June 2009 HealthierYou Calendar

Aphasia: ah-fay'-zhuh

Key to the Matching Activity

• Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week, (June 22-28)
• National Aphasia Awareness Month
• National Men's Health Week (2nd Monday)
• Fireworks Safety Month (June 1 - July 4)

Fact or Fiction

Aphasia affects a person's intelligence.

Fiction: Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that impairs a person's ability to process language but does not affect their intelligence.

People with aphasia lose the ability to access and communicate ideas and thoughts through language. They have difficulty retrieving words and names, but the person's intelligence is basically intact. Because people with aphasia have difficulty communicating, others may mistakenly assume they are mentally challenged.

Causes of aphasia include but are not limited to stroke, head injury, brain tumor, and other neurological conditions. Some people may mistake aphasia with Alzheimer's disease but there is a major difference between the two conditions. With aphasia, access to ideas and thoughts are disrupted, but with Alzheimer's, ideas and thoughts themselves are disrupted.

There are many types of aphasia. Some people have difficulty speaking while others struggle to follow a conversation. Aphasia can span from a fairly mild and unnoticeable condition to severe cases when speaking, writing, reading, and listening are affected. In all cases however, the common thread is difficulty in communicating.

For more information please visit www.aphasia.org.

NASA in Your Life

Balance Evaluation Systems

Balance Evaluation Systems refers to the devices built to measure the equilibrium of space shuttle astronauts when they return from space. These devices are widely used by major medical centers to diagnose and treat patients suffering from head injury, stroke, chronic dizziness, and central nervous system disorders.

For more information please visit www.sti.nasa.gov.

Down-To-Earth

Sustainable Development

The concept of sustainable development means different things to different people. At the core of it, sustainable development refers to a number of inter-related global issues such as poverty, inequality, hunger, and environmental preservation.

In theory, development that is sustainable and not damaging to the planet is very possible. In reality, there are a lot of politics and challenges involved.

Conceptually, sustainable development can be broken into three constituent parts:

1. Environmental
2. Economic
3. Socio-political

The 1987 report of the Brundtland Commission, set up by the United Nations General Assembly, coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development: "Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This definition is not accepted by everyone and has created much discussion; after all, the fulfillment of human needs, while indefinitely maintaining the quality of the natural environment, is no easy task. We would need a lot of coordinated efforts, good and bold ideas, and communication.

For more information please visit:

• www.un.org
• www.globalissues.org

Writer's Note: In the previous months we concentrated on the connection between how we live, our personal health, and the health of our environment. This month, we expanded on the broad concept of connectedness by studying the linkage between global development and the environment.

HealthierYou by Choice

What is the difference between "spices" and "herbs"?

Many people confuse the terms spice and herb. Spices are usually dry and come from the bark, buds, fruits, roots, seeds, or stem of plants and trees. Herbs are the fragrant leaves of plants that grow in temperate climates. Cook with herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of your meals. Add fresh herbs at the end of cooking and use more than you would for dried since fresh herbs aren't as strong. Herbs and Spices Day is on June 10th

For more information please visit:

• www.eatright.org
• Healthy cooking with Herbs and Spices: lancaster.unl.edu
• Eating healthy and managing your Diabetes: diabetes.niddk.nih.gov