Wednesday 23 April 2014

Pioneer hoopsters to play on Saturday - Women reunite for charity basketball game

BLUEFIELD — A group of women who played high school basketball in the “pioneer days” of the sport in McDowell County is getting together on Saturday evening to raise money for a local effort to assist homeless people — and to relive their “glorious past.”

The women are now in their 40s and 50s, leading to the team’s name, the Hot Flashes, according to team member Paula Newbill Mlynczak.

The game is set to tip off at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Bluefield Recreation Center on Stadium Drive.

Ticket proceeds will help Open Heart Ministries, a Christian-based, non-profit alliance that assists temporarily homeless people. The effort helps people re-direct and re-establish their lives, Mlynczak said.

The Hot Flashes roster includes alumni of now-defunct Northfork, Welch and Big Creek high schools from McDowell County, as well as Mount View High. Some members of the Northfork Blue Demons 1979 state championship team have committed to play, Mlynczak said.

The oldest player is 56 years old, she said. The majority of the team is still living in southern West Virginia. “We have four or five from North Carolina,” she said.

The Hot Flashes will play a group of middle-school age girls from Bluefield who have chosen the collective name of Team Dominant.

Team Dominant includes “upper-tier middle school players,” several of whom are in AAU programs, said Mlynczak’s husband Larry, who works with his wife in Open Heart Ministries.

Paula Mlynczak said she got the idea for the game while watching a 2013 movie, “The Hot Flashes,” which starred Brooke Shields, Wanda Sykes and Daryl Hannah.

When Mlynczak started talking with area players from the past, their comment was, “Let’s do it,” she said. “They’re a very competitive bunch of girls.”

The practices have been productive, she said. “We had the fundamentals way back. We had great teachers. So when you hit the court, it’s time to get busy,” she said.

“The fundamentals started in junior high for us,” she said. Among their mentors at that age were Gladine Barner and Coach Turner at Welch. At Northfork, the girls program that won several state championships in the 1970s was inspired by Ron Tote, Henry Winkfield and Jennings Boyd, she said.

The Hot Flashes include former collegiate players.

Kimberley Newbill, who is Paula Mlynczak’s sister, and Sheila Huckleberry went on to play for Bluefield State. Cassandra Myers, a Northfork High alumna, played for West Virginia State College (now University). Leila Huckleberry also played college ball after graduating from Northfork.

The Hot Flashes are organizing another game next month at Kimball Elementary School. They are looking at playing additional games, with the goal of raising funds for local community betterment.

Source: http://www.bdtonline.com/localsports/x360402647/Pioneer-hoopsters-to-play-on-Saturday

Monday 14 April 2014

Menopause and perimenopause: Whats the difference?

The second 40 years and beyond can be the prime of a womans life. While physical changes for a woman are inevitable, a positive outlook, a healthy lifestyle and good communication with her gynecologist can keep her feeling young.

The natural shift in hormones brings on the symptoms of perimenopause the time prior to menopause. During this time, the body transitions toward the end of the reproductive years and ovulation becomes less frequent, but true menopause does not occur until there have been 12 consecutive months with no period. Once that milestone occurs, subsequent years are known as post-menopause.

When should a woman begin planning for menopause?

According to the National Institute on Aging, the average age of menopause in this country is 51. Typically experienced between ages 40 and 50, symptoms of perimenopause can last for a few months or several years. Each woman is different; some experience severe symptoms while others have none at all. Estrogen is used by many parts of the body, so a drop in the level of this hormone causes various changes. The most common symptoms of perimenopause are changes in ones period, hot flashes, problems with the vagina and bladder, trouble getting a full nights sleep, mood changes and weight gain.

Women experiencing bothersome symptoms should talk to their gynecologist for help deciding how to best manage perimenopause. The doctor should know the medical history of the patient and her family, and should discuss with the patient the risk for heart disease, osteoporosis and breast cancer. Because symptoms and needs may change over time, patients should review them with the doctor during annual checkups.

Staying healthy after menopause

Staying healthy after menopause may involve some lifestyle changes. Barnabas Health and the National Institute on Aging recommend that women:

- Empower themselves to get informed.

- Dont smoke. Tobacco users, remember that it is never too late to quit.

- Learn what your healthy weight is, and try to stay there.

- Eat a healthy diet, low in fat, high in fiber and with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods.

- Make sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D in the diet or with supplements.

- Do weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging or dancing at least three days a week for healthy bones. Also, try to be physically active in other ways for general health.

- Take doctor-prescribed medicines. Many serious health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and osteoporosis cannot be seen or felt.

- Get regular pelvic and breast exams, Pap tests and mammograms.

Source: http://www.app.com/viewart/20140413/BARNABAS/404130305/Menopause-perimenopause-Whats-difference-