Category Archive

• AL Amyloidosis: AL Amyloidosis occurs in veterans who were exposed to herbicides. The condition affects a variety of organs, including the heart and the kidneys, and can result in fatigue, tingling limbs, and swelling.
• Hodgkin’s Disease: Hodgkin’s Disease is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The common symptoms are swollen lymph nodes, fever, and fatigue.
• Parkinson’s Disease: Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative nervous system disorder that affects movement. It causes tremors and stiffness.
• Traumatic brain injury: Being near explosions can cause traumatic brain injury. Symptoms include headaches, balance problems, slow thinking, speaking, and reading. Traumatic brain injury increases the risk of developing PTSD or other mental health issues.

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Military service has been shown to increase the risk of developing ALS. ALS results in trouble breathing, speaking, and eating, as well as dementia. There is currently no cure for this fatal disease.
• Prostate cancer: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers. There may be no symptoms at first, but early-state signs include blood in the urine or semen and frequent or painful urination.
• Respiratory cancer: Lung or respiratory cancer is the third most common in the United States. Symptoms include chest pain, wheezing, fatigue, and swelling.
• Diabetes: Diabetes affects nearly 25% of United States veterans. It is the leading cause of blindness, end-stage renal disease, and amputation in the veteran population.

AL Amyloidosis, Hodgkin’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, prostate cancer, and respiratory cancers can be caused by exposure to herbicides, which includes Agent Orange.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers healthcare to veterans. Those who served in active military, naval, or air service and didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge may be eligible to sign up for VA healthcare. Some current or former Reserves or National Guards members may also be eligible if they have been called to active duty. VA healthcare covers the Affordable Care Act’s 10 essential health benefits, which include doctor’s visits, preventative care, rehabilitation services, and mental health support.

There are also many nonprofit organizations that support veterans and help connect them to benefits and social groups.

America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP) helps veterans and their families find organizations in their local area. By helping veterans connect with their communities, the AWP helps prevent veteran suicide. In 2023, the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) found that 59.1% of military and veteran families reported experiencing loneliness. Research shows that loneliness and feeling of suicidality are related, making the AWP’s work an important part of veteran’s health post-employment.

The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) offers veterans and their families a variety of free programs, events, and assistance to help veterans return to civilian life. Their mental health program, Warrior Care Network, offers treatment for PTSD and other mental health disorders. They also provide the Warriors to Work program, which connects veterans to employers. Project Odyssey is a free 12-week mental health program for veterans and their families that teaches methods of dealing with mental health disorders. The Independence Program provides veterans with social workers and therapists to help overcome severe physical or neurological conditions that make day-to-day living difficult. The WWP helps veterans in every aspect of their lives, from mental health to peer support.

Hiring Our Heroes is a not-for-profit organization focused on helping veterans transition into the civilian workforce. They also provide resources for military spouses and active service members. Through virtual and in-person hiring events, workshops, and seminars, HOH serves an important role for the military community.

• Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, and nuts
• Swapping unhealthy fats for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a source of healthy fats
• Replacing red meat with fish, poultry, or beans
• Removing candy or foods with added sugar
• Consuming a moderate amount of red wine with meals (if you drink alcohol)

The Mediterranean diet has a multitude of documented health benefits. It has been shown to help you maintain a healthy body weight and keep weight off once you lose it. Extra virgin olive oil and fish are good sources of unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease cholesterol levels, support brain health, and help prevent heart disease. Extra virgin olive oil may also remove excess cholesterol from your arteries.

The Mediterranean diet is full of foods that support healthy blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and a balance of microbiota in your gut. The diet also limits sodium intake, helping to keep your heart healthy. The Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of developing or experiencing:

• Parkinson’s
• Alzheimer’s
• Type 2 diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Obesity-related cancer
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Metabolic syndrome

For these reasons, both the American Heart Association (AHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend the Mediterranean diet as a great way to maintain good health and wellbeing as you age. If you’re interested in beginning your own Mediterranean diet, here are foods from the Mediterranean area that you can incorporate into your meals:

• Vegetables: Asparagus, watercress, beet, onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, cucumbers, artichokes, okra, corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, zucchini, potato, avocado, olive, chard
• Fruits: Grapes, apple, fig, pear, plum, cherry, raspberry, lemon, watermelon, melon
• Nuts and seeds: Almond, hazelnut, walnut, chestnut, sunflower seeds, cashew
• Herbs and spices: Parsley, cumin, coriander, fennel, oregano, rosemary, sage, lemon balm, bay leaf, saffron, turmeric, cloves, ginger
• Legumes: Chickpea, soybean, lentil, beans
• Whole grains: Wheat, buckwheat, rice, pasta
• Fish and seafood: Salmon, cod, tuna, sardines, trout, clams, crab, shrimp, lobster, mussels
• Poultry: Chicken, turkey, duck
• Dairy: Brie, feta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella, blue cheese, Swiss cheese, Greek yogurt

There are countless Mediterranean diet recipes out there to help you swap over to a Mediterranean diet or simply incorporate more healthy Mediterranean foods into your day-to-day. Some great (and easy) options to get you started are:

Breakfast

• Greek yogurt with fruits and vegetables
• Overnight oats
• Omelet topped with vegetables and mushrooms
• Oatmeal pecan waffles
• Whole-grain toast topped with fruits, jam, or peanut butter
• Fruit smoothies

Lunch

• Greek salad
• Vegetable soup
• Mediterranean couscous salad with chickpeas
• Baked flautas with mango salsa
• Whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce and fresh vegetables
• Toasted quinoa and salmon salad

Dinner

• Grilled salmon and spinach
• Buddha bowl
• Fish soup with potato and greens
• Bulgur and green peas
• Tuna kebabs

Snacks

• A handful of nuts or seeds
• Fruits
• Whole-grain crackers and cheese
• Carrots or cucumbers with hummus
• Vegetables and Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese and fruit
• Tortilla chips and guacamole

Some common signs of abusive behavior in a partner include:

• Telling a partner that they can’t do anything right
• Being extremely jealous when a partner spends time with others
• Preventing a partner from making their own decisions
• Insulting a partner in front of others
• Pressuring a partner to do things they don’t want to do
• Threatening physical violence

If one or more of these signs are present in a relationship, it may signal that abuse is occurring.

Emotional abuse refers to non-physical behaviors intended to demean, isolate, control, and intimidate another person. Emotional abuse is subtle, but no less serious than physical violence. Signs of emotional abuse include:

• Insults and name calling
• Attempts to control what a partner wears
• Gaslighting
• Cheating to intentionally hurt a partner
• Blaming a partner for their abusive behaviors
• Making a partner feel guilty for saying no to something, sexual or otherwise
• Constant criticization

Sexual abuse refers to non-consensual or forced physical and sexual intimacy. Refusing to allow the use of birth control, condoms, or other methods of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention are forms of sexual abuse. Other signs include:

• Unwanted kissing, touching, or violent sexual activity
• Forcing a partner to dress in sexual outfits
• Using explicit or sexual names to insult a partner
• Sexual contact with those who cannot give clear consent, including those who are intoxicated, unconscious, or asleep
• Strangling, restraining, or holding a partner down during sex without consent
• Involving weapons, objects, or other people in sexual activity without consent
• Intentionally hurting a partner during sex or attempting to give a partner an STI

Financial or economic abuse involves the abusive partner controlling the finances of another to maintain control and power over them. Financial abuse can look like:

• Monitoring a partner’s transactions or imposing an allowance
• Depositing a partner’s money into an account they can’t access
• Harassing a partner’s employer or coworkers
• Maxing out a partner’s credit card without permission
• Restricting the number of hours a partner is allowed to work
• Stealing money
• Refusing to give the partner money for necessary items like food, clothing, or medical care

Online abuse, or technology-facilitated abuse, involves the use of technology to bully, harass, frighten, or control a partner. This can include stealing the passwords of a partner’s social media, looking through a parter’s phone without permission, or monitoring a partner’s whereabouts through GPS or spyware. Another form of technology-facilitated abuse is Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), which refers to the theft, creation, distribution, or extortion of sexually explicit material without the consent of the person depicted in the content. Examples of IBSA are:

• Using sexually explicit material as blackmail
• Non-consensually distributing sexual material (sometimes referred to as “revenge porn”)
• Taking non-consensual photos or videos by positing the phone above or underneath another person (sometimes referred to as “down blousing” or “upskirting”)
• Generating or creating sexually explicit videos or photos with AI or photoshop (sometimes called “deepfake”)

If you suspect that you, a loved one, or a member of your community are experiencing domestic abuse, there are many ways to find or offer help:

• Find support: Talk to a friend, family member, or mentor
• Create a safety plan: Through the National Domestic Violence Hotline, you or another person experiencing abuse can create a practical plan to help identify abuse, find the words to describe the situation, and prepare to leave.
• Go to an emergency room or health clinic: Providers can treat injuries resulting from assault, offer medications for STIs or birth control, and may be able to connect you or another person to sexual assault advocates.
• Contact love is respect to speak to an advocate and find nearby resources. You can call, text, or chat on their website with support available 24/7.