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“I am busy.”  “I am really busy.”  “I was busy.”  “I have been so busy.”

Busy!  Busy!  Busy!  The new buzz word of our generation.

In these current times, using the word “busy” or being busy all the time seems like the cool thing.  It creates the impression that if you aren’t busy, something is wrong with you or “busy” is the cool life to live?  Looks like when we are busy then we must be really important and doing something important, even when we neglect our health and sanity.  Busy doing what?  Now ask yourself,” Are you just “being” busy or are you really productive?  Have you had such days that you were everywhere doing everything and at the end of the day, you still feel like you didn’t achieve anything?  Yep!  Been there.  And then I stare at my overall goals and wonder why I haven’t moved as much.

Most of us set out this year with goals in every area of our lives, maybe financial, career, or health related.  50% of the year is almost gone, how far have you gone with your goals?  Why haven’t you gone to the gym 3 times a week like you intended?  Why haven’t you been eating home cooked meals 3 times a week like you set out to?  Why haven’t you had your green smoothie in 3 months?  “I have just been very busy!!”, “I literally have no time!”, “No energy!”  These are the excuses we give.  These are the excuses I gave myself! Let me share with you an exercise that really helped me.  This was inspired by a conversation with a friend when I talked about how busy I was trying to justify why achieving my goals were suffering.

Take a piece of paper and journal/write down everything you do from the time you wake up till you go to bed for a week.  I mean everything and if possible, time spent doing it, from opening a piece of bubble gum, to chatting on the phone, to time in bathroom.  Document everything.  The 5 minutes you spent on YouTube that became 75 minutes.  The unplanned phone call you picked and spent 30 minutes on.  Do that for a week.  Then take that paper you journaled/wrote and scan through the items critically.  Are there patterns you see?  Time-wasting endeavors that you counted as “busy.”  Are there things you could honestly cut out and make your health a priority on the list?

For me, I saw things like binge “netflixing” on certain nights, when the intention was to watch a 24-minute episode of a series which became 4 sets of 24-minutes.  And that is why I don’t watch series.  I saw excessive checking of emails, activities that stole time and energy from me.  Things that prevented me from going to bed early so I could rise early – refreshed and hit the gym or give me time to make my own breakfast and lunch.  I spend a significant amount in my kitchen because I usually eat what I cook most of the time and that takes time!  Doing the journaling exercise has helped me to critically examine most of my activities to determine how they move me towards my goal.  Can I still do this and have enough energy and time to hit the gym by 5 a.m., knowing full well that if I don’t at that time, I probably won’t.

I would encourage you to try this out (the journaling exercise).  You will find plenty of time in your daily and weekly schedule that you can productively assign to things that matter to you like your health, fitness, family, relationship, reading books etc.  The message behind this is don’t just be busy.  LIVE INTENTIONALLY!

By Tolu Oyewumi, a health enthusiast, with a background and practice in primary care medicine and public health.

Consider Apprentice of Peace and Mindfulness Meditation, two Community Resource Partners who can assist you in Making Time for YOU.  To obtain contact information for these two Community Resource Partners and others, please check out the CBHC Online FLOW Directory @ https://www.coloradoblackhealth.org/colorado-black-health-directory/  OR call the FLOW Line on 1.800.209.FLOW (3569).

If you are one of the 72 million people in the United States with high blood pressure (hypertension), you may be taking prescription medication to help control it.  Unfortunately, these prescriptions are often costly and may cause side effects.   There are many lifestyle modifications that play an important role in the treatment and prevention of hypertension including dietary changes, limited alcohol and caffeine consumption, stress reduction and exercise.  What type of exercise helps treat and prevent hypertension?  And how?  Read on.

1. Assuming your doctor has cleared you for exercise, any type of endurance exercise such as low-impact aerobics, walking and swimming have been shown to help control hypertension.  There is no need to start training for a marathon or the next big race since high intensity, high impact exercise will usually increase your heart rate and blood pressure, and may exceed safe ranges.  Also heavy strength training should be avoided and replaced with lighter weights and higher repetitions.
2. Try to fit some type of exercise into your life on most (preferably all) days of the week for about 30 minutes per day.  If you have physical limitations that prevent you from exercising for 30 minutes consecutively, start with 10 minutes a few times a day.  Don’t forget that gardening, cleaning your house or taking items up and down the stairs several times are considered forms of exercise.  Work on progressing to a brisk walk or bike ride for 30 minutes.
3. How does exercise help control your blood pressure?  Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger which results in your heart pumping more blood with less effort.  When your heart works less to pump blood, this lowers your blood pressure by decreasing the force on your arteries.  Ultimately, regular exercise can lower your systolic blood pressure (the top number) by about 5-10 milliliters of mercury which is as good as some medications.  If you don’t have high blood pressure, regular exercise can keep it from rising as you age.
4. In order to keep your blood pressure low, it is important to keep exercising.  It will normally take about one to three months for regular exercise to have an impact on your blood pressure, and you need to keep exercising in order to continue to see the benefits.  Weight loss also has a positive impact on high blood pressure as well as many other health benefits.
5. Be aware of the change to your blood pressure due to exercise.  Your doctor may instruct you to take your blood pressure before and after exercise to gauge what type of exercise is safe for you to participate in.  Some hypertension medications increase the heart rate so it is a good idea to know what your heart rate range should be.  Using the rating of perceived of exertion scale (RPE) as opposed to your heart rate is a better way to gauge how intense you are working when you are taking heart rate altering medications.

If you don’t currently exercise regularly and you have high blood pressure, you may be surprised with the positive impact that consistent physical activity can have on your heart and ultimately your blood pressure.  Don’t worry about how long you are able to exercise right away, just start doing something for a few minutes at a time and progress from there.  Exercise is far less costly than medication, so why not save some money in the process?  So put on your tennis shoes and get moving!

Contributor: Kim Farmer of Mile High Fitness & Wellness. Mile High Fitness & Wellness offers in-home personal training and corporate fitness solutions.  Visit  www.milehighfitness.com or email [email protected].

Did you know that your zip code can be a predictor of your health? So can your place of birth, where you work and play, your income and education, and a host of other factors – in addition to the choices you make each day about what to eat, when to work out and whether or not to see a doctor. These factors, what public health professionals recognize as “social determinants of health,” are linked to the inequities in health and health care (health disparities), among racial and ethnic minorities in America.

During National Minority Health Month each April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) leads the nation in raising awareness about these disparities, their causes and the impact they have on minority communities and on the nation as whole.

Health disparities exact a devastating toll on the productivity and economic growth of our nation, which makes this an issue of importance to all Americans. Over $50 billion of indirect medical costs resulting from illness are attributable to health inequalities.
The theme of this year’s National Minority Health Month observance – Accelerating Health Equity for the Nation – reflects both a sense of urgency and a sense of determination in moving the country forward toward health equity. That same urgency and determination in 1985, led a group of concerned health care leaders to convene the first comprehensive federal study of the health status of racial ethnic minorities. The results of the groundbreaking Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health (Heckler Report) quickly ushered in a new era in addressing minority health issues, and led to the establishment of OMH in 1986.

There has been progress in the decades since – for example, life expectancy gaps are narrowing, and all Americans, including racial and ethnic minorities, are living longer than ever before. Advances in science and access to quality health care have produced considerable improvements in the health of the nation, because of the Affordable Care Act, the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities. Despite these advances, disparities persist for minority populations when compared to non-Hispanic whites and are evident in higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS and infant mortality, among other conditions.

The HHS Office of Minority Health is leading efforts to promote and institutionalize the extraordinary steps taken by HHS and the Obama Administration to reduce disparities, advance equity and strengthen our nation as a whole by prioritizing high quality education, safe neighborhoods, quality housing, reliable transportation, clean air, stable employment and nutritious foods for all Americans.

This year, as OMH celebrates its 30th anniversary, a renewed effort is underway with public and private sector partners and stakeholders to accelerate achieving health equity for the nation through the development of research, policies, programs and legislation. This is a national movement that needs your support.

Every community deserves good health. Everyone can join OMH and its federal, state, tribal and local community partners during April and throughout 2016, in accelerating health equity for the nation.

For more information on National Minority Health Month and how you can get involved, visit www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/NMHM16. 

You want skin that makes a bronzer run for its money?  Drink your green smoothies, period!  Did I just hear you say, ”Yuck!  No thank you!  I’d rather go for the bronzer.”  For men reading this who are wondering, “what is a bronzer?”  It’s a cosmetic some women use on their face and skin to make it seem like the sun is on their face and skin.

Green smoothies don’t taste as bad as you imagine, they actually taste good, if you know how to combine ingredients accurately.  You will want to start drinking them regularly.  I’ll be sharing a recipe in this post that not only tastes good but gives you glowing skin as well, so read on!

Green smoothies are not overrated!  There is no doubt that fruits and vegetables have tremendous benefits to our health, like weight loss, increased energy, mental clarity, increased fiber intake and one of my favorites, which is glowing skin.  As winter slowly rolls away (I said winter because here in Colorado given the recent mighty blizzard we had and snowfall that has occurred three times in a week!  Most parts of the country are enjoying a beautiful spring already), we want to undo the harshness of the winter months on our skin, lose weight and be a storehouse of amazing energy as summer closes in.

I mean who doesn’t want a bikini body?  Well, guess what? Am working hard on mine!

I follow this amazing healthy blogger whose books I have read and also purchase all her products.  Her name is Kimberly Snyder.  She came up with GGS (Green Glowing Smoothie).  The following is her recipe, however in this game; I don’t give myself options, I use either cilantro or parsley but mostly both.

Ingredients (yields about 64 ounces)

• 1-2 cups very cold, filtered water3/4 pound organic romaine lettuce, rough chopped, about 1 head
• 1/2 head large bunch or small bunch organic spinach
• 3-4 organic celery stalks, halved
• 1 organic apple, cored, seeded, quartered
• 1 organic pear, cored, seeded, quartered
• 1 organic banana, peeled
• 1/2 fresh organic lemon, peeled, seeded
• bunch organic cilantro with stems (optional)
• bunch organic parsley with stems (optional)

Directions

Place water, romaine, spinach, celery, and optional ingredients, if using, into a Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.  Start the blender on a low speed and blend until smooth.  Gradually move to higher speeds.  Add apple, pear, banana and lemon to the blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Disclaimer:  I currently do not own a Vitamix.  However, start with what you have.

If you are diabetic or struggle with candida, the recipe can be modified.  Consult with your doctor and/or nutritionist.

I drank this recipe numerous times and began getting comments like, your face looks good; your face is glowing.  Face, because that’s what most people see and also the most challenging part of my skin has been my face; multiple acne scars and the whole 50 yards.  Initially, I was an unbeliever until one morning as I was brushing my teeth I saw the sun in my face – yep!  My forehead was glowing.  Gradually I wore less make-up and even now can go out putting on make-up, which was my goal.  I also juice too…I juice mean green stuff (more on that later)!

And I never use a bronzer! Lol!

Not asking you to try what I haven’t tried and tested.  I only ask you to START!  Please check out the following link, which provides pictures and recipes.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/kimberly-snyder/lead+magnets/A+GGS+For+All+Seasons.pdf

By Tolu Oyewumi, a health enthusiast with background and practice in primary care medicine and public health.

Volunteering: Selfless service at its best.

Many of us have had an opportunity to volunteer our service or time to something we feel is worthy of our investment.  Even though volunteering comes in various forms, the impression it leaves on the helped is usually that of gratitude.

The Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC) has engaged in a lot of activities over the past year, and we can’t help but attribute most, if not all, of our success to the selfless service of our volunteers.  You are the threads that make up the fabric of our existence and we appreciate your contributions to making our communities stronger and healthier.  From the 100 watt smiles at our information tables, to the men and women who keep our occasions active with onsite fitness classes, and the various line dance instructors, medical professionals who come out to impart us with healthy wisdom, our seniors who come to support our cause by just showing up, the people who keep our website running, and the many students who volunteer with us, we say a big thank you.

There is none least nor greatest among us.  We have all served in various capacities and we do not take for granted any effort you have made to insure that our endeavors are successful.  We are one big family and we are very proud of what we have accomplished so far by the hands of our volunteers. Here are a few things we can attribute to our volunteers this past year:

• We had thousands of volunteer hours contributed to our organization in 2015.
• Our barbershop outreach, which is one of our most successful means of reaching black folks in the Denver metro area is run primarily by volunteers and we were able to reach over 1000 black folks through our monthly outreaches.
• Volunteers are contributing to our FLOW campaign.
• We had updates to our websites with contributions from writers in different fields and specialties, volunteering their time.
• We had volunteers represent us and man our booths at various health fairs and conferences.
• Our CBHC committees are  also composed of volunteers who do the background work and planning of our programs.

See!  You have accomplished a lot by contributing one way or another to all of these activities.  As the saying goes, “alone we can do so little and together we can do so much” – Helen Keller.  We should be proud of ourselves and never see our most trivial acts of benevolence as insignificant.  What more can I say?  Thank you all for your service!

Yours truly,

Kike Oduba, Volunteer for the CHBC Board of Directors

Exercise is very important not just to look good, but to also feel good. However, as spring approaches, you can add some simple exercises to your schedule, for about 20-30 minutes each day. Spring time is the perfect time to engage in a new exercise goal.

Listed below are a few exercises that you can do without equipment that will help you increase your metabolic rate and increase your fitness level in preparation for the upcoming summer months:

• Lunges

Stand with one of your feet on a step, placing the other foot behind you ensuring that your front knee is over your heel. Secondly, lower your body and keeping your shoulders in alignment with your hips, shoot for 12-15 reps. Repeat this on the other leg.

• Squats

Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, placing your arms to your side. Imagine there is a chair behind you as you nearly sit down taking your arms out in front of you keeping your back straight/ flat and your stomach muscles pulled in. Repeat 12-15 times.

• Tricep Dips

Sit with your back to the step, placing your hands behind you on the step with your fingertips facing forward. Lift and lower your body using your tricep muscles to do the work keeping your elbows in line with your wrists. Repeat 12-15 times.

• Step-Ups

Make use of a platform or a step that is around 4-6 inches high. Standing with your feet hip-width apart, jump or step on top of the platform or step 15 times. Do another set of tricep dips and repeat the round of Step-Ups.

• Push-ups

This tried and true exercise may conjure a love/hate relationship but is one of the best body weight exercises you can do. Begin pushups in a modified position on your knees unless/until you are strong enough for a full pushup. Place your hands shoulder-width apart from each other on the platform or step. Breathe in as you lower your body to the step and breathe out as you push yourself up. You can repeat for 12-15 replications.

These simple exercises are easily done in your own home environment without any equipment and using very little space. You can do these exercises while you are watching television, before going to work, after coming home from work or any time you have about 20 minutes. We all need to strengthen our muscles which will lose strength over time if we don’t work them. So get off the couch and get moving!

Contributor: Kim Farmer of Mile High Fitness and Wellness.  Mile High Fitness and Wellness offers in-home personal training and corporate fitness solutions. Visit  www.milehighfitness.com/personaltraining or email [email protected].