New Horizons
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”
I hope that everyone is doing well! Thank you to everyone who was able to make the market last week, it was such a glorious afternoon! The weather really showed out!
This is the last full week of January so I wanted to address Cervical Health Awareness Month. We have a lot of monthly observances and even daily and weekly ones, but this one is a rather big one. It concerns most everyone as you either have a cervix or know someone with one. We hear about this body part when we talk about giving birth or when there is a cancer diagnosis. Sometimes January is called Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, but I prefer Cervical Health, because it encompasses education about all stages of health.
More than 14,000 women in the US alone are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year. Bringing to light the preventions and treatments are extremely important to those women. This disease is preventable with screening and vaccinations.
Prevention:
Having a regular PAP test at your gynecologist’s office. This test should be done every three years from ages 21 to 30. If these test results remain normal throughout a patient’s early years, risk of cervical cancer developing is low.
Having an HPV test. This should be done beginning at age 30 or in response to an irregular PAP test.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after age 30, if both the PAP test and HPV test comes back normal, you can ask your doctor to wait 5 years before your next set of tests. But still complete routine yearly check-ups.
Getting the HPV vaccine. This is administered in a series of two or three injections between the ages of 9 and 26, and is recommended by the CDC to be administered to both boys and girls at around age 11 or 12. The vaccine prevents the most common forms of HPV attributable to cervical, vulvar or vaginal cancer from developing.
Prudently considering birth control usage. Women who use oral birth control pills have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. This risk drops significantly and swiftly once the pill is stopped. Taking oral contraceptives for more than a period of five years has been associated with doubling the risk of developing cervical cancer.
Taking preventative measures can also help with early detection. The education you receive during screenings can help you to recognize symptoms should they arise which will lead to early detection.
More information can be found in these links:
https://www.nccc-online.org/cervical-health-awareness-month/
https://www.nfcr.org/blog/cervical-cancer-prevention-awareness/
Denise, a new vendor, came out last week with some really cute insulated cups! She is planning to be back this week as well, so come check out her inventory!
This is the week Buckwheat Farms will be debuting their microgreens with us! We are excited to see what all they have!
Microgreens aren’t just a great topper to a meal, but are full of wonderful vitamins and minerals. This link has care instructions and several recipes because I couldn’t choose just one!
We are always looking for more people to join our fun! If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a vendor at our market, follow the link below for our vendor application!
Just a hint of all the fun we have to offer! Come join us!