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There’s more sugar in your favorite drinks than you may expect

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There’s more sugar in your favorite drinks than you may expect

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You may be surprised to learn that soda isn’t the only beverage on the market that’s loaded with sugar. Many doctors and nutritionists agree that 25 grams of sugar is recommended for children and adults to maintain a healthy diet, but the average person consumes roughly 126 grams of sugar a day.

“Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is steadily rising among all age groups worldwide,” said the review’s senior author, M. Faadiel Essop, Ph.D., of Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa. “Our analysis revealed that most epidemiological studies strongly show that frequent intake of these beverages contributes to the onset of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension.”

One can of Coca-Cola contains 33 grams of sugar, which is already above the healthy amount. But grape juice, which you may think is a healthier alternative, has 36 grams of sugar. Another popular drink is the Rockstar Energy drink, which has 60 grams of sugar per 16 fl oz.

Juices are made of fruits that have sugar in it, and energy drinks are known for being unhealthy, so what about tea? It seems like the healthier option. But not so fast, Lipton Iced Tea has 53 grams of sugar per 20 fl oz, Arizona Iced Tea contains 52.5 grams of sugar per 20 fl oz., and even a Snapple is above the healthy amount of sugar with 36 grams of sugar per 16 fl oz.

With all these highly-sugary beverages, how do we make sure our drinks are healthy? There are always tables online where you can look at how much sugar is in a drink, but it is also on every nutritional facts located on any food or drink item you buy. Check the sugar per serving to make sure you’re not overloading your body on sugar, and think before you drink.

Another Traffic-Related Death Near Dangerous Sacramento Intersection

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Another Traffic-Related Death Near Dangerous Sacramento Intersection

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Traffic safety is an ongoing concern in Sacramento, and even more so in the aging original suburbs just outside of the city core. On May 24th, an as-yet-unidentified woman in a wheelchair was killed in a hit-and-run on Stockton Boulevard. Police responded to the incident that morning by closing off Stockton Boulevard between Fruitridge Road and Lawrence Drive. No vehicles were allowed to pass between that part of the roadway for awhile. The Sacramento Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit investigated the scene but no official conclusions have been made as of yet.

“Our officers responded and the female was already deceased,” said Officer Linda Matthew. “It appears that she was in the southbound lanes of Stockton Boulevard in a wheelchair.”

The roadway was reopened at around 7:30 AM but investigators were unsure as to whether the woman in the wheelchair was in the car lane or in the bicycle lane before the fatal crash. As of Thursday morning, the investigators did not have a description of the vehicle or driver.

In January 2012, a 16-year old student of West Campus High School, Michelle Murigi, was fatally hit by a vehicle while on a crosswalk at Fruitridge Road and this prompted many area residents to demand a solution from local officials. In May 2014, the City of Sacramento and the Sacramento City Unified School District installed traffic signals at 58th St and Fruitridge Road. How will local officials respond to the death of the latest victim of traffic?

“This incident has led me to believe our traffic safety isn’t as safe as some may find it,” said Harold Coleman, a resident of South Sacramento. “You have to question the driver for their actions but overall the event is shocking and horrible. Our traffic safety needs to be in check and the woman’s family deserves the justice of finding the person that killed her.”

If you have any information concerning the incident, you can call the Sacramento Police Department’s non-emergency line at (916) 264-5471.

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STDs on the rise in California

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With innovations in science and technology, it comes at a surprise that STDs have been on the rise in California since the early 2000s. Sacramento itself had the 6th highest chlamydia rates in California’s 58 counties. But with other issues such as teen pregnancy at an all time low, why is this issue becoming more and more prevalent?

 

A decrease in condom usage, as well as a lack of knowledge are part of the issue. Another part of the issue is the funding for prevention. It’s theorized that after the 2008 financial crisis, funding for many programs got cut. However, funding for STD prevention never seemed to recover.

 

“Increases in STDs are a clear warning of a growing threat,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “STDs are a persistent enemy, growing in number, and outpacing our ability to respond.”

 

Though some STDs are treatable, their symptoms are sometimes hard to detect, leaving the victim to not be aware of the STD until it gets worse. 600 cases nationwide of congenital syphilis were reported in 2016, and over 40 newborn deaths and health complications resulted from it.

 

“Every baby born with syphilis represents a tragic systems failure,” said Gail Bolan, director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “All it takes is a simple STD test and antibiotic treatment to prevent this enormous heartache and help assure a healthy start for the next generation of Americans.”

 

Access to knowledge about STDs may be needed to help prevent them from spreading more. The more knowledge people have about STDs, the sooner they can identify its symptoms and get help.

Urban Agriculture On The Rise In Sacramento

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Urban Agriculture On The Rise In Sacramento

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A newly case study, From Farm to Every Fork: Rewriting the Narrative on Urban Agriculture in Sacramento by Heather Gehlert, depicts the recent historical process and development of urban agriculture in Sacramento. The study reveals that many community leaders and advocates supported urban agriculture as a tool to bring social change because they believe food, as a universal need, can be used to drive communities together. They also believe Urban Ag can help alleviate some of the problems of victims of food deserts and that since Sacramento is a considerable center for food research and policy as well as an environment for food to be grown year-round. However, those same advocates were also quick to stress that “urban agriculture is much more than a feel-good trend; it is a matter of health and social justice.”

The California Endowment, in recognition and response to healthy food advocates and their efforts in Sacramento’s southern neighborhoods, such as Lemon Hill and Oak Park, picked up urban agriculture “in 2010 as a part of its Building Healthy Communities initiative, a 10-year strategic plan to boost health in 14 of the state’s communities that not only have poor health outcomes but also have the potential to change them in ways that create a ripple effect throughout the rest of the state.”

While community leaders and advocates continued their primary agenda for an increase of neighborhood participation in urban agriculture, their efforts were also directed towards youth programs in order to generate the next generation of advocates and additionally influence urban agriculture to be more diverse and inclusive in the future. A prime example of these youth programs is the Burbank Urban Garden at Luther Burbank High School, where the club meets four days a week after school and offers elective credits, allowing students to learn about seasonality, sustainability, crop rotation, and nutrition. The club members maintain their gardening space – which consists of a greenhouse, raised beds, and 40 fruit trees – and also hold annual plant sales.

However, despite recent efforts of promoting the positive effects of urban agriculture, there appeared to be deeply-rooted stigma among young people about farm work. For some African-Americans, agricultural labor was a burden to partake in considering the historical implications of slavery in the United States. For some Mexican-Americans and Hispanic-Americans, their older generation of family members were critical of it because they wanted their children to attend college.

Nonetheless, urban agriculture is on the rise and the vision for some advocates have recently shifted from creating opportunities for urban farming to assisting people in finding those opportunities, making it profitable, and building the business that they need to sustain it. Ever since Sacramento’s policies about urban agriculture have become less strict over the years, farmers’ markets have become frequent.

For more information of the case study by Heather Gehlert, click on the following link: http://s26107.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/bmsg_tce_bhc_from_farm_to_every_fork_sacramento_case_study2018-final-mid.pdf

Sacramento residents call for rent control due to many evictions

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Sacramento residents call for rent control due to many evictions

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A housing crisis in Sacramento continues to persist as many residents of the county struggle to pay for rent. According to Yardi Matrix, a commercial real estate research and data platform, Sacramento had the highest year-over-year rent increases in the state, an average of 9.9%, from June 2016 to June 2017. As a result, many residents were evicted from their homes and some have even become homeless. The eviction rate in Sacramento is 2.16% per 100 renter homes with a total of 2,044 evictions and the poverty rate in Sacramento is 17.43%, according to Eviction Lab.

However, there’s a movement in California that’s seeking rent control. Many people believe rent control is the solution to Sacramento’s current housing crisis and activists are pushing for this measure to be on the California ballot. This ballot proposition seeks to repeal a 1995 state law called the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and, if repealed, it will allow cities and counties to make stronger rent control policies.

Proponents of this initiative have said that they’ve collected more than 588,000 signatures from registered voters for this ballot and they only needed 365,880 signatures by June to qualify.

“With the increased number of corporate landlords, we’re seeing a lot of rent gouging take place,” said campaign spokesman Damien Goodmon. “We’ve been able to put together a very formidable and growing progressive coalition that we think will make this a simple choice to anyone who is looking to the direction that progressives would like to go.”

However, opponents of this ballot measure argued that the bill would stymie construction of new housing across the state and cause an “affordable housing freeze”.

“This ballot measure will pour gasoline on the fire of California’s affordable housing crisis,” said California Apartment Association CEO Tom Bannon. “It will do exactly the opposite of what it promises. Instead of helping Californians, it will result in an affordable housing freeze and higher costs.”

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New Podcast to Hold Release Party

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On April 25th, a release party for the new podcast called The Brave will be held at Beatnik Studios, 723 S Street, from 6:00-8:30 pm. There will be music, food, and a live podcast recording of The Brave. The event is free to go to, and youth are encouraged to attend.

“These are the young voices of the Golden State,” said Felonious Munk, the host of The Brave, in the intro to the podcast. “This podcast tells their stories. The stories of men and women who are fighting for a voice in their communities, and all over the country. Who are working together in solidarity to rise up as one.”

You can RSVP for the podcast release party here. The Brave features young activists from all over California who are trying to uplift their stories and help their communities.

The podcast is an 8 part podcast series, where youth reporters talk with activists in the community about their efforts. You can find an episode about the podcast here. The episode highlights Ivan Ceja, an activist who gives resources to undocumented immigrants.

The Brave series provides interviews and talks about people who work in solidarity together for a common cause. They feature youth voices who are working to help their community.

Morrison Creek planned to be revitalized

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Morrison Creek planned to be revitalized

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On April 14th, 2018, a creek clean-up event will be held at George Sim Community Center where volunteers will gather before cleaning parts of Morrison Creek between 65th Street and Power Inn Road from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. On that same day, the Morrison Creek Revitalization Project will host a community vision meeting at Elder Creek Elementary School from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM.

The Morrison Creek Revitalization Project is a community-lead project intending to create a safe and walkable path between Elder Creek Elementary School, Sim Park, and the George Sim Community Center along Morrison Creek. The purpose of the community vision meeting held on April 14th is to gather ideas from local residents of Morrison Creek and potentially implement them into the MCRP’s final design plan. The project group has reached out to residents, local groups, and nonprofit organizations.

“The project will be developed in a multi-phase approach and the community’s vision will decide the project that best fits the needs of those who live, work, and play in the area,” said Lauren Bisnett, an Information Officer of the California Department of Water Resources. “Once the project design is finalized, the construction grant application process will begin and construction could start as early as the fall of 2020. The project timeline and construction work could take place sometime after 2020 as well, depending on the environmental permitting process and other project requirements. Funding for the planning of this project is made possible in part by bond funds from Propositions 13, 50, and 84 in addition to funding from project partners. Funding for the construction activities may be made possible by Riverine Stewardship grants awarded by DWR. The project team will be seeking additional grants for the construction of the bike and walking paths. Project partners are helping with the outreach and with the project description. They are incurring costs as well.”

For more information, contact Esther Tracy at (916) 651-9629 or by e-mail at esther.tracy@water.ca.gov.

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