Mental Health Impact Assessment Report

From Lynn Todman at the Adler Institute on Social Exclusion:

Our report “U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Policy Guidance: A Mental Health Impact Assessment” has been completed and is available to you at adler.edu/MHIA

This report is the culmination of our 18-month study examining how changes in federal law regarding the use of arrest records in employment decisions would affect Chicago’s underserved Englewood neighborhood. The report also details the Mental Health Impact Assessment (MHIA) process that we employed at the Institute on Social Exclusion at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, constituting an important advance and contribution to the practice of Health Impact Assessment (HIA).

As you know, it is common for U.S. policy makers to consider factors like the natural environment, human physical health, and economic impact in their decision-making processes. Environmental Impact Assessments, Health Impact Assessments, and Economic Impact Assessment are increasingly common.  However, assessments that evaluate psychological or mental health impacts are rare, despite the fact that mental health is an essential element of healthy communities.

The MHIA process is intended help policy makers assess how changes in public policy may help or harm the mental health of communities, especially the most vulnerable. It is also a useful tool in helping to narrow health inequities, and will become increasingly important in light of dwindling mental health resources and support. Conducting an MHIA can help ensure that policies that are implemented will help reduce health inequities, and improve the health and wellbeing of communities and the nation.

Thank you for your interest in our work.  If we can answer questions or provide more information for you, please contact us at ISE@adler.edu

Healthy Banana Bread

Hi everyone!  It’s Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home with another healthy recipe for you.  I picked up a recipe card from my Whole Foods’ bakery counter a few weeks ago for Flax and Honey Banana Bread and have been so excited to make it.  I adapted the recipe a bit but the results were delicious and just the healthy bread I was hoping for.

The bread was sweet but not too sweet, hearty and satisfying but still just the right amount of cakiness to it.  The banana and coconut flavors complement each other so beautifully.  My girls gobbled this up for breakfast the morning I made it and happily ate more that afternoon as a snack.  I’ll be adding this to my repertoire and will probably make two loaves next time so I have one to freeze!

Coconut Flax Banana Bread

3/4 c. mashed bananas ( about 2)

3/4 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 c. honey

1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

1 1/4 c. shredded coconut

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a loaf pan with parchment paper down the length and the width.

In a large bowl, whisk banana, almond milk, and honey.  Add flour, flaxseed, 1 c. coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Fold with rubber spatula just to combine.

Transfer to pan, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. coconut and bake until golden and cooked through (test with a toothpick), about 55 minutes.

Let cool a few minutes, then lift out of pan using parchment and slice with a serrated knife.

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Thank you for this post from contributing writer, Jennifer, of The Chronicles of Home.  You'll definitely want to check out her blog for more amazing recipes, beautiful home decor, and easy-to-follw DIY projects!

Support HIA Research in East Africa

CIHR Project Page

Kevin Pottie from the University of Ottawa and his colleagues in Canada have submitted a CIHR grant application to support the use of HIA by social entrepreneurs in East Africa. You can support their application by visiting the project page and clicking the like button, which is one of the factors CIHR considers.

Glucagon, Dietary Protein, and Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Glucagon is a hormone that plays an important role in blood glucose control.  Like insulin, it's secreted by the pancreas, though it's secreted by a different cell population than insulin (alpha vs. beta cells).  In some ways, glucagon opposes insulin.  However, the role of glucagon in metabolism is frequently misunderstood in diet-health circles.

The liver normally stores glucose in the form of glycogen and releases it into the bloodstream as needed.  It can also manufacture glucose from glycerol, lactate, and certain amino acids.  Glucagon's main job is to keep blood glucose from dipping too low by making sure the liver releases enough glucose.  There are a few situations where this is particularly important:

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The Rise of HIAs in the United States

The Health Impact Project has put out a nice infographic about the use of HIA across the U.S.:

Source

The untapped potential of health impact assessment

A fascinating paper by Mirko Winkler and colleagues has been published in the WHO Bulletin:

Countries and regions that are promoting HIA's use or have produced HIA guidance. Source

A paper on the “untapped potential of health impact assessment” has been published in the current issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization. In this policy and practice piece, current health impact assessment (HIA) practice is summarized, the potential of HIA to become a critical player with the major drivers of global change (e.g. population growth and urbanization, growing pressure on natural resources and global climate change) is outlined, and it is discussed where and how HIA can become fully integrated into the impact assessment suite. HIA has an important role to play in of the unfolding 21st century’s sustainable development agenda, and if the Rio+20 agenda is to genuinely benefit vulnerable populations, then “health” must be an equal participant and partner at the table.

Link to article 

Are Animal Crackers Paleo?

Warning -- Satire -- April Fool's Post

Every child loves animal crackers, those sweet and crunchy animal-shaped biscuits.  But are they compatible with a Paleo diet?  Some people might think they already know the answer, but consider this: our ancestors evolved on the African savanna, eating the plants and animals found there.  Inside each box of animal crackers is an assortment of tiny savanna creatures such as giraffes and elephants.

To get to the bottom of this, I interviewed Robert Pearson, CEO of Animal Cracker Products Inc., who explained to me how these crackers are made.

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