning difficulties can't read their own bank statements. Nexus Inclusion's solution will help with this issue. The Nexus AI tool can summarise the key information at a reading level appropriate to the user in a format they are comfortable with. It automatically adds captions or transcripts and ensures that digital products work with assistive technologies. Every customer we onboard will make the world more digitally equal," he continued. Nexus Inclusion employs seven people and plans to build a team of 30 by the end of 2026. Roles are currently available for developers, business development and marketing. The company is positioned for significant growth in the digital accessibility market, estimated at $706 million globally, growing to approximately $958 million by 2029. With EU-wide legislation around the corner, O'Mahoney believes digital accessibility is just the first step, "We need to move beyond Digital Accessibility, which is about making accommodations for people with different abilities. As someone who has grown up with limited vision, I don't want to be accommodated. I want to be included in every aspect of life. To me, this is inclusion. At Nexus Inclusion, our objective is to bridge the digital divide so no one is excluded because they are different. We are all different!" he says. For more information, see: www.nexusinclusion.com. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
Tetanus has probably been around for most of human history, or even longer. But it’s preventable today thanks to vaccines. Research: "Emil von Behring." Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present, edited by Brigham Narins, Gale, 2008. Gale In Context: Science, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1619001490/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=464250e5. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025. Breasted, J.H., translator. “OIP 3. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, Volume 1: Hieroglyphic Transliteration, Translation, and Commentary.” Oxford University Press. 1930. Chalian, William. “An Essay on the History of Lockjaw.” Bulletin of the History of Medicine, FEBRUARY, 1940, Vol. 8, No. 2. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44446242 Emil von Behring: The founder of serum therapy. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2025. Thu. 17 Apr 2025. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1901/behring/article/ Galassi, Francesco Maria et al. “Tetanus: historical and palaeopathological aspects considering its current health impact.” Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene vol. 65,4 E580-E585. 31 Jan. 2025, doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2024.65.4.3376 George, Elizabeth K. “Tetanus (Clostridium tetani Infection).” StatPearls. January 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482484/ Hippocrates. “VI. Diseases, Internal Affections.” Harvard University Press. 1988. Jean-Marc Cavaillon, Historical links between toxinology and immunology, Pathogens and Disease, Volume 76, Issue 3, April 2018, fty019, https://doi.org/10.1093/femspd/fty019 Jones CE, Yusuf N, Ahmed B, Kassogue M, Wasley A, Kanu FA. Progress Toward Achieving and Sustaining Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination — Worldwide, 2000–2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:614–621. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7328a1 Kaufmann, Stefan H E. “Remembering Emil von Behring: from Tetanus Treatment to Antibody Cooperation with Phagocytes.” mBio vol. 8,1 e00117-17. 28 Feb. 2017, doi:10.1128/mBio.00117-17 Kreston, Rebecca. “Tetanus, the Grinning Death.” Discover. 9/29/2015. https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/tetanus-the-grinning-death Milto, Lori De, and Leslie Mertz, PhD. "Tetanus." The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health, edited by Brigham Narins, 2nd ed., vol. 2, Gale, 2020, pp. 1074-1076. Gale In Context: Environmental Studies, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7947900274/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=a44bc544. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025. Milto, Lori De, and Leslie Mertz, PhD. "Tetanus." The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health, edited by Brigham Narins, 2nd ed., vol. 2, Gale, 2020, pp. 1074-1076. Gale In Context: Environmental Studies, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7947900274/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=a44bc544. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025. National Institutes of Health. “Tetanus.” https://history.nih.gov/display/history/Tetanus Ni, Maoshing. “The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine: A New Translation of the Neijing Suwen with Commentary.” Shambhala. 1995. Smithsonian. “The Antibody Initiative: Battling Tetanus.” https://www.si.edu/spotlight/antibody-initiative/battling-tetanus Sundwall, John. “Man and Microbes.” Illustrated lecture given under the auspices of the Kansas Academy of Science, Topeka, January 12, 1917. https://archive.org/details/jstor-3624335/ The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1901. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2025. Thu. 17 Apr 2025. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1901/summary/ Tiwari, Tejpratap S.P. et al. “Chapter 21: Tetanus.” CDC Pink Book. https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-21-tetanus.html Von Behring, Emil and Kitasato Shibasaburo. “The Mechanism of Immunity in Animals to Diphtheria and Tetanus.” Immunology. 1890. http://raolab.org/upfile/file/20200612164743_201234_56288.pdf War Office Committee for the Study of Tetanus. “Memorandum on Tetanus.” Fourth Edition. 1919. https://archive.org/details/b32171201/ World Health Organization. “Tetanus.” 7/12/2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tetanus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feeling lonely? You’re not the only one, and it’s not just in your head. The World Health Organization has called loneliness a global health threat, linked to serious physical and mental harm. But researchers say connection is a skill we can relearn, and rebuilding it might just save our lives. This episode originally aired on December 13, 2023. All dates, titles, and references reflect that time and remain unchanged. In this episode: Niobe Way (@niobe_way), New York University Professor of Developmental Psychology Episode credits: This episode was produced by Miranda Lin, Sarí el-Khalili, Zaina Badr, and our guest host Natasha del Toro. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
Episode 190: Measles BasicsFuture Dr. Kapur explained the basics of measles, including the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of this disease. Dr. Schlaerth added information about SPPE and told interesting stories of measles. Dr. Arreaza explained some statistics and histed the episode. Written by Ashna Kapur MS4 Ross University School of Medicine. Comments by Katherine Schlaerth, MD, and Hector Arreaza, MD.You are listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California, a UCLA-affiliated program sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care provider for additional medical advice.Introduction.According to the CDC, as of April 24, 2025, a total of 884 confirmed measles cases were reported by 30 states, including California, and notably Texas. This is already three times more cases than 2024. There are 3 confirmed deaths so far in the US. What is measles?Measles is a disease that's been around for centuries, nearly eradicated, yet still lingers in parts of the world due to declining vaccination rates. Let's refresh our knowledge about its epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and most importantly — prevention.Definition.Measles, also known as rubeola, is an acute viral respiratory illness caused by the measles virus. It's a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family. It's extremely contagious with a transmission rate of up to 90% among non-immune individuals when exposed to an infected person.EpidemiologyBefore the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, nearly every child got measles by the time they were 15 years old. With the introduction of vaccination, cases and deaths caused by measles significantly declined. For example, in 2018, over 140,000 deaths were reported in the whole world, mostly among children under the age of 5.Measles is still a common disease in many countries, including in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Measles outbreaks have been reported recently in the UK, Israel, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Ukraine, the Philippines, and more recently in the US. So, let's take prevention seriously to avoid the spread of this disease here at home and abroad. How do we get measles, Ashna?Mode of Transmission:● Air: Spread primarily through respiratory droplets.● Surfaces: The virus remains viable on surfaces or in the air for up to 2 hours. (so, if a person with measles was in a room and you enter the same room within 2 hours, you may still get measles)● Other people: Patients are contagious from 4 days before until 4 days after the rash appears.PathophysiologyThe measles virus first infects the respiratory epithelium, replicates, and then disseminates to the lymphatic system.It leads to transient but profound immunosuppression, which is why secondary infections are common. It affects the skin, respiratory tract, and sometimes the brain, leading to complications like pneumonia or encephalitis.Clinical PresentationThe classic presentation of measles can be remembered in three C's:● Cough● Coryza (runny nose)● ConjunctivitisCourse of Disease (3 Phases):1. Prodromal Phase (2-4 days)○ High fever (can peak at 104°F or 40°C)○ The 3 C's○ Koplik spots: Small white lesions on the buccal mucosa.2. Exanthem Phase○ Maculopapular rash begins on the face (especially around the hairline), then spreads from head to toe. The rash typically combines into 1 big mass as it spreads, and the fever often persists during the rash.3. Recovery Phase○ Rash fades in the same order it appeared.○ Patients remain at risk for complications during and after rash resolution.Complications:● Pneumonia (most common cause of death in children)● Otitis media (most common overall complication)● Encephalitis (can lead to permanent neurologic sequelae)● Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE): A rare, fatal, degenerative CNS disease that can occur years after measles infection.High-risk groups for severe disease include:● Infants and young children● Pregnant women● Immunocompromised individualsDiagnosisClinical diagnosis is sufficient if classic symptoms are present, especially in outbreak settings.Ashna: Laboratory confirmation:● Measles-specific IgM antibodies detected by serology.● RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal, throat, or urine samples.Notify public health authorities immediately upon suspicion or diagnosis of measles to limit spread. ManagementThere is no specific antiviral treatment for measles. Management is supportive:● Hydration (by mouth and only IV in case of severe dehydration)● Antipyretics (e.g., acetaminophen) for fever● Oxygen if hypoxicVitamin A supplementation:● Recommended for all children with acute measles, particularly in areas with high vitamin A deficiency. It has shown to reduce morbidity and mortality.Hospitalization may be necessary for:● Severe respiratory compromise● Dehydration● Neurologic complicationsPrevention: We live in perilous times and vaccination is under scrutiny right now. Before the measles vaccine, about 48,000 people were hospitalized and 400–500 people died in the United States every year. Measles was declared eradicated in the US in 2000, but the vaccination coverage is no longer 95%. How do we prevent measles?Vaccination is the cornerstone of prevention.● MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella):○ First dose at 12-15 months of age.○ Second dose at 4-6 years of age.○ 97% effective after 2 doses.The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has noted that febrile seizures typically occur 7 to 12 days after vaccination with MMR, with an estimated incidence of 3.3 to 8.7 per 10,000 doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that febrile seizures following MMR vaccination are rare and not associated with any long-term effects. The risk of febrile seizures is higher when the MMR vaccine is administered as part of the combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella) vaccine compared to the MMR vaccine alone.Post-exposure prophylaxis:● MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure (if possible).● Immunoglobulin within 6 days for high-risk individuals (e.g., infants, pregnant women, immunocompromised).Herd immunity requires at least 95% vaccination coverage to prevent outbreaks.Key Takeaways● Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that can lead to severe complications.● Diagnosis is often clinical, but lab confirmation helps with public health tracking.● Treatment is mainly supportive, with Vitamin A playing a critical role in reducing complications.● Vaccination remains the most effective tool to eliminate measles worldwide.While measles might seem like a disease of the past, it can make a dangerous comeback without continued vigilance and vaccination efforts.Even without trying, every night you go to bed a little wiser. Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast. We want to hear from you, send us an email at RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. See you next week! _____________________References:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Measles (Rubeola), Clinical Overview, July 15, 2024. Accessed on May 1, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html.World Health Organization (WHO). Measles, November 14, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measlesGans, Hayley and Yvonne A. Maldonado, Measles: Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, UpToDate, January 15, 2025. Accessed on May 1, 2025. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/measles-clinical-manifestations-diagnosis-treatment-and-preventionTheme song, Works All The Time by Dominik Schwarzer, YouTube ID: CUBDNERZU8HXUHBS, purchased from https://www.premiumbeat.com/.
Have you or do you feel stress? What is stress and how can we deal with it? Our guest this time is Rachelle Stone who discusses those very questions with us. Rachelle grew up in a very small town in Massachusetts. After attending community college, she had an opportunity to study and work at Disney World in Florida and has never looked back. Rachelle loved her Disney work and entered the hospitality industry spending much of 27 years working for or running her own destination management company. She will describe how one day after a successful career, at the age of 48, she suffered what today we know as burnout. She didn't know how to describe her feelings at the time, but she will tell us how she eventually discovered what was going on with her. She began to explore and then study the profession of coaching. Rachelle will tell us about coaches and clients and how what coaches do can help change lives in so many ways. This episode is full of the kind of thoughts and ideas we all experience as well as insights on how we can move forward when our mindsets are keeping us from moving forward. Rachelle has a down-to-Earth way of explaining what she wants to say that we all can appreciate. About the Guest: “As your leadership consultant, I will help you hone your leadership, so you are ready for your next career move. As your executive coach, I will partner with you to overcome challenges and obstacles so you can execute your goals.” Hi, I'm Rachelle. I spent over 25 years as an entrepreneur and leader in the Special Event industry in Miami, building, flipping, and selling Destination Management Companies (DMCs). While I loved and thrived in the excitement and chaos of the industry, I still managed to hit a level of burnout that was wholly unexpected and unacceptable to me, resulting in early retirement at 48. Now, as a trained Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach, I've made it my mission to combine this hard-won wisdom and experience to crack the code on burnout and balance for others so they can continue to thrive in careers they love. I am Brené Brown Dare to Lead ™ trained, a Certified Positive Intelligence ® Mental Fitness coach, and an accredited Professional Certified Coach by the ICF (International Coaching Federation, the most recognized global accreditation body in the coaching industry). I continue to grow my expertise and show my commitment to the next generation of coaches by serving on the ICF-Central Florida chapter board of directors. I am serving as President-Elect and Chapter Liaison to the global organization. I also support those new to the coaching industry by mentoring other coaches to obtain advanced coaching credentials. I maintain my well-being by practicing Pilates & Pvolve ® a few days a week, taking daily walks, loving on my Pug, Max, and making time for beach walks when possible. Ways to connect Rachel: www.rstoneconsulting.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstoneconsulting/ Instagram: @even_wonderwoman_gets_tired About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Well, hi and welcome to unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet. But you know, the more fun thing about it is the unexpected. Unexpected is always a good thing, and unexpected is really anything that doesn't have anything directly to do with inclusion or diversity, which is most of what we get to deal with in the course of the podcast, including with our guest today, Rachelle Stone, who worked in the hospitality industry in a variety of ways during a lot of her life, and then switched to being a coach and a leadership expert. And I am fascinated to learn about that and what what brought her to that? And we'll get to that at some point in the course of the day. But Rachelle, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Thank Rachelle Stone ** 02:08 you, Michael. I'm honored to be here. Excited to be talking to you today. Michael Hingson ** 02:12 Well, it's a lot of fun now. You're in Florida. I am. I'm in the Clearwater Rachelle Stone ** 02:16 Dunedin area. I like to say I live in Dunedin, Florida without the zip code. Michael Hingson ** 02:22 Yeah. Well, I hear you, you know, then makes it harder to find you that way, right? Rachelle Stone ** 02:28 Physically. Yeah, right, exactly. Danita, without the zip code, we'll stick with that. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 02:33 yeah, that works. Well, I'm really glad you're here. Why don't we start by maybe you talking to us a little bit about the early Rachelle growing up and some of that stuff. Rachelle Stone ** 02:43 Yeah, I was lucky. I grew up in rural Western Massachusetts, little po doc town called Greenfield, Massachusetts. We were 18 miles from the Vermont border, which was literally a mile and a half from the New Hampshire border. So I grew up in this very interesting area where it was like a tri state area, and our idea of fun growing up, well, it was, we were always outdoors, playing very much outdoors. I had three siblings, and I was the youngest, and it was one of those childhoods where you came home from school, and mom would say, go outside, don't come back in the house until you hear the whistle. And every house on the street, every mother had a whistle. There were only seven houses because there was a Boy Scout camp at the end of the road. So as the sun was setting and the street lights would come on, you would hear different whistles, and different family kids would be going home the stone kids up, that's your mom. Go home, see you next time that was it was great. And you know, as I got older and more adventurous, it was cow tipping and keg parties and behind and all sorts of things that we probably shouldn't have been doing in our later teen years, but it was fun. Behind Michael Hingson ** 04:04 is it's four wheeling, Rachelle Stone ** 04:08 going up rough terrain. We had these. It was very, very hilly, where I was lot of lot of small mountains that you could conquer. Michael Hingson ** 04:17 So in the winter, does that mean you got to do some fun things, like sledding in the snow. Yeah, yeah. Rachelle Stone ** 04:24 We had a great hill in the back of our yard, so I learned to ski in my own backyard, and we had three acres of woods, so we would go snowshoeing. We were also close to a private school called Northfield Mount Hermon, which had beautiful, beautiful grounds, and in the winter, we would go cross country skiing there. So again, year round, we were, we were outdoors a lot. Michael Hingson ** 04:52 Well, my time in Massachusetts was three years living in Winthrop so I was basically East Boston. Yeah. Yes and and very much enjoyed it. Loved the environment. I've been all over Massachusetts in one way or another, so I'm familiar with where you were. I am, and I will admit, although the winters were were cold, that wasn't as much a bother as it was when the snow turned to ice or started to melt, and then that night it froze. That got to be pretty slippery, 05:25 very dangerous, very dangerous. Michael Hingson ** 05:29 I then experienced it again later, when we lived in New Jersey and and I actually our house to take the dogs out. We had no fenced yards, so I had to take them out on leash, and I would go down to our basement and go out and walk out basement onto a small deck or patio, actually, and then I had to go down a hill to take the dogs where they could go do their business. And I remember the last year we were in New Jersey, it snowed in May, and the snow started to melt the next day, and then that night, it froze, and it and it stayed that way for like about a day and a half. And so it was as slick as glass is. Glass could be. So eventually I couldn't I could go down a hill, it was very dangerous, but going back up a hill to come back in the house was not safe. So eventually, I just used a very long flex leash that was like 20 feet long, and I sent the dogs down the hill. I stayed at the top. Rachelle Stone ** 06:33 Was smart, wow. And they didn't mind. They just wanted to go do their business, and they wanted to get back in the house too. It's cold, yeah? Michael Hingson ** 06:41 They didn't seem to be always in an incredible hurry to come back into the house. But they had no problem coming up the hill. That's the the advantage of having claws, Rachelle Stone ** 06:51 yes. Pause, yeah, four of them to boot, right? Yeah, which Michael Hingson ** 06:54 really helped a great deal. But, you know, I remember it. I love it. I loved it. Then now I live in in a place in California where we're on what's called the high desert, so it doesn't get as cold, and we get hardly any of the precipitation that even some of the surrounding areas do, from Los Angeles and Long Beach and so on to on the one side, up in the mountains where the Snow is for the ski resorts on the other so Los Angeles can have, or parts of La can have three or four inches of rain, and we might get a half inch. Rachelle Stone ** 07:28 Wow. So it stays relatively dry. Do you? Do you ever have to deal like down here, we have something called black ice, which we get on the road when it rains after it hasn't rained in a long time? Do you get that there in California, Michael Hingson ** 07:41 there are places, yeah, not here where I live, because it generally doesn't get cold enough. It can. It's already this well, in 2023 late 2023 we got down to 24 degrees one night, and it can get a little bit colder, but generally we're above freezing. So, no, we don't get the black ice here that other places around us can and do. Got it. Got it. So you had I obviously a fun, what you regard as a fun childhood. Rachelle Stone ** 08:14 Yeah, I remember the first day I walked into I went to a community college, and I it was a very last minute, impulsive, spontaneous decision. Wow, that kind of plays into the rest of my life too. I make very quick decisions, and I decided I wanted to go to college, and it was open enrollment. I went down to the school, and they asked me, What do you want to study? I'm like, I don't know. I just know I want to have fun. So they said, you might want to explore Recreation and Leisure Services. So that's what I wound up going to school for. And I like to say I have a degree in fun and games. Michael Hingson ** 08:47 There you go. Yeah. Did you go beyond community college or community college enough? Rachelle Stone ** 08:53 Yeah, that was so I transferred. It took me four years to get a two year degree. And the reason was, I was working full time, I moved out. I just at 17, I wanted to be on my own, and just moved into an apartment with three other people and went to college and worked. It was a fabulous way to live. It was wonderful. But then when I transferred to the University, I felt like I was a bit bored, because I think the other students were, I was dealing with a lot of students coming in for the first time, where I had already been in school for four years, in college for four years, so the experience wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted the education. And I saw a poster, and it was Mickey Mouse on the poster, and it was Walt Disney World College program now accepting applications. So I wrote down the phone number, email, whatever it was, and and I applied. I got an interview again. Remember Michael? I was really bored. I was going to school. It was my first semester in my four year program, and I just anyway. I got a call back and. And I was accepted into the Disney College Program. So, um, they at that time, they only took about 800 students a year. So it was back in 1989 long time ago. And I was thrilled. I left Massachusetts on january 31 1989 in the blizzard of 89 Yeah, and I drove down to Orlando, Florida, and I never left. I'm still here in Florida. That was the beginning of my entire career. Was applying for the Disney College Program. Michael Hingson ** 10:36 So what was that like, being there at the Disney College, pro nominal, phenomenal. I have to ask one thing, did you have to go through some sort of operation to get rid of your Massachusetts accent? Does Rachelle Stone ** 10:50 it sound like it worked? No, I didn't have well, it was funny, because I was hoping I would be cast as Minnie Mouse. I'm four foot 10. I have learned that to be Mini or Mickey Mouse, you have to be four, eight or shorter. So I missed many by two inches. My second choice was being a lifeguard, and I wound up what I they offered me was Epcot parking lot, and I loved it, believe it or not, helping to park cars at Epcot Center. I still remember my spiel to the letter that I used to give because there was a live person on the back of the tram speaking and then another one at the front of the tram driving it to get you from the parking lot to the front entrance of the gate. But the whole experience was amazing. It was I attended classes, I earned my Master's degree. I picked up a second and third job because I wanted to get into hotels, and so I worked one day a week at the Disney Inn, which is now their military resorts. And then I took that third job, was as a contractor for a recreation management company. So I was working in the field that I had my associates in. I was working at a hotel one day a week, just because I wanted to learn about hotels. I thought that was the industry I wanted to go into. And I was I was driving the tram and spieling on the back of the tram five days a week. I loved it was phenomenal. Michael Hingson ** 12:20 I have a friend who is blind who just retired from, I don't know, 20 or 25 years at Disneyland, working a lot in the reservation centers and and so on. And speaks very highly of, of course, all the experiences of being involved with Disney. Rachelle Stone ** 12:38 Yeah, it's really, I'm It was a wonderful experience. I think it gave me a great foundation for the work in hospitality that I did following. It was a great i i think it made me a better leader, better hospitality person for it well, Michael Hingson ** 12:57 and there is an art to doing it. It isn't just something where you can arbitrarily decide, I'm going to be a successful and great hospitality person, and then do it if you don't learn how to relate to people, if you don't learn how to talk to people, and if you're not having fun doing it Rachelle Stone ** 13:14 exactly. Yes, Fun. Fun is everything. It's Michael Hingson ** 13:18 sort of like this podcast I love to tell people now that the only hard and fast rule about the podcast is we both have to have fun, or it's not worth doing. Rachelle Stone ** 13:25 That's right. I'm right there with you. Gotta Have fun, Michael Hingson ** 13:30 yeah? Well, so you So, how long were you with Disney? What made you switched? Oh, so Rachelle Stone ** 13:36 Disney College Program. It was, at that time, it was called the Magic Kingdom college program, MK, CP, and it's grown quite significantly. I think they have five or 7000 students from around the world now, but at that time it was just a one semester program. I think for international students, it's a one year program. So when my three and a half months were up. My semester, I could either go back. I was supposed to go back to school back in Massachusetts, but the recreation management company I was working for offered me a full time position, so I wound up staying. I stayed in Orlando for almost three and a half years, and ultimately I wound up moving to South Florida and getting a role, a new role, with a different sort of company called a destination management company. And that was that was really the onset destination management was my career for 27 years. 26 Michael Hingson ** 14:38 years. So what is a destination management company. So Rachelle Stone ** 14:41 a destination management company is, they are the company that receives a group into a destination, meetings, conventions, events. So for instance, let's say, let's say Fathom note taker. Wants to have an in person meeting, and they're going to hold it at the Lowe's Miami Beach, and they're bringing in 400 of their top clients, and and and sales people and operations people. They need someone on the receiving end to pick everybody up at the airport, to put together the theme parties, provide the private tours and excursions. Do the exciting restaurant, Dine Around the entertainment, the amenities. So I did all the fun. And again, sticking with the fun theme here, yeah, I did all of the auxiliary meeting fun add ons in the destination that what you would do. And I would say I did about 175 to 225, meetings a year. Michael Hingson ** 15:44 So you didn't actually book the meetings, or go out and solicit to book the meetings. You were the person who took over. Once a meeting was arranged, Rachelle Stone ** 15:53 once a meeting was booked in the destination, right? If they needed a company like mine, then it would be then I would work with them. If I would be the company. There were several companies I did what I do, especially in Miami, because Miami was a top tier destination, so a client may book the lows Miami Beach and then reach out to two to three different DMCs to learn how can they partner with them to make the meeting the most successful. So it was always a competitive situation. And it was always, you know, needing to do our best and give our best and be creative and out of the box. And, yeah, it was, it was an exciting industry. So what makes Michael Hingson ** 16:41 the best destination management company, or what makes you very successful? Why would people view you as successful at at what you do, and why they would want to choose you to be the company to work with? Because obviously, as you said, it's competitive. Rachelle Stone ** 16:59 Everybody well, and there's choice. Everybody has choice. I always believed there was enough business to go around for everybody. Very good friends with some of my my hardiest competitors. Interestingly, you know, although we're competing, it's a very friendly industry. We all network together. We all dance in the same network. You know, if we're going to an industry network, we're all together. What? Why would somebody choose me over somebody else? Was really always a decision. It was sometimes it was creativity. Sometimes it was just a feeling for them. They felt the relationship just felt more authentic. Other times it was they they just really needed a cut and dry service. It just every client was always different. There were never two programs the same. I might have somebody just wanting to book a flamenco guitarist for three hours, and that's all they need. And another group may need. The transportation, the tours, the entertainment, the theme parties, the amenities, the whole ball of Fox, every group was different, which is, I think, what made it so exciting, it's that relationship building, I think, more than anything. Because these companies are doing meetings all over the country, sometimes some of them all over the world. So relationships were really, really important to them to be able to go into a destination and say to their partner in that destination, hey, I'm going to be there next May. This is what I need. Are you available? Can you help? So I think on the initial front end, it is, when it's a competitive bid, you're starting from scratch to build a relationship. Once that's relationship is established, it is easier to build on that relationship when things go wrong. Let's talk about what worked, what didn't, and how we can do better next time, instead of throwing the entire relationship out with the bathwater and starting from scratch again. So it was a great industry. I loved it, and Michael Hingson ** 19:00 obviously you must have been pretty successful at it. Rachelle Stone ** 19:04 I was, I was lucky. Well, luck and skill, I have to give myself credit there too. I worked for other DMCs. I worked for event companies that wanted to expand into the DMC industry. And I helped, I helped them build that corporate division, or that DMC division. I owned my own agency for, I think, 14 years, still alive and thriving. And then I worked for angel investors, helping them flip and underperforming. It was actually a franchise. It was an office franchise of a global DMC at the time. So I've had success in different areas of Destination Management, and I was lucky in that I believe in accreditation and certification. That's important to me. Credibility matters. And so I. Involved in the association called the association of Destination Management executives international admei I know it's a mouthful, but I wound up serving on their board of directors and their certification and accreditation board for 14 years, throughout my career, and on the cab their certification accreditation board, my company was one of the first companies in the country to become a certified company, admc certified. I was so proud of that, and I had all of my staff. I paid for all of them to earn their certification, which was a destination management Certified Professional. That's the designation. I loved, that we could be a part of it. And I helped write a course, a university level course, and it was only nine weeks, so half a semester in teaching students what destination management is that took me three years. It was a passion project with a couple of other board members on the cab that we put together, and really glad to be a part of that and contributing to writing the book best practices in destination management, first and second edition. So I feel lucky that I was in this field at a time where it was really growing deeper roots. It had been transport the industry. When I went into it was maybe 20 years young, and when I left it, it been around for 40 plus years. So it's kind of exciting. So you so you Michael Hingson ** 21:41 said that you started a company and you were with it for 4014 years, or you ran it for 14 years, and you said, it's still around. Are you involved with it at all? Now, I Rachelle Stone ** 21:51 am not. I did a buyout with the I had two partners at the time. And without going into too much detail, there were some things going on that I felt were I could not align with. I felt it was unethical. I felt it was immoral, and I struggled for a year to make the decision. I spoke to a therapist, and I ultimately consulted an attorney, and I did a buyout, and I walked away from my this was my legacy. This was my baby. I built it from scratch. I was the face of the company. So to give that up my legacy, it was a really tough decision, but it really did come full circle, because late last year, something happened which brought me back to that decision, and I can, with 100% certainty, say it was a values driven decision for me, and I'm so happy I made that decision. So I am today. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 22:57 and, and let's, let's get to that a little bit so you at some point, you said that you had burnout and you left the industry. Why did you do that? Rachelle Stone ** 23:08 So after I did, sold my my business, I worked for angel investors for about three and a half years. They brought me in. This was an underperforming office that the franchisee, because they had owned it for 10 years, had done a buyout themselves and sold it back to the angel investors or the private equity so they brought me in to run the office and bring it from surviving to thriving again. And it took me about 18 months, and I brought it from under a million to over 5.3 million in 18 months. So it's quite successful. And I had said to the owners, as they're thanking me and rewarding me, and it was a great first two years, I had said to them, please don't expect this again. This was a fluke. People were following me. There was a lot of curiosity in the industry, because this was a really big move for me to sell my company and then go work for this one. It was big news. So it was a great time. But the expectation for me to repeat, rinse and repeat, that kind of productivity was not realistic. It just wasn't realistic. And about a year and a half later, I just, I was driving from the Lowe's Miami Beach. It's funny, because I used that as an example before, to the breakers in Palm Beach. And if you know South Florida at all, it's, it's, you're taking your life in your hands every time you get on 95 it's a nightmare. Anyway, so I'm driving from the lows to the breakers, and I just left a kind of a rough meeting. I don't even remember what it was anymore, because that was back in 2014 and I'm driving to another meeting at the breakers, and I hang up the phone with somebody my. Son calls about something, Mom, this is going on for graduation. Can you be there? And I'm realizing I'm going to be out of town yet again for work, and I'm driving to the breakers, and I'm having this I just had this vision of myself in the middle of 95 slamming the brakes on in my car, coming to a full stop in the middle of the highway. I did not do this this, and I don't recommend you do this. And I opened up my car door, and I literally just walked away from my car. That was the image in my mind. And in that moment, I knew it was time for me to leave. I had gone as high as I could go. I'd done as much as I could do. I'd served on boards, contributed to books, spoken on panels. I wanted to go back to being an entrepreneur. I didn't want to work for angel investors anymore. I wanted to work for myself. I wanted to build something new, and I didn't want to do it in the DMC world. So I went home that night thinking I was going to just resign. Instead, I wrote a letter of retirement, and I retired from the industry, I walked away two and a half weeks later, and I said I was never going to return. Michael Hingson ** 26:09 And so I burnt out, though at the time, what? What eventually made you realize that it was all burnt out, or a lot of it was burnt out. So I Rachelle Stone ** 26:17 didn't know anything about burnout at that time. I just knew I was incredibly frustrated. I was bored. I was over in competence, and I just wanted out. Was just done. I had done well enough in my industry that I could take a little time. I had a lot of people asking me to take on consulting projects. So I did. I started doing some consulting in hospitality. And while I was doing that, I was kind of peeling away the layers of the onion, saying, What do I want to do next? I did not want to do DMC. That's all I knew. So I started this exploration, and what came out of it was an interest in exploring the field of coaching. So I did some research. I went to the coachingfederation.org which is the ICF International coaching Federation, is the leading accreditation body for coaches in the world. And through them, I researched Who were some of the accredited schools. I narrowed it down. I finally settled on one, and I said, I'm going to sign up for one course. I just want to see what this coaching is all about. So I signed up for a foundations course with the with the school out of Pennsylvania, and probably about three weeks into the course, the professor said something which was like a light bulb moment for me, and that I realized like, oh my Speaker 1 ** 27:40 god, I burnt out. And I was literally, at this Rachelle Stone ** 27:46 time, we're in school, we're on the phone. It was not zoom. We didn't have all this yet. It was you were on the phone, and then you were pulling up documents on your computer so the teacher couldn't see me crying. I was just sobbing, knowing that this is i i was so I was I was stunned. I didn't say anything. I sat on this for a while. In fact, I sat on it. I started researching it, but I didn't tell anybody for two years. It took me two years before I finally admitted to somebody that I had burnt out. I was so ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, I was this successful, high over achiever. How could I have possibly burnt out? Michael Hingson ** 28:34 What? What did the teacher say Rachelle Stone ** 28:37 it was? I don't even remember what it was, but I remember that shock of realization of wellness, of it was, you know what it was that question, is this all? There is a lot of times when we were they were talking about, I believe, what they were talking about, midlife crisis and what really brings them on. And it is that pivotal question, is this really all there is, is this what I'm meant to be doing? And then in their conversation, I don't even remember the full conversation, it was that recognition of that's what's happened to me. And as I started researching it, this isn't now. This is in 2015 as I'm researching it and learning there's not a lot on it. I mean, there's some, mostly people's experiences that are being shared. Then in 2019 the World Health Organization officially, officially recognizes burnout as a phenomenon, an occupational phenomenon. Michael Hingson ** 29:38 And how would you define burnout? Burnout is, Rachelle Stone ** 29:43 is generally defined in three areas. It is. It's the the, oh, I always struggle with it. It's that disconnect, the disconnect, or disassociation from. Um, wanting to succeed, from your commitment to the work. It is the knowing, the belief that no one can do it well or right. It is there. There's that. It's an emotional disconnect from from from caring about what you're doing and how you're showing up, and it shows up in your personal life too, which is the horrible thing, because it your it impacts your family so negatively, it's horrible. Michael Hingson ** 30:39 And it it, it does take a toll. And it takes, did it take any kind of a physical toll on you? Rachelle Stone ** 30:45 Well, what I didn't realize when I when I took this time, I was about 25 pounds overweight. I was on about 18 different medications, including all my vitamins. I was taking a lot of vitamins at that time too. Um, I chronic sciatica, insomnia. I was self medicating. I was also going out, eating rich dinners and drinking, um, because you're because of the work I was doing. I had to entertain. That was part of that was part of of my job. So as I was looking at myself, Yes, physically, it turns out that this weight gain, the insomnia, the self medication, are also taught signs of of risk of burnout. It's how we manage our stress, and that's really what it comes down to, that we didn't even know. We don't even know. People don't no one teaches us how to process our stress, and that that's really probably one of the biggest things that I've through, everything that I've studied, and then the pandemic hitting it. No one teaches us how to manage our stress. No one tells us that if we process stress, then the tough stuff isn't as hard anymore. It's more manageable. No one teaches us about how to shift our mindsets so we can look at changing our perspective at things, or only seeing things through our lizard brain instead of our curious brain. These are all things that I had no idea were keeping me I didn't know how to do, and that were part of contributing to my burnout. Right? Michael Hingson ** 32:43 Is stress more self created, or is it? Is it an actual thing? In other words, when, when there is stress in the world? Is it something that, really, you create out of a fear or cause to happen in some way, and in reality, there are ways to not necessarily be stressful, and maybe that's what you're talking about, as far as learning to control it and process it, well, Rachelle Stone ** 33:09 there's actually there's stresses. Stressors are external. Stress is internal. So a stressor could be the nagging boss. It could be your kid has a fever and you're going to be late for work, or you're going to miss a meeting because you have to take them to the doctor. That's an external stressor, right? So that external stressor goes away, you know, the traffic breaks up, or your your husband takes the kid to the doctor so you can get to your meeting. Whatever that external stress, or is gone, you still have to deal with the stress that's in your body. Your that stress, that stress builds up. It's it's cortisol, and that's what starts with the physical impact. So those physical symptoms that I was telling you about, that I had, that I didn't know, were part of my burnout. It was unprocessed stress. Now at that time, I couldn't even touch my toes. I wasn't doing any sort of exercise for my body. I wasn't and that is one of the best ways you can process stress. Stress actually has to cycle out of your body. No one tells us that. No one teaches us that. So how do you learn how to do that? Michael Hingson ** 34:21 Well, of course, that's Go ahead. Go ahead. Well, I was gonna Rachelle Stone ** 34:24 say it's learning. It's being willing to look internally, what's going on in your body. How are you really getting in touch with your emotions and feelings and and processing them well? Michael Hingson ** 34:37 And you talk about stressors being external, but you have control. You may not have control directly over the stressor happening, but don't you have control over how you decide to deal with the external stress? Creator, Rachelle Stone ** 34:55 yes, and that external stress will always. Go away. The deadline will come and go. The sun will still rise tomorrow in set tomorrow night. Stressors always go away, but they're also constantly there. So you've got, for instance, the nagging boss is always going to bring you stress. It's how you process the stress inside. You can choose to ignore the stressor, but then you're setting yourself up for maybe not following through on your job, or doing Michael Hingson ** 35:29 right. And I wouldn't suggest ignoring the stressor, but you it's processing that Rachelle Stone ** 35:34 stress in your body. It's not so let's say, at the end of the rough day, the stressors gone. You still, whether you choose to go for a walk or you choose to go home and say, Honey, I just need a really like I need a 62nd full on contact, bear hug from you, because I'm holding a lot of stress in my body right now, and I've got to let it out So that physical contact will move stress through your body. This isn't this is they that? You can see this in MRI studies. You see the decrease in the stress. Neuroscience now shows this to be true. You've got to move it through your body. Now before I wanted to kind of give you the formal definition of burnout, it is, it is they call it a occupational phenomenal, okay, it by that they're not calling it a disease. It is not classified as a disease, but it is noted in the International Classification of Diseases, and it has a code now it is they do tie it directly to chronic workplace stress, and this is where I have a problem with the World Health Organization, because when they added this to the International Classification of diseases in 2019 they didn't have COVID. 19 hybrid or work from home environments in mind, and it is totally changed. Stress and burnout are following people around. It's very difficult for them to escape. So besides that, that disconnect that I was talking about, it's really complete exhaustion, depletion of your energy just drained from all of the stressors. And again, it's that reduced efficiency in your work that you're producing because you don't care as much. It's that disconnect so and then the physical symptoms do build up. And burnout isn't like this. It's not an overnight thing. It's a build up, just like gaining 25 pounds, just like getting sick enough that I need a little bit more medication for different issues, that stuff builds up on you and when you when you're recovering from burnout, you didn't get there overnight. You're not going to get out of it overnight either. It's I worked with a personal trainer until I could touch my toes, and then she's pushed me out to go join a gym. But again, it's step by step, and learning to eat healthy, and then ultimately, the third piece that really changed the game for me was learning about the muscles in my brain and getting mentally fit. That was really the third leg of getting my health back. Michael Hingson ** 38:33 So how does all of that help you deal with stress and the potential of burnout today? Yeah, Rachelle Stone ** 38:43 more than anything, I know how to prevent it. That is my, my the number one thing I know when I'm sensing a stressor that is impacting me, I can quickly get rid of it. Now, for instance, I'll give you a good example. I was on my the board of directors for my Homeowners Association, and that's always Michael Hingson ** 39:03 stressful. I've been there, right? Well, I Rachelle Stone ** 39:06 was up for an hour and a half one night ruminating, and I I realized, because I coach a lot of people around burnout and symptoms, so when I was ruminating, I recognized, oh my gosh, that HOA does not deserve that much oxygen in my brain. And what did I do the next day? I resigned. Resigned, yeah, so removing the stressors so I can process the stress. I process my stress. I always make sure I schedule a beach walk for low tide. I will block my calendar for that so I can make sure I'm there, because that fills my tank. That's self care for me. I make sure I'm exercising, I'm eating good food. I actually worked with a health coach last year because I felt like my eating was getting a little off kilter again. So I just hired a coach for a few months to help me get back on track. Of getting support where I need it. That support circle is really important to maintain and process your stress and prevent burnout. Michael Hingson ** 40:10 So we've talked a lot about stress and dealing with it and so on. And like to get back to the idea of you went, you explored working with the international coaching Federation, and you went to a school. So what did you then do? What really made you attracted to the idea of coaching, and what do you get out of it? Rachelle Stone ** 40:35 Oh, great question. Thanks for that. So for me, once I I was in this foundations course, I recognized or realized what had happened to me. I i again, kept my mouth shut, and I just continued with the course. By the end of the course, I really, really enjoyed it, and I saw I decided I wanted to continue on to become a coach. So I just continued in my training. By the end of 2015 early 2016 I was a coach. I went and joined the international coaching Federation, and they offer accreditation. So I wanted to get accredited, because, as I said, from my first industry, a big proponent for credit accreditation. I think it's very important, especially in an unregulated industry like coaching. So we're not bound by HIPAA laws. We are not doctors, we are coaches. It's very different lane, and we do self regulate. So getting accredited is important to me. And I thought my ACC, which my associate a certified coach in 2016 when I moved to the area I'm living in now, in 2017 and I joined the local chapter here, I just continued on. I continued with education. I knew my lane is, is, is burnout. I started to own it. I started to bring it forward a little bit and talk about my experiences with with other coaches and clients to help them through the years and and it felt natural. So with the ICF, I wanted to make sure I stayed in a path that would allow me to hang my shingle proudly, and everything I did in the destination management world I'm now doing in the coaching world. I wound up on the board of directors for our local chapter as a programming director, which was so perfect for me because I'm coming from meetings and events, so as a perfect person to do their programming, and now I am their chapter liaison, and I am President Elect, so I'm taking the same sort of leadership I had in destination management and wrapping my arms around it in the coaching industry, Michael Hingson ** 42:56 you talk about People honing their leadership skills to help prepare them for a career move or their next career. It isn't always that way, though, right? It isn't always necessarily that they're going to be going to a different career. Yep, Rachelle Stone ** 43:11 correct. Yeah. I mean, not everybody's looking for trans transition. Some people are looking for that to break through the glass ceiling. I have other clients that are just wanting to maybe move laterally. Others are just trying to figure it out every client is different. While I specialize in hospitality and burnout, I probably have more clients in the leadership lane, Senior VP level, that are trying to figure out their next step, if they want to go higher, or if they're content where they are, and a lot of that comes from that ability to find the right balance for you in between your career and your personal life. I think there comes a point when we're in our younger careers, we are fully identified by what we do. I don't think that's true for upcoming generations, but for our generation, and maybe Jen, maybe some millennials, very identified by what they do, there comes a point in your career, and I'm going to say somewhere between 35 and 50, where you recognize that those two Things need to be separate, Michael Hingson ** 44:20 and the two things being Rachelle Stone ** 44:23 your identity, who you are from what you do, got it two different things. And a lot of leaders on their journey get so wrapped up in what they do, they lose who they are. Michael Hingson ** 44:39 What really makes a good leader, Rachelle Stone ** 44:42 authenticity. I'm a big proponent of heart based leadership. Brene Brown, I'm Brene Brown trained. I am not a facilitator, but I love her work, and I introduce all my clients to it, especially my newer leaders. I think it's that. Authenticity that you know the command and control leadership no longer works. And I can tell you, I do work with some leaders that are trying to improve their human skills, and by that I mean their emotional intelligence, their social skills, their ability to interact on a human level with others, because when they have that high command and control directive type of leadership, they're not connecting with their people. And we now have five generations in the workforce that all need to be interacted with differently. So command and control is a tough kind of leadership style that I actually unless they're willing to unless they're open to exploring other ways of leading, I won't work with them. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 45:44 and the reality is, I'm not sure command and control as such ever really worked. Yeah, maybe you control people. But did it really get you and the other person and the company? What what you needed. Rachelle Stone ** 46:01 Generally, that's what we now call a toxic environment. Yes, yes. But that, you know, this has been, we've been on a path of, you know, this work ethic was supposed to, was supposed to become a leisure ethic in the 70s, you know, we went to 40 hour work weeks. Where are we now? We're back up to 6070, hour work week. Yeah, we're trying to lower the age that so kids can start working this is not a leisure ethic that we were headed towards. And now with AI, okay, let's change this conversation. Yeah, toxic environments are not going to work. Moving forward that command and control leadership. There's not a lot of it left, but there's, it's lingering, and some of the old guard, you know, there it's, it's slowly changing. Michael Hingson ** 46:49 It is, I think, high time that we learn a lot more about the whole concept of teamwork and true, real team building. And there's a lot to be said for there's no I in team, that's right, and it's an extremely important thing to learn. And I think there are way to, still, way too many people who don't recognize that, but it is something that I agree with you. Over time, it's it's starting to evolve to a different world, and the pandemic actually was one, and is one of the things that helps it, because we introduced the hybrid environment, for example, and people are starting to realize that they can still get things done, and they don't necessarily have to do it the way they did before, and they're better off for it. Rachelle Stone ** 47:38 That's right. Innovation is beautiful. I actually, I mean, as horrible as the pandemic was it, there was a lot of good that came out of it, to your point. And it's interesting, because I've watched this in coaching people. I remember early in the pandemic, I had a new client, and they came to the they came to their first call on Zoom, really slumped down in the chair like I could barely see their nose and up and, you know, as we're kind of talking, getting to know each other. One of the things they said to me, because they were working from home, they were working like 1011, hours a day. Had two kids, a husband, and they also had yet they're, they're, they're like, I one of the things they said to me, which blew my mind, was, I don't have time to put on a load of laundry. They're working from home. Yeah? It's that mindset that you own my time because you're paying me, yeah, versus I'm productive and I'm doing good work for you. Is why you're paying for paying me? Yeah? So it's that perception and trying to shift one person at a time, shifting that perspective Michael Hingson ** 48:54 you talked before about you're a coach, you're not a doctor, which I absolutely appreciate and understand and in studying coaching and so on, one of the things that I read a great deal about is the whole concept of coaches are not therapists. A therapist provides a decision or a position or a decision, and they are more the one that provides a lot of the answers, because they have the expertise. And a coach is a guide who, if they're doing their job right, leads you to you figuring out the answer. That's Rachelle Stone ** 49:34 a great way to put it, and it's pretty clear. That's, that's, that's pretty, pretty close the I like to say therapy is a doctor patient relationship. It's hierarchy so and the doctor is diagnosing, it's about repair and recovery, and it's rooted in the past, diagnosing, prescribing, and then the patient following orders and recovering. Hmm, in coaching, it's a peer to peer relationship. So it's, we're co creators, and we're equal. And it's, it's based on future goals only. It's only based on behavior change and future goals. So when I have clients and they dabble backwards, I will that's crossing the line. I can't support you there. I will refer clients to therapy. And actually, what I'm doing right now, I'm taking a mental health literacy course through Harvard Medical Center and McLean University. And the reason I'm doing this is because so many of my clients, I would say 80% of my clients are also in therapy, and it's very common. We have a lot of mental health issues in the world right now as a result of the pandemic, and we have a lot of awareness coming forward. So I want to make sure I'm doing the best for my clients in recognizing when they're at need or at risk and being able to properly refer them. Michael Hingson ** 51:04 Do you think, though, that even in a doctor patient relationship, that more doctors are recognizing that they accomplish more when they create more of a teaming environment? Yes, 51:18 oh, I'm so glad you Rachelle Stone ** 51:20 brought that up, okay, go ahead. Go ahead. Love that. I have clients who are in therapy, and I ask them to ask their therapist so that if they're comfortable with this trio. And it works beautifully. Yes, Michael Hingson ** 51:36 it is. It just seems to me that, again, there's so much more to be said for the whole concept of teaming and teamwork, and patients do better when doctors or therapists and so on explain and bring them into the process, which almost makes them not a coach as you are, but an adjunct to what you do, which is what I think it's all about. Or are we the adjunct to what they do? Or use the adjunct to what they do? Yeah, it's a team, which is what it should be. 52:11 Yeah, it's, I always it's like the Oreo cookie, right? Michael Hingson ** 52:16 Yeah, and the frosting is in the middle, yeah, crying Rachelle Stone ** 52:19 in the middle. But it's true, like a therapist can work both in the past and in the future, but that partnership and that team mentality and supporting a client, it helps them move faster and further in their in their desired goals. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 52:37 it's beautiful, yeah, yeah. And I think it's extremely important, tell me about this whole idea of mental fitness. I know you're studying that. Tell me more about that. Is it real? Is it okay? Or what? You know, a lot of people talk about it and they say it's who cares. They all roll Rachelle Stone ** 52:56 their eyes mental fitness. What are you talking about? Yeah, um, I like to say mental fitness is the third leg of our is what keeps us healthy. I like to look at humans as a three legged stool, and that mental fitness, that mental wellness, is that third piece. So you have your spiritual and community wellness, you have your physical wellness, and then you have your mental wellness. And that mental wellness encompasses your mental health, your mental fitness. Now, mental fitness, by definition, is your ability to respond to life's challenges from a positive rather than a negative mindset. And there's a new science out there called positive it was actually not a new science. It's based on four sciences, Positive Intelligence, it's a cognitive behavioral science, or psychology, positive psychology, performance psychology, and drawing a bank anyway, four sciences and this body of work determined that there's actually a tipping point we live in our amygdala, mostly, and there's a reason, when we were cavemen, we needed to know what was coming that outside stressor was going to eat us, or if we could eat it. Yeah, but we have language now. We don't need that, not as much as we did, not in the same way, not in the same way, exactly. We do need to be aware of threats, but not every piece of information that comes into the brain. When that information comes in our brains, amplify it by a factor of three to one. So with that amplification, it makes that little, little tiny Ember into a burning, raging fire in our brain. And then we get stuck in stress. So it's recognizing, and there's actually you are building. If you do yoga, meditation, tai chi, gratitude journaling, any sort of those practices, you're flexing that muscle. You talk to somebody who does gratitude journaling who just started a month in, they're going to tell. You, they're happier. They're going to tell you they're not having as many ruminating thoughts, and they're going to say, I'm I'm smiling more. I started a new journal this year, and I said, I'm singing more. I'm singing songs that I haven't thought of in years. Yeah, out of the blue, popping into my head. Yeah. And I'm happier. So the the concept of mental fitness is really practicing flexing this muscle every day. We take care of our bodies by eating good food, we exercise or walk. We do that to take care of our physical body. We do nothing to take care of our brain other than scroll social media and get anxiety because everybody's life looks so perfect, Michael Hingson ** 55:38 yeah, and all we're doing is using social media as a stressor. Rachelle Stone ** 55:42 That's right, I'm actually not on social media on LinkedIn. That's it. Michael Hingson ** 55:48 I have accounts, but I don't go to it exactly. My excuse is it takes way too long with a screen reader, and I don't have the time to do it. I don't mind posting occasionally, but I just don't see the need to be on social media for hours every day. Rachelle Stone ** 56:05 No, no, I do, like, like a lot of businesses, especially local small businesses, are they advertise. They only have they don't have websites. They're only on Facebook. So I do need to go to social media for things like that. But the most part, no, I'm not there. Not at all. It's Michael Hingson ** 56:20 it's way too much work. I am amazed sometimes when I'll post something, and I'm amazed at how quickly sometimes people respond. And I'm wondering to myself, how do you have the time to just be there to see this? It can't all be coincidence. You've got to be constantly on active social media to see it. Yeah, Rachelle Stone ** 56:39 yeah, yeah. Which is and this, this whole concept of mental fitness is really about building a practice, a habit. It's a new habit, just like going to the gym, and it's so important for all of us. We are our behaviors are based on how we interpret these messages as they come in, yeah, so learning to reframe or recognize the message and give a different answer is imperative in order to have better communication, to be more productive and and less chaos. How Michael Hingson ** 57:12 do we teach people to recognize that they have a whole lot more control over fear than they think they do, and that that really fear can be a very positive guide in our lives. And I say that because I talked about not being afraid of escaping from the World Trade Center over a 22 year period, what I realized I never did was to teach people how to do that. And so now I wrote a book that will be out later in the year. It's called Live like a guide dog, stories of from a blind man and his dogs, about being brave, overcoming adversity and walking in faith. And the point of it is to say that you can control your fear. I'm not saying don't be afraid, but you have control over how you let that fear affect you and what you deal with and how you deal it's all choice. It is all choice. But how do we teach people to to deal with that better, rather than just letting fear build up Rachelle Stone ** 58:12 it? Michael, I think these conversations are so important. Number one is that learner's mind, that willingness, that openness to be interested in finding a better way to live. I always say that's a really hard way to live when you're living in fear. Yeah, so step number one is an openness, or a willingness or a curiosity about wanting to live life better, Michael Hingson ** 58:40 and we have to instill that in people and get them to realize that they all that we all have the ability to be more curious if we choose to do it. Rachelle Stone ** 58:49 But again, choice and that, that's the big thing so many and then there's also, you know, Michael, I can't wait to read your book. I'm looking forward to this. I'm also know that you speak. I can't wait to see you speak. The thing is, when we speak or write and share this information, we give them insight. It's what they do with it that matters, which is why, when I with the whole with the mental fitness training that I do, it's seven weeks, yeah, I want them to start to build that habit, and I give them three extra months so they can continue to work on that habit, because it's that important for them to start. It's foundational your spirit. When you talk about your experience in the World Trade Center, and you say you weren't fearful, your spiritual practice is such a big part of that, and that's part of mental fitness too. That's on that layers on top of your ability to flex those mental muscles and lean into your spirituality and not be afraid. Michael Hingson ** 59:55 Well, I'd love to come down and speak. If you know anybody that needs a speaker down there. I. I'm always looking for speaking opportunities, so love your help, and 1:00:03 my ears open for sure and live like Michael Hingson ** 1:00:06 a guide dog. Will be out later this year. It's, it's, I've already gotten a couple of Google Alerts. The the publisher has been putting out some things, which is great. So we're really excited about it. Rachelle Stone ** 1:00:16 Wonderful. I can't wait to see it. So what's Michael Hingson ** 1:00:19 up for you in 2024 Rachelle Stone ** 1:00:22 so I actually have a couple of things coming up this year that are pretty big. I have a partner. Her name's vimari Roman. She's down in Miami, and I'm up here in the Dunedin Clearwater area. But we're both hospitality professionals that went into coaching, and we're both professional certified coaches, and we're both certified mental fitness coaches. When the pandemic hit, she's also a Career Strategist. She went she started coaching at conferences because the hospitality industry was hit so hard, she reached out to me and brought me in too. So in 2024 we've been coaching at so many conferences, we can't do it. We can't do it. It's just too much, but we also know that we can provide a great service. So we've started a new company. It's called coaches for conferences, and it's going to be like a I'll call it a clearing house for securing pro bono coaches for your conferences. So that means, let's say you're having a conference in in LA and they'd like to offer coaching, pro bono coaching to their attendees as an added value. I'll we'll make the arrangements for the coaches, local in your area to to come coach. You just have to provide them with a room and food and beverage and a place to coach on your conference floor and a breakout. So we're excited for that that's getting ready to launch. And I think 2024 is going to be the year for me to dip my toe in start writing my own story. I think it's time Michael Hingson ** 1:02:02 writing a book. You can say it. I'm gonna do it. Rachelle Stone ** 1:02:05 I'm gonna write a book Good. I've said it out loud. I've started to pull together some thoughts around I mean, I've been thinking about it for years. But yeah, if the timing feels right, Michael Hingson ** 1:02:21 then it probably is, yep, which makes sense. Well, this has been fun. It's been wonderful. Can you believe we've already been at this for more than an hour? So clearly we 1:02:33 this went so fast. Clearly we Michael Hingson ** 1:02:35 did have fun. We followed the rule, this was fun. Yeah, absolutely. Well, I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank you all for listening and for watching, if you're on YouTube watching, and all I can ask is that, wherever you are, please give us a five star rating for the podcast. We appreciate it. And anything that you want to say, we would love it. And I would appreciate you feeling free to email me and let me know your thoughts. You can reach me at Michael H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, would love to hear from you. You can also go to our podcast page, www, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and it's m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, O, N, and as I said to Rochelle just a minute ago, if any of you need a speaker, we'd love to talk with you about that. You can also email me at speaker@michaelhingson.com love to hear from you and love to talk about speaking. So however you you reach out and for whatever reason, love to hear from you, and for all of you and Rochelle, you, if you know anyone else who ought to be a guest on unstoppable mindset, let us know we're always looking for people who want to come on the podcast. Doesn't cost anything other than your time and putting up with me for a while, but we appreciate it, and hope that you'll decide to to introduce us to other people. So with that, I again want to say, Rochelle, thank you to you. We really appreciate you being here and taking the time to chat with us today. Rachelle Stone ** 1:04:13 It's been the fastest hour of my life. I'm gonna have to watch the replay. Thank you so much for having me. It's been my pleasure to join you. **Michael Hingson ** 1:04:24 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.
Send us a message (& include the best way to reach you)What happens when your work schedule runs opposite to the natural rhythms of the world? In this illuminating conversation, Laura Timbrook—international speaker, board-certified health coach, and the definitive expert in shift worker wellness—reveals the hidden health challenges facing those who work outside traditional hours and provides actionable solutions that actually work.Laura draws from over a decade of experience transforming how businesses approach health for shift workers, sharing why conventional wellness advice often fails those working nights or rotating schedules. The digestive system functions differently at 2 AM versus 2 PM, even for veteran night shift workers. Sleep patterns, nutrition needs, and exercise requirements all demand specialized approaches that acknowledge biological realities.Most alarming is the World Health Organization's classification of shift work as a "probable carcinogen," with research showing shift workers face a 60% higher risk of diabetes and consistently get 2-4 fewer hours of sleep than day workers. Yet Laura emphasizes that health optimization remains possible through targeted strategies and mindset shifts.The conversation tackles common misconceptions about shift work health, explores practical solutions like two-meal eating patterns versus three traditional meals, and discusses how both organizations and individuals can mitigate health risks. For rotating shift workers facing constantly changing schedules, Laura reveals techniques to find patterns within chaos and establish health routines that actually stick.Whether you're navigating shift work yourself, supporting team members with unconventional schedules, or simply interested in understanding how circadian disruption affects health, this episode provides eye-opening insights and practical tools to protect wellbeing when working against the clock. Download Laura's free night shift guide at lauratimbrook.com/nightshift to start implementing these strategies today.Support the showAs a token of gratitude, of course you're interested in these FREE and powerful resources, and because you enjoy the show, be sure to leave your 5-STAR Review HERE! >Join From The Heart: Your feel good feed packed with inspiring stories, wellness tips, and expert insights. Let's recharge your energy, balance your vibes, and celebrate YOU every Sunday morning. > You might be wondering just how full your Toxin-Tank may be: Take your FREE Toxicity Assessment to find out - no email required! > You'll discover a new level of self, after your FREE 2-Part audio training for Confidence! > Love to Read? You can lean more about Integrative Health on our Blog > I know you're concerned about your future. Schedule your FREE Consultation with Jeffrey
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski analyzes her genealogical traits, recounts a river trip from a few years ago, and shares her newest TikTok obsession.
Tiny pacemakers the size of a rice grain are revolutionizing care for premature infants with heart rhythm issues. These remarkable devices, which dissolve naturally after about a week, eliminate the need for risky removal surgery and represent a fascinating frontier in medical technology. Though currently benefiting a small number of children globally, the underlying innovations promise broader applications across healthcare.Meanwhile, scientific research continues confirming the harmful effects of recreational marijuana on male fertility. THC significantly alters sperm morphology, potentially dropping viability below the threshold needed for reproduction. This raises challenging questions about why societies continue legalizing substances despite mounting evidence of health risks, and connects to broader concerns about declining fertility rates worldwide.The growing trend of "longevity clinics" charging thousands monthly for anti-aging treatments and "peak performance" optimization highlights our culture's obsession with extending earthly life. These luxury wellness centers cater to wealthy clients seeking to maximize their years, yet they prompt deeper reflection on what truly matters. As we discuss these clinics, we explore the contrast between pursuing a longer physical existence versus embracing an eternal perspective that transforms how we view our time on earth.Perhaps most thought-provoking is our examination of an ancient sacrificial altar discovered in Guatemala, where archaeologists found remains of young children. This archaeological finding opens a window into historical practices that modern observers find horrifying, yet some academics contextualize these atrocities through cultural relativism rather than moral clarity. We consider parallels between ancient sacrificial systems and contemporary attitudes toward vulnerable populations, reflecting on which lives our society deems "expendable" and why Christianity offers a unique perspective on sacrifice that upends these cultural patterns.What do our technological pursuits, medical breakthroughs, and archaeological discoveries reveal about our deepest values? Join us for this wide-ranging conversation that challenges listeners to consider how we define human worth across time, technology, and culture. SHOW NOTES:The Tiniest Pacemaker: The pacemaker is the size of a grain of rice and can be inserted with a syringe. It is activated by pulses of light placed on the surface of the chest over the pacemaker. It is designed for temporary use and dissolves away when no longer needed. (Source: https://tinyurl.com/26z4fwvl accessed 4-3-25)Marijuana Use Harmful to Male Fertility: The morphology (shape) of sperm directly relates to its effectiveness in fertilizing an egg. According to the World Health Organization, having as little as 4% of sperm with normal morphology is considered sufficient for fertility under strict criteria. A typical non-smoking male has a 7% normal morphology sperm, with 52% of the sperm being immobile. A cigarette smoker (at least one pack/day for ten years) has 5% normal morphology sperm with 59% of it being immobile. A marijuana smoker (four joints/week for three years) had a 2% sperm that had normal morphology, and 69% of it was immobile. Male infertility in the United States has risen from about 6-7% to 11.4% over the past 50 years. While many factors are believed to cause this drop in fertility,The Balance of GrayGod, doubt, and proof walk into a podcast... it goes better than you'd expect!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show
GHM Listener Reactions - Share your thoughts about this episode? [These text messages use your mobile phone and are private, and FREE.]In this episode of Dialogues, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director General at the World Health Organization (WHO) and acting Regional Director for the WHO Regional Office for Africa, and his wife, Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch. The conversation centers on their latest book, An Imperfect Storm: A Pandemic and the Coming of Age of a Nigerian Institution. Chikwe discusses his personal journey in establishing the Nigerian Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria as well as how they as a couple balance personal life with demanding work during challenging times.Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.Subscribe to the Global Health Matters podcast newsletter. Follow us for updates:@TDRnews on XTDR on LinkedIn@ghm_podcast on Instagram@ghm-podcast.bsky.social on Bluesky for updates Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Global Health Matters podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of TDR or the World Health Organization. All content © 2025 Global Health Matters. Pre-roll content;We're in the full swing of our season four. If you just found us, we have close to 40 episodes for you to explore. You don't need to listen to them in sequence. You can look them up and choose a la carte topics and issues that most interest you. I promise you will want to hear them all.
In 2021 Dr. Kiran Rabheru, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and a geriatric psychiatrist, found himself at the center of a medical debate. The World Health Organization wanted to officially designate “old age” as a disease, but with more than 40 years of work with aging populations, Rabheru saw this as another example of ageism that needed to be challenged. Dr. Rabheru talks with Yasmin Tayag about how he fought the WHO and about the impact such designations can have on research and our understanding of growing old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this powerful and deeply emotional episode, MintPress News Director Mnar Adley sits down with American ICU nurse Wally Massay, who has just returned from Gaza after volunteering on the front lines of Israel's war on the civilian population. Having worked in some of Gaza's most devastated medical facilities—including Al-Aqsa, Nasser, and Indonesia hospitals—Massay offers a chilling firsthand account of the deliberate targeting of health workers, the systematic destruction of hospitals, and the devastating toll on Palestinian children.Massay shares how Gaza's hospitals function under siege: with no real shifts, medical professionals work 24/7 under the constant sound of crying children and explosions. According to Massay, the injuries he treated—many gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and groin of young boys—were too precise to be anything but intentional. “Their reproductive organs were completely dismantled and destroyed,” he tells Adley, calling it “ethnic cleansing at its worst.”The interview also addresses the Israeli military's targeting and imprisonment of doctors, including the death of Dr. Adnan al-Bursh under alleged torture in Israeli custody. Since October 7, 2023, over 1,150 health workers in Gaza have been killed, among them 165 doctors and 260 nurses. According to the World Health Organization, Israel has damaged or destroyed 33 out of Gaza's 36 hospitals.Massay's reflections are not just professional—they're personal. He speaks with anguish about the U.S. government's unwavering support for Israel's actions, including billions in aid and military assistance. "Looking into the eyes of a Palestinian child," he says, "it is a terrible feeling to know that my money and my taxes just killed you."This exclusive interview is a rare and urgent testimony from someone who witnessed the atrocities firsthand. It challenges listeners to confront the human cost of political choices and the moral consequences of silence.Trigger warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence against civilians and children.
In this raw and powerful episode, host and maternal health advocate Jaymee opens up about the life-threatening condition that nearly took her life and so many others and the systemic failure that allows it to constantly be dismissed as "just stress."May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month, but one month isn't enough when thousands of women are still being sent home undiagnosed, unsupported, and unheard. Backed by World Health Organization research and real stories from moms like you, this episode pulls no punches.We're talking medical gaslighting, postpartum trauma, the lack of research funding, and what it's really like to live with the aftermath of a Severe Preeclampsia diagnosis.
As trade wars continue, we explore how businesses of all sizes are surviving. Will tariffs dominate Apple and Amazon's earnings? And how are small businesses staying afloat?The US and Ukraine signed a minerals deal which President Zelensky says is an "equal partnership". Andrew Peach speaks to the US' former Deputy Director for Batteries and Critical Materials.Plus, the World Health Organisation says cuts in US foreign aid could lead to the worst ever disruption in global health funding.And we're hearing stories from Colombia, where support for small businesses could help to keep the peace.
This week on The Broski Report, Fearless Leader Brittany Broski shares her new obsession with the film Sinners, discusses the social activism of Irish rap group Kneecap, and updates the nation's Book Club.
According to the World Health Organisation, 77% of Nigerian women have used skin-lightening creams. When BBC Hausa's Madina Maishanu decided to look into this, she uncovered an even more worrying trend: mothers using potentially harmful products on their babies. Madina spoke to the campaigners trying to stop these practices. Plus, how human activities and climate change are threatening shea trees in Uganda with Njoroge Muigai from BBC Africa. Presented by Faranak Amidi Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
The Trump White House re-launched the govenrment's official COVID-19 website on Friday. The revamped site blames the origins of the coronavirus on a lab leak in China while criticizing former President Joe Biden, former top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci and the World Health Organization. The website is also critical of steps like social distancing, mask mandates and lockdowns. Jimmy and Americans' Comedian Kurt Metzger discuss how not even this level of government sanctioned critique of the nation's COVID policy will be sufficient to shake some hopeless deadenders in the media and comedy community who refuse to engage in even the most cursory reexamination of their mistaken views over the pandemic. Plus segments on British political commentator Douglas Murray's savage takedown of… British political commentator Douglas Murray, Trump's all-out assault on academic freedom and Chinese commentators' better understanding of the United States than Americans'. Also featuring Stef Zamorano!
America First or America Alone? The Trump Administration's decision to pull out of the World Health Organization might seem on brand—but is it? Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, senior leader at WHO, joins Meidas Health host Dr. Vin Gupta to discuss the very real ways a full-scale withdrawal impacts every American, both visibly and behind the scenes. It's a can't-miss, honest discussion on why the WHO matters to all of us—and how it is reforming in response to the scrutiny it has received in the wake of COVID-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices