Study: Calculating the Steps to Lower Diabetes Risk



You’ve probably heard the expression, “Get your steps in,” but just how many steps are needed to make a difference in your health? The average American takes anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, which equates to 1.5 to 2 miles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, the CDC suggests that most adults should aim for at least 10,000 steps, which is equivalent of walking 5 miles, a day to maintain a healthier existence. If walking 5 miles a day puts a spring in your step toward a healthy lifestyle, just how many steps would it take to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes? A recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism looked at Fitbit data collected from 5,600 participants in the All of Us research ...

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3 Resources to Use During Healthy Weight Week



National Healthy Weight Week is recognized on the third week of January every year and focuses on achieving and maintaining healthy weight through healthy eating, physical activity, optimal sleep, and stress reduction.   Obesity affects more than 40% of Americans, placing them at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.    Latino adults and children have among the highest rates of obesity.  With this in mind, let’s explore resources that can help you start achieving a healthy weight and improve your health!   Get Help Changing Your Habits for Healthy Weight  The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) provides a guide, “Changing Your Habits for Better Health,” in English or ...

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5 Resources to Enhance the Lives of San Antonio Seniors


Senior resources

While no official age classifies someone as a “senior citizen,” a few big milestones may mark the status. Some of these milestones include retirement from the workplace, reductions in income, changes in health, and a shift in life priorities – like traveling and making time for social groups. Adjusting to new life phases as one ages is easy for some, but a struggle for others. This is especially true for Latino seniors, who face a variety of health disparities, including disproportionate rates of disability, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and more. Combined with a potentially lower income and limited access to healthcare, maintaining a healthy lifestyle in older age can be hard for Latinos and all seniors. That’s why the city of San Antonio, home of Salud America! and its ...

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Former Marine Tim Barrientez is Dedicating Retirement Years to Improving Latino Health


Tim Barrientez

8/22/23 Update: Tim is Salud America!'s latest intern. Read his stories here! 18-year-old Timoteo “Tim” Barrientez wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. It was impossible not to sweat in the hot, humid climate of Port Isabel, Texas – a small coastal town in the Rio Grande Valley. As Tim’s feet struck the pavement, he thought about how he would soon trade his athletic sneakers for military boots. He smiled. After today’s run and weightlifting workout, he would finish packing his bags to begin training as a United States Marine – a career that would last more than 20 years and take him to Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Japan, and other countries to defend our nation’s freedom. While serving as a Marine, Tim kept his passion for health and fitness close to his heart. ...

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February is American Heart Month


American Heart Month Announcement

Ah, February. The month dedicated to celebrating love and relationships. But before you take a deep dive down the Valentine’s Day candy aisle, consider a healthier way to show yourself and loved ones some love. February is American Heart Month, a time for Latinos and all people to focus on their cardiovascular health. Join us in raising awareness of heart disease, the driving forces behind it, and how to address it throughout the month of February and beyond. What is Heart Disease? Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, according to the CDC. The most common type of heart disease in the US is coronary artery disease, which can restrict blood flow to the heart and cause a heart attack. Other forms of heart disease include irregular heartbeats, ...

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The Rise of Screening for Social Determinants of Health


SDoH screening

Did you know that your Zip code is more important than your genetic code in predicting how long you will live? That’s right – where you live can have a big impact on your health. In fact, our health is influenced by a variety of non-medical factors, such as the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age. These conditions are known as social determinants of health (SDoH). Addressing SDoH is key to improving health for Latinos and all people. Numerous studies suggest that SDoH accounts for between 30-55% of health outcomes and SDoH influences individual health behaviors, which account for another 30% of health outcomes. Fortunately, healthcare systems are placing more emphasis on screening patients for SDoH. This means that when patients come to medical ...

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5 Ways to Practice Healthy Social Media Habits


Latino couple scrolling on phones.

Social media plays a large role in society today. People use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok and many other platforms as daily sources for education, entertainment, work, and more. However, can spending too much time on social media have a negative impact? Researchers have continuously studied how social media affects mental health. While the results are mixed, heavy use of social media can contribute to negative factors including cyberbullying, low self-esteem, and social isolation. This is important for Latinos, 98% of whom own a smartphone and who are the highest-percentage users of Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and WhatsApp among racial/ethnic groups. “Hispanics spent almost two more hours per week watching videos, streaming audio and social networking ...

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The Harsh Impact of Alcohol on the Latino Community


Latino drinking alcohol.

Alcoholism in the U.S. has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “A one-year increase in alcohol consumption in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to cause 8,000 additional deaths from alcohol-related liver disease, 18,700 cases of liver failure, and 1,000 cases of liver cancer by 2040,” according to a press release from the Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition, deaths caused by alcohol are up, too. After increasing 2.2% a year over the previous two decades, deaths involving alcohol jumped 25.5% between 2019 to 2020, totaling 99,107 deaths,” according to a 2022 study. “Deaths involving alcohol reflect hidden tolls of the pandemic. Increased drinking to cope with pandemic-related stressors, shifting alcohol policies, and disrupted ...

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Will Your Child Get Free School Lunches This Year?


free school lunches

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools had the flexibility to offer school meals free to all public-school students. Now, some of this flexibility is expiring and many schools can only serve free meals to certain students starting this 2022-2023 school year, according to the USDA. “As we all get through this change, we ask everyone to be patient with school nutrition professionals and thank them for working to help children during such a tough time. The [USDA] and the Biden-Harris Administration fully support the school leaders and school meal heroes running the school meals programs,” according to the USDA. For Latino students, whose families often face wage gaps and nutrition insecurity, these changes could have a significant impact. Here is what these recent ...

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