Nutrition

HIV :: HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination

Individuals should not have to suffer all losses due to illness! Men, women and children are suffering with HIV/AIDS. We need to assure that these people are cared for, not discriminated against! We must provide funds for proper nutrition, housing and health care for these individuals to aid and contribute to their well-being. We need to get rid of the false perceptions and judgments. Like Doreen Millman said in Vancouver at the 1996 AIDS Conference in reference to how a 63 year old grandmother got AIDS. She said, “It just doesn’t matter!” Neither does an individual’s race, religion or sexual orientation matter! Don’t look for differences; look at how we can help one another.

HIV :: Out about HIV in Mexico City

I have been living with HIV for 20 years and for a decade now, I have been OUT publicly about my being infected with HIV. My work creating awareness globally has provided for many people, a face living with HIV and has helped to bring hope to people infected that they too can live!

Nutrition :: Eat less harmful fat, more vegetables, a healthy diet

A preliminary version of the rules for healthful eating flatly tells to cut consumption of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. The draft guidelines also warn not to eat more food than they need, to “be physically active every day,” and to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, to reduce the chance of chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

HIV :: HIV/AIDS Education

Education is paramount if we are to reach individuals infected with HIV and those living with AIDS. Obviously, our best resource is from those who are affected by the disease! Information is not reaching those most in need and there is a certain mistrust of science and medicine. People are afraid. Many have only seen or heard of people dying and many people believe the drugs will kill them. It is important that they learn from those whose lives have been saved and who have benefited from the drug treatments, renewing a quality of life they would not have had otherwise.

HIV/AIDS and Complementary therapies

Initially, there were no drugs available to treat HIV/AIDS, but substantial numbers of infected individuals collaborated, shared experiences and found an alternative way. Without medications, people incorporated proper nutrition, exercise and complementary therapies into their lives. People have been successful at staying healthy and/or having wellness restored time after time using complementary therapies, with or without HIV/AIDS medications. We must acknowledge and give credibility to this reality! We must acknowledge all of the many contributions by people infected with HIV. They are the same people who raised funds and started AIDS organizations, thereby providing and developing treatment libraries, which contained files on all the alternative treatments used by people living with HIV/AIDS. When HIV/AIDS drugs did become available, HIV/AIDS research and drug treatment information was included in these libraries.