February is usually thought of as the month of love and hearts. It is also a time to focus on the darker side of relationships though. February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Information about teen dating violence is shocking. Did you know that probably 1 in 3 high school students will face some type of dating violence? Think about that: 1 in 3 teenagers will go through some form of relationship abuse before the age of 18. Yet, 81% of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or they say they don’t know about the problem. [1] More studies suggest that American Indians are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than people of other races, and 1 in 3 Indian women report having been raped. [2] So, What Does Dating Abuse Actually Look Like? Physical Abuse: Any force used to cause fear or injury, like hitting, shoving, biting, strangling, kicking or using a weapon. Verbal or Emotional Abuse: Non-physical behaviors such as threats, insults, always knowing what someone is doing or who they are talking to, shaming, bullying, separation from others or stalking. Sexual Abuse: Any action that causes a person to lose control of their sexual activity or the situations in which sexual activity occurs, including rape, coercion or restricting access to birth control. Digital Abuse: Using social media to bully, harass or threaten a current or ex-boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife. Demanding passwords, checking cell phones, cyberbullying, unwanted sexting, too many texts or threatening texts or stalking on social media. Stalking: Being watched, followed, or harassed. Stalking can occur online or in person, and may or may not include giving unwanted gifts. [3] Common warning signs of dating abuse: Checking cell phones, emails or social networks without permission Being very jealous or insecure Always being put-down Removing self from family and friends Physically causing pain or hurt in any way Being controlling 3 Ways to Help and Stop Teen Dating Abuse Teach youth what teen dating violence looks like. Have open talks with youth about teen dating violence and the warning signs of abuse. Also, discuss what healthy limits are and how this helps relationships. Promote and teach youth about what healthy relationships look like.During the teenage years, young people are learning skills they need to create positive relationships with others. This is the perfect time to push for healthy relationships and prevent patterns of dating violence that can last as an adult. Know what places or who is available to help. In Oklahoma Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa - 918-382-1241 Muscogee Creek Nation- Tania Bardin - tbardin@mcn-nsn.gov Domestic Violence Intervention Services - 918.743.5763 Across the United States National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) When teens need help, they can reach out to peer advocates for one-on-one support by texting “loveis” to or calling National Sexual Assault Hotline- 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) References Break the Cycle. (n.d.). Learn About Dating Abuse. Retrieved from https://www.breakthecycle.org/learn-about-dating-abuse Tjaden, P & Thoennes, N. (2000). Department of Justice Break the Cycle. (n.d.). Warning Signs. Retrieved from https://www.breakthecycle.org/warning-signs #teendatingviolence

The holidays are stressful enough without all the requests to donate money and adopt children. As the Development Director for IHCRC and a donor myself, I know how much stress this can add to an already financially stressful time of year. Why yesterday alone I must have received 30 to 40 requests for donations. I gave once and felt good about it instead of feeling bad about the 39 other organizations who did not get my money. So, I thought I would share a few tips on how to keep yourself saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Bah Humbug." Care for Yourself First - You and your family are MOST important. Do not feel bad for focusing on your family. Set a Donation Limit: We all want to give during the holiday season. Set a limit for yourself and stick to it. Remember every little bit helps whether it be $1 or $100. Give Up One Important Thing: Do you buy a soda or a coffee every day? Do you eat lunch out? Do you grab a candy bar when you buy gas? What about your favorite donut on Saturday morning? Give up ONE just ONE during the holiday season and give that money to a cause. Decide What is Important to You: Speaking of causes, decide what is important to you. Is it an organization who has helped your family? Did the story they told tug on your heart strings? Is it a cause dear to your heart, for example dogs in need of homes? Were you asked by someone close to you? Bottom line - it's your bottom line. Give because you WANT to give NOT because you feel you MUST. The Holidays are Not the Only Time People are in Need: You want to give but you just can't this holiday season. Give when you can. Trust me - the need is ALWAYS there. Feel Good About What You Have Done: Giving makes us feel good. That is a fact. Concentrate on what you gave and who you helped NOT on the 39 organizations who did not receive your money. It's Not Always About Money: Sometimes Holiday giving is really about sharing what you have with others. Invite someone you know will be alone to eat with your family. Bake an extra batch of cookies. Donate used coats or scarfs to the homeless. Sing carols for your neighbors. Write a poem or letter to cheer someone's day. Visit a friend who cannot leave home or lives alone. Share a decoration with someone in a nursing home. Brighten someone's Bah Humbug day with a smile. There are a million ways to give even when you don't have money. #givingduringtheholidays #donation #holidaycheer

Diabetes and exercise go hand in hand. Exercise is an important part of your diabetes management plan. It can help improve your blood sugar, increase your overall fitness, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and lower you risk of heart and blood vessel disease and stroke. Whether you already work out at a vigorous level or are just getting started, exercise is a must have in your diabetes self-management tool box. Before getting started there are some important steps to take before beginning a new exercise regimen. First talk to your doctor about any risk factors you have that may limit certain types of exercise. Find out what types of exercise are appropriate for you. If you have been inactive for a long time, your doctor may want to check the condition of your heart before giving you recommendations. Most people benefit from a combination of aerobic exercise and muscle strengthening exercise. Keep an exercise journal to determine the best time of day for you to exercise so that your exercise is coordinated with your meals and medications. Always test your blood sugar before, during and after your workout. Safety is your first priority. If your blood sugar is below 100 mg/dl, it may be too low to work out safely. Most people need to have a small to moderate size carbohydrate snack before exercise to keep them from experiencing hypoglycemia. This is a good topic for one to discuss with his or her diabetes educator. The American Diabetes Association recommends that adults with diabetes get 30 minutes of moderate level intensity aerobic physical activity at least five days a week. If someone is wanting to lose weight, typically a person will need to exercise for sixty minutes five days a week. Whether it is Spring, Summer or the cold of Winter make a plan to get more active and help keep your diabetes well controlled. For more information, IHCRC has a nationally accredited diabetes education program with educators whom are available to patients. Referrals to the program can be made through your primary care provider at the clinic.

Diabetes is a complex disease that is often hard to understand. There are different types of diabetes, but today I want to talk about Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Common causes of T2DM include a combination of overweight and obesity, a lack of physical activity, and consuming too many calories. Family history can also play a role. This upsets the overall balance of glucose (sugar) and insulin within the body. First, let’s start with the risk factors for T2DM. Risk factors fall into two different categories; the ones we have no control over and the ones we do. Risk factors that we have no control over include: family history of Type 2 Diabetes; race/ethnicity, age, and having a history of gestational diabetes for women. If you are American Indian/Alaska Native you are at higher risk for diabetes. The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes increases as one gets older. If you have a parent, grandparent, or sibling with T2DM you are also at higher risk. If someone has both parents with diabetes, that person has a 75% risk of developing the disease. Type diabetes has become an epidemic in the United States and around the world today. Did you know that there are currently 26 million people who have diabetes in the U.S alone? Even more concerning is that 7 million of those individuals have no idea that they have diabetes at this very moment. Did you know that insulin is a hormone? I like to think of insulin as the key that unlocks the door to our body’s cells that lets sugar in. Without insulin, we keep too much glucose floating around in our blood stream and it turns our blood from a nice thin watery consistency to a thick syrup. Of course, syrup doesn’t flow as well as water. That thick blood has a hard time getting through our blood vessels and this can lead to damage throughout our system. There is a lab test known as the Hemoglobin A1c that can be done with a finger stick which can determine if a person has prediabetes or diabetes. This test measures how much sugar (glucose) that is in the blood stream. When an A1c is 6.5% or higher, then we know a that person has diabetes. Often people do not get tested for diabetes and by the time they are diagnosed, they have already had the disease for as long as 5-7 years. Science shows with an A1c of just 6.5%, the pancreas has already lost 80% of the cells that make insulin. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to preserving the remaining cells in the pancreas that make insulin. So what does all this mean anyway? The more weight we gain and the more inactive we become, the higher risk we have for developing Type 2 diabetes. This is because we will have more glucose in the body, which means the pancreas will be working overtime to lower our blood sugar. T2DM can develop, which then requires one to make lifestyle changes and often take medication in order prevent complications. Making lifestyle changes before developing Type 2 Diabetes is the best way to prevent the disease. The most important steps we can take include exercise and healthy eating along with losing weight if needed. One may be able to delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes altogether. Choose a healthy eating plan that includes lean meats and dairy options, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limit, or better yet, eliminate all sugary beverages from the diet. Drinking one regular soda each day has been shown to increase one’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Get physically active if you aren’t already. The American Diabetes Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week. This means doing aerobic activities such as walking, cycling, or swimming in order to get your heart rate up which is good for the waistline and heart health too. If you don’t exercise now, begin with just ten minutes a day, 2-3 days a week and work your way up. Often losing 7-10% of your body weight can significantly lower your risk of developing diabetes. As a community, we can work together to support each other in developing long-term healthy lifestyle habits that can prevent or delay this disease.