The Grand Rapids Downtown Market recently announced a once-monthly artisanal Michigan Pop-Up Marketplace, which will focus solely on Michigan-made and grown goods such as home decor, furniture and art as well as locally produced food and farm fresh produce.
The Michigan Pop-Up Marketplace will launch May 22, and take place on the fourth Sunday of every month through September under the Market Shed. Hours will be 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
“There is no shortage of creativity in West Michigan, and as we look to build on the mission of the Downtown Market, we are working to create more accessibility to artisan products whether they be in the form of food, art or function,” said Mimi Fritz, president and CEO of the Downtown Market. “By launching the Michigan Pop-Up Marketplace, we can provide a strong platform, resources and opportunities to small artisans and artists who are looking for a low barrier of entry to consumers.”
In addition to the Michigan Pop-Up Marketplace, the Downtown Market will continue to host its other popular programming, including the Vintage Street Market, second Sunday of each month starting May 8, free “Chefs at the Market” and “Kids at the Market” summer activities each week, with the chef demos on Tuesdays and kids activities on Saturdays outside in the Market Shed.
Guests can also enjoy Downtown Market Happy Hour, an outdoor bar featuring cocktails and craft beer selections from 4:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. every Wednesday starting in June.
Grand Rapids has become recognized as a destination for makers, artisans and food entrepreneurs. The Grand Rapids Downtown Market is committed to providing resources and opportunities for those entrepreneurs, while ensuring consumers of all background have accessibility to healthy food options. The introduction of the new Michigan Pop-Up Marketplace aligns with this ideal.
Do you shudder at the thought and inconvenience of scheduling a doctor’s appointment to get a flu shot? Even if you’re a fan of seeing the doctor—and personally, I know nobody who is—the waiting times can be long and annoying. Well, there’s another, more convenient alternative: Your friendly neighborhood pharmacist.
And you don’t even need an appointment.
Michigan pharmacists are licensed and trained to administer any vaccination; the most common are flu, pneumonia, shingles and whooping cough. And because pharmacists are required to keep updated on new regulations and methods, they are a reliable source for information and care.
Harboring doubts? These facts should put your mind at ease:
1. Pharmacists are the most accessible health care professionals and community pharmacies typically have flexible hours, including evening hours. If you work nine to five, this is a game-changer. You won’t need to take time off work, and chances are, you live within five miles of the nearest pharmacy, so it should be a short trip.
2. State law permits pharmacists to administer immunizations in the state of Michigan. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control recognizes pharmacists as key contributors to immunization efforts.
3. Your neighborhood pharmacist can give you personalized support. Your immunization records are available for review and he or she can evaluate your requirements based on age, lifestyle, health status, occupation and other health conditions. You’ll get specific recommendations on what you may need. Because recommendations may change annually, you could be behind on something and not realize it.
4. Best of all, you can add the trip for your flu shot to your other regular errands like grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions.
Now there really isn’t any reason for putting off that flu shot!
By the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (with a little help from Victoria Mullen)
Hey! Happy New Year, Grand Rapids! We start out the year by making it onto yet another top-20 list, but this one’s nothing to brag about. According to the Huffington Post, Grand Rapids ranked 19th among the 20 cities most likely to experience the worst cold and flu season in 2016.
Great job, guys. Way to go. (Well, at least we weren’t #1 but still, among millions of cities, coming in at 19th?)
Both dreaded and dreadful, flu season can begin as early as October, but most of the time it peaks between December and February. Sometimes it can last as late as May. That’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say, and they’re the experts.
Wash your hands!
Suffice it to say that the exact timing and duration of each flu season varies. About half of the U.S. population gets a flu shot each year, but those nasty little viruses can still pack a punch. Flu is responsible for nearly 17 million lost workdays and costs the U.S. more than $87 billion annually. Tens of thousands of people get sick enough to be hospitalized, and thousands die from flu-related illnesses each year in the U.S.
Children are the most likely to become infected with flu, and children younger than five years of age are among those who are at high risk of serious flu complications.
Think about that the next time you go to hug your sweet little petri dish.
How to spread the flu
It’s easy! Just cough, sneeze or merely talk, and those nasty viruses will spread through itty-bitty, teeny-tiny little droplets. Flu also spreads when people touch something with the virus on it and then touch their nose, mouth or eyes.
Here’s the thing: if you’re infected with flu, you can infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. That’s right, you can spread the flu to someone else before you even know you’re sick (in addition to doing so while you are sick).
Young children, people who are very ill and those with severely compromised immune systems can infect others for longer than 5-7 days.
We needn’t go this far… unless there’s a pandemic.
Symptoms of the flu
How do you know you have the flu? Uh, you’ll feel lousy. Specifically, you may have:
– Fever or feeling feverish (note that not everyone with flu will have a fever)
– Chills
– Cough
– Sore throat
– Runny or stuffy nose
– Muscle or body aches
– Headache
– Fatigue
– Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, but this is more common in children than in adults
Most people will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some may develop complications (such as pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections) as a result of the flu, some of which can be life-threatening and even deadly.
The flu can make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu, and people with chronic congestive heart failure may experience worsening of this condition that is triggered by the flu.
When to go to the emergency room:
In children
– Fast breathing or trouble breathing
– Bluish skin color
– Not drinking enough fluids
– Not waking up or not interacting
– Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
– Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
– Fever with a rash
In adults
– Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
– Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
– Sudden dizziness
– Confusion
– Severe or persistent vomiting
– Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In addition to the signs above, get medical help right away for any infant who has any of these signs:
– Being unable to eat
– Has trouble breathing
– Has no tears when crying
– Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
Isn’t it pretty? Looks like an art project, but it’s not.
The best way to prevent flu
Get your annual flu shot every fall, say the CDC. Their statistics show that during the 2012-2013 flu season, an estimated 45 percent of the U.S. population got vaccinated and helped to prevent an estimated 6.6 million flu-related illnesses, 3.2 million flu-related mediation visits and 79,000 hospitalizations. (How they came up with these numbers is a mystery, but there you have it.)
People at high risk (such as children younger than 2 years, adults 65 and older, pregnant women, people who have medical conditions) or are very sick (such as those hospitalized because of flu) should get antiviral drugs
The flu vaccine protects against several different flu viruses, providing protection all season long. Flu viruses can change from season to season and immunity declines over time so it is important to get vaccinated each year.
CDC plays a major role in deciding which flu viruses the annual flu vaccine will protect against, so be nice to them.
How to protect yourself from the flu:
Stay away from sick people (not a problem for introverts) and don’t be offended when they stay away from you when you’re sick (tit for tat)
Wash your hands to reduce the spread of germs
If you or your kid is sick with flu, stay home from work or school at least 24 hours after the fever is gone to prevent spreading flu to others (one exception: you may go out to get medical care or for necessities but keep your distance from others). No cheating: The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the trash after you use it
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth (germs love to spread this way)
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs (such as doorknobs, phones, and computer keyboards/iPads, you get the idea)
If you begin to feel sick while at work, go home as soon as possible
Follow public health advice, which may include information about how to increase distance between people and other measures. (I would think that if we ever reach this point, it wouldn’t hurt to wear a necklace of garlic.)
Fun Fact:
The title of ‘peak month of flu activity’ is bestowed upon the month with the highest percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza virus infection. February is typically the top peak month, so happy birthday out there to all you Aquarians!
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
After watching the obesity rate rise over the past two decades, Michigan finally stepped on the scale and saw improvement. It’s a slight improvement, but a decrease in obesity nonetheless!
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of Michigan saw almost a 1% decrease in adult obesity rate. On top of that, it’s Michigan’s best state ranking – 17th – since 1990.
While Michigan’s ranking has come a long way since being the fifth most obese state at the turn of the millennium, the ranking hasn’t improved due to the state getting its act together to be healthier. Instead, the improved ranking is a result of the rest of the nation regressing into an unhealthy state of mind.
In 2000, West Virginia had the highest adult obesity rate in the country at 23.9% (Michigan was 5th at 22.1%). Compare that to the most recent batch of numbers which has Arkansas leading the country with an obesity rate of 35.9%. West Virginia, the most obese state to kick off the millennium, would rank just under 47th ranked California today.
Not the right direction for the country to be heading.
2014
Obesity is a major drain on health-care costs. A 2009 study estimated the U.S. spent about $150 billion a year on medical expenses associated with obesity. That number is almost double what the country spent on obesity related medical costs back in 1998.
According to the CDC, “Obesity reduces quality of life and is associated with the leading causes of death, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.”
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when diving into the data. First off, the CDC measures obesity using a BMI – or body mass index – of 30 or above. Since BMI is calculated using only your weight and height, it is possible for an individual with a large muscular composition to be labeled “obese” due to a high BMI reading. However, while there are exceptions, there is a strong correlation between BMI and more precise measures of obesity.
Another caveat with the data is how the CDC measures obesity rates, and how that affects comparing data over the years. Back in 2011, the CDC made some changed the way obesity rates were measured to better reflect minority populations. Because of the data gathering changes, the CDC cautions about comparing rates since 2011 with earlier number.
Because of that last point, it’s difficult to compare obesity rates in 2000 to now, but a stark rise in the country’s obesity can still be seen from 2011 onward. Back in 2011, 12 states had an obesity rate over 30% and none were over 35%. Compare that to the latest set of available data, and America has 22 states with an obesity rate over 30% and three states above the 35% threshold.
The numbers are staggering, and they hit even closer to home when you look a little closer.
Kent County isn’t immune from the rise in obesity. Actually, far from it. Kent County has an obesity rate of 29%, good enough to park just between Illinois and Idaho in the national rankings at 28 and 29, respectively.
The obesity epidemic doesn’t show signs of slowing down, but it’s not something we as a society need to be held hostage to. While genetics can play a role, a lot comes down to a healthy diet and exercise! The typical American diet tends to be heavy on processed and high-calorie foods. Sub out unhealthy choices with fruits and vegetables. Also, make sure to stay active.
It’s not always an easy road, but it’s enlightening to know obesity doesn’t have to weigh us down forever.
The Grand Rapids Downtown Market recently announced a once-monthly artisanal Michigan Pop-Up Marketplace, which will focus solely on Michigan-made and grown goods such as home decor, furniture and art as well as locally produced food and farm fresh produce.
