The Metro Times Atlanta May 2018 | Page 13

HEALTH AND WELLNESS
MAY 2018

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

TRUE SAFE PLACES

Nicole Johns, LCSW

There are so many people suffering from mental health challenges today that don’ t even realize it, and they are alone. Unfortunately, in many families and cultures, the idea of acknowledging a mental health concern or even seeking counseling is still taboo. Many have been taught to“ suck it up” or never let them see you sweat” People have been told,“ you’ re strong enough to handle it.” Sometimes people are even told that they just need to pray more. Therefore the people and places that are supposed to be safe for us are actually encouraging us to stay hidden in the darkness and silence.

The reality is that we all experience loss, disappointment, heartaches, profound sadness, anxiety and fear at some point in our lives. These feelings might be the result of losing a loved one to death, losing a job, losing a relationship or a house. Sometimes an important goal is not reached, a business fails, there is an unexpected illness, or a traumatic car accident happens.
Sometimes we are born with chemical imbalances, and due to the unattended losses or traumatic events in our lives, we have a hard time coping and bouncing back.
I desire that all people would have a healthy safe place to get the help that they need. I want them to have a place where they can unload and share. I want them to learn and grow as they come into a place of wholeness.
We all need those safe places. It can help us to be better moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, co-workers, bosses and neighbors. Just being all-around mentally healthy individuals encourages healthy families and healthy communities. Come find out more about becoming

HEALTHY VS UNHEALTHY

mentally healthier at the Mental Health Awareness Night May 18th, 2018 at 7 pm at AWAKE Coffee Community.
Nicole Johns, LCSW
Mental Health Awareness is important because it allows us to reflect on our life: our marriage, our children, and our relationships.
Rhonda Wilson, LMFT
Mental Health is one of the most misunderstood forms of health. To this day, many people lack a true understanding of what mental health entails and why it’ s essential. The stigma of mental health has kept many people from seeking the help they need and deserve. People suffer silently because they refuse to get the ugly label of“ crazy.”
What many people don’ t understand is that Mental Health is health too. You can’ t say you are taking care of
There are many foods marketed as“ health foods” that are misleading not because these foods can’ t be eaten as part of a healthy diet because they absolutely can. However, they aren’ t as“ healthy” as the marketing might make you believe. Dried fruit, for example, is very high in calories compared to whole fruit because of the added sugar. Again, not that these are inherently bad for you, but they aren’ t the best things to center your diet around.
yourself if your mental health is not included. Total health is incomplete without it. Many times, other forms of health can be heavily influenced by one’ s psychological state.
It’ s time for us to lay down the stigma and pick up our wellness. It’ s time to educate and motivate about one of the most important
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forms of health. No longer will we let people miss out on one of the best feelings in the world, mental wellness. Join us as we discuss mental health, it’ s importance and ways to maintain it.
Latitia Woods, MA, LPC, NCC

I have nothing against a good snack throughout the day. If it works for you and you like it, then that’ s fantastic. As Dumbledore told me just after my Bar Mitzvah, mazel tov you handsome little man( Crazy story, I’ ll tell you another time).

I’ m not big on calling foods“ healthy” or“ unhealthy” because, the truth is, whatever constitutes“ healthy” is dependent on your lifestyle as a whole and not just a single food you eat at one point in time. Too much or too little or anything isn’ t good for you. Just like no one ever got fat from eating a doughnut, no one ever got skinny from eating one salad.“ Healthy” is your lifestyle as a whole, not one food in isolation.
The same goes for fruit juices like Naked, premixed smoothies, granola and kale chips. They use something called the“ health halo” to make you believe they’ re healthy when, in reality, they’ re calorie dense foods that tend to make you hungrier and crave more rather than fill you up. Again these foods are not evil, but please don’ t believe they are the answer to your fitness goals. The key to a healthy lifestyle is whole and clean foods. Green veggies, lean proteins, healthy carbs, and fats are all good for you.
Again I am not saying these foods are bad for you or that you can’ t eat them. I am saying they aren’ t as“ healthy” as they make you believe. They probably shouldn’ t make up a significant portion of your diet.
Jacob Fuchs Fooding Fuchs

LOOK GOOD & BE FOUND!

PLANT A ROW, ROCKDALE

The Plant-A-Row Garden( PAR) in Rockdale County is a community service project run by Master Gardener Extension Volunteers( MGEVs). Volunteers spend countless hours preparing the site, planting, harvesting, and managing the garden to support residents in need in Rockdale County. The fresh produce from

the PAR garden is donated to Rockdale Emergency Relief.
Project Leader, Ronnie Peden and Georgia Power retirees, Lee Cronan and Charlie Bleakley have dedicated countless hours to making this garden successful by producing 9,637 pounds of fresh produce in the past four
years. Altogether, the MGEV’ s and Georgia Power retirees have volunteered over 1,400 hours of work in the garden producing tomatoes, corn, okra, bell peppers, squash, cucumber, eggplant and hot peppers during the summer and cabbage, collards, turnips, kale, broccoli and sweet potatoes in the fall garden.
The PAR Garden has recently moved the garden to its new location near the tennis courts on Parker Road in Conyers. Residents who enjoy the Olde Town Conyers walking trails on Parker Road or play tennis will be able to see the garden grow and the great work the MGEV’ s are doing for the community. Master Gardeners are currently planting a mini-pollinator garden outside the garden fence to attract the bees and butterflies which will then do nature’ s work and pollinate the vegetable garden as well as add color and beauty to the landscape.
The Master Gardener Extension Volunteer( MGEV) program in Georgia is a volunteer training program designed to help University of Georgia Cooperative Extension staff transfer research-based information about gardening and related subjects to the public by training home gardeners to be volunteer educators. Through active MGEV programs in many Georgia counties, UGA Cooperative Extension is able to
reach out and serve more citizens with educational programming and demonstrations. Learn more about becoming a Master Gardener and about all the great projects our Rockdale County MGEV’ s are doing by visiting our website at www. extension. uga. edu / county-offices / rockdale.
Amy Smith ANR Program Assistant Rockdale County