Sleep hygiene? Is that even a thing? Yes my friend, it is! Everybody sleeps, but how well do we really sleep? Let me start by explaining to you exactly what sleep is and what happens when you sleep.
Sleep is simply a state of temporary suspension of consciousness with your eyes closed and muscles relaxed. There are two types of sleep divided into five stages:
Non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep
Phase 1:
– Light sleep, easy arousal.
Phase 2:
– Eye movement stops, body temperature drops (it help to sleep in a cooler room).
Phase 3 and 4:
– Deep sleep, not easily aroused.
– Blood pressure drops.
– Breathing becomes slower.
– Muscles are relaxed.
– Blood supply to muscles increases.
– Tissue growth and repair occurs.
– Energy is restored.
– Hormones essential for growth and development, body repair and rejuvenation and including
muscle development are released (e.g. Growth Hormone).
– Feeling of grogginess and disorientation if wakened at this stage.
– Stage where sleepwalking, bed-wetting and night terrors often occur in children.
REM Sleep
REM sleep usually begins between 70-90 minutes after falling asleep. This phase completes the sleep cycle. A typical sleep cycle takes 90 to 110 minutes. Energy is supplied to the brain and body for optimal daytime performance. The body becomes relaxed, as muscle activity is stopped.
Hormonal Activity during Sleep
In addition to these events, the following hormonal activities occur during sleep, and they are more beneficial the longer you sleep.
- Cortisol which is a stress hormone for regulating blood pressure and immunity dips at bed time and increase over the night to increase your alertness in morning.
- The hormone melatonin is released during sleep, the more sleep you get the more melatonin your body makes. Low levels of melatonin have been linked to the incidence of cancers like breast and prostate cancers especially among people who do night shift jobs. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently added ‘night shift work’ as a class 2A carcinogen (i.e. probable cause of cancer). In essence, you are at increased risk of having certain cancers if you are usually awake at night or are constantly exposed to bright lights, which are known to diminish melatonin levels. Consequently, melatonin is currently used as an adjuvant treatment for some cancers in order to speed up recovery and facilitate chances of survival among cancer patients.
- Sleep also helps to regulate levels of the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which are responsible for the feeling of hunger and satiety. When you have less sleep, you may crave and feel the need to eat more food, which can put you in a poor cycle of overeating and weight gain.
How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
The American Sleep Association recommends at least 16 hours a day for infants, 9 hours for teenagers and 7 to 8 hours for adults. When you deprive yourself of sleep, you are creating a ‘sleep debt’ that your body will demand from you eventually. Furthermore, you may have done some damage to your immune system and hormone balance if you do not get adequate night sleep for long periods of time.
How to Maintain Optimal Sleep Hygiene
- Get at least the minimum amount of sleep your body requires of you.
- Try to have a regular bedtime routine.
- Always sleep without bright lights.
- Avoid using phones, computers and tablets right before bed.
- Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks too close to bedtime.
- Regular exercise promotes good sleep, but vigorous exercise right before bed can keep you stimulated, early morning exercise is best.
- Eat dinner early to reduce heart burn and excessive fullness before sleep.
- See your doctor if you seem always tired in the mornings and have daytime drowsiness so as to exclude some medical conditions like sleep apnea, insomnia or depression.
In summary, the third of your life spent sleeping everyday has a direct impact on how productive, successful and healthy the other two thirds can be. Your body deserves a break every day, and it needs time to repair and recharge itself. Let it do all the work while you enjoy the pleasures of restful sleep. It’s cheap medicine, just nurture it and be hygienic about it!
Yours truly,
Kike Oduba
Have you seen, heard or been involved in any healthy living challenges since the year began. Like “7-day juicing challenge”, “14-day running challenge” or “30-day smoothie challenge”? It seems like a Fad these days right? I know! They seem to have abounded, gaining great momentum. Makes me wonder though, after the challenge is over, what then? You stop walking, running or drinking your smoothies???
The other day I was reading an article from one of the bloggers I follow and he recounted how he had to wait 20-30 minutes to get on a treadmill at the gym in January and by the first week of February when he got to the gym, he just got a spot immediately at the gym. You wonder why? Well, as you might have guessed, the gym was half empty! Why? Because most people who had all these New Year goals and/or resolutions had begun to faint on them. #sighs #guiltyface
I am not against these kinds of challenges as it helps jumpstart you on a path but more importantly, how do you keep what you attained through this challenge. Yeah, life happens….people get busy, things get crazy and all that, but I am of the opinion that we always make time for whatever is REALLY important to us. There’s a “busy flu” going around. Urgh!! Hope you didn’t get it? You should not be too busy for your health. I’ll share more on this “busy flu” later.
What is a Fad? I found various attention-grabbing adjectives that describe it so well.
“A craze”; “Mania” ; “ Enthusiasm” ; “Passion” ; “Obsession”; “ In Vogue” ; “A trend”; “Fetish” ; “ Fancy”; “Fascination”. The best definition I liked is “Intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object’s qualities”! GBAM! See! The key word there is short-lived. I am sure we all want lasting changes for our bodies and health and not just a spurt or ripple of goodness.
Well, in order to achieve so, we need to embrace lifestyle changes and not just join a Fad or movement but consistently do good to our bodies to have lasting results. It can be challenging to do this on our own and there are tools for accountability we can capitalize on to do so. Stay tuned and I’ll share with you some of these tools that have been proven to help if you use them.
Dear friends, quit the fads on diet and exercise binging – you get no lasting change from it. Stop having flings and one-night stands with your health. A winter relationship isn’t good enough. Make a commitment, get married to lifestyle changes, and put a ring on it! I leave you with this insightful quote.
Article is by Tolu Oyewumi, a Primary Care Physician and Public Health professional.
HEALTH TESTIMONY
Roosevelt agreed to share his testimony of how his life was changed after getting his blood pressure
checked at Rising Star Baptist church. He hopes it will help others improve their health.
INTRODUCTION, Mabel
Mr. Thomas thank you for agreeing to interview with us today. We are here today
for you to give your testimony about your health. Rising Star Missionary Baptist
Church (RSMBC) and Colorado Black Health Collaborative Inc. (CBHC)
collaborates together to help Colorado’s African American community become
healthier individuals through education, increasing awareness, and providing
opportunities for health services. Your testimony will be put on RSMBC and
CBHC websites.
Mabel /Joanne: Brother Roosevelt tell us a little bit about yourself, lifestyle,
eating habits, physical activity, etc.
Roosevelt: I’m 55 years old. I LOVE JESUS! He shines through me to help
other individuals. I love sports, all sports, basketball especially. I thought I was
going to the Pro’s. I played with all ages but drugs got the best of me and my life
changed. Eating habits, well, I like all foods. The only food I dislike is oatmeal. I
don’t do any physical activity.
Mabel/Joanne: What inspired you to get your Blood Pressure (BP) checked?
Roosevelt: The church, RSMBC Health Ministry. I never have gotten my BP
checked before, and you (Mabel) encouraged me to just get it checked to know
my numbers. Once I got it checked, whoa, it was shocking! It was shocking to
see both numbers, but the systolic was over 200. I didn’t know at the time what
that meant, but learned that it was at stroke level. I was glad to have gotten it
checked because men in general don’t like to go to the doctor and we need to
pay more attention to our health.
Mabel/Joanne: So once you saw the numbers, what did you do next?
Roosevelt: I was scared and went to the hospital that day. I was put on
medication. My job and the hospital spoke very highly of RSMBC for having a
health ministry and doing BP checks. I mean spoke very highly!
Mabel: Do you mind me asking the name of the company where you work?
Roosevelt: Deline Box Company
Joanne: Our church partnered with The Center for African American Health
(CAAH) about 14 years ago to encourage good health. That is how this ministry
came into inception. CBHC trained us on properly doing BP checks. We
conduct BP checks every 4th Sunday. A lot of people walk around and ignore
us; afraid to talk about their health.
Roosevelt: Yes, I know, I was one of them! (laughter in the room)
Mabel/Joanne: Do you have any family history of chronic diseases such as
diabetes, HBP, Heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc.?
Roosevelt: Yes, Grandmother had HBP; mom was diabetic; and uncle died in a
diabetic coma.
Joanne: Have you ever had your glucose checked?
Roosevelt: No
Joanne: You are at the age that things are going to start impacting your life. If
you have family history, which you do, you are at risk. So, you need to have that
blood test done. (a lot of conversation about different blood testing and
Roosevelt: Ok
Mabel: How has your life been impacted since getting your BP checked?
Roosevelt: I take life more serious; I’m more concerned with good eating habits,
better diet, and watch the foods I eat.
Joanne: What about salt?
Roosevelt: No, I don’t use a lot of salt.
Mabel/Joanne: How has the church played a role in your health?
Roosevelt: If it wasn’t for RSMBC, I wouldn’t have known my condition, they
were the reason for my findings.
Mabel/Joanne: HBP is called “the silent killer”; did you know that? Tell us how
you felt that day.
Roosevelt: I felt like someone was holding and clinching me; slight headache;
not severe but still something was there. No indication that something was going
on. No other symptoms.
Mabel/Joanne: What about exercise? How has your health been impacted
since getting your BP checked?
Roosevelt: No, I don’t exercise. I don’t have a whole lot of time. I should
exercise, the doctor told me to, but I don’t. I work long hours (10 – 12 hrs/day),
then use my extra time ministering to others.
Mabel/Joanne: God wants you to be healthy; you have to do for yourself. You
have to make time. Try to commit in 2016 to 10 minutes of walking per day. On
your lunch or break you can start off walking 10 minutes. You can walk/meditate
for a prayer walk; your body is your temple. You will start feeling better & will
probably increase to 20 minutes. Another suggestion, you can get your wife, turn
on the radio or play music and dance/march for 15 minutes. Make it fun! You
can include your entire family. We are here to help you!! (a lot of conversation in
the room on this topic for several minutes; trying to encourage him to incorporate
exercise in his life; examples were given as well as suggestions. The point is to
get into a habit of exercising because it helps with HBP, diabetes, and other
ailments & diseases. You have history; therefore getting exercise to 30 minutes
a day would be great.
Mabel: Do you think it’s beneficial to have the church continue the BP ministry?
Roosevelt: YES! A lot of people and men think like I did, think they are ok and
don’t understand what the effects are when you don’t get regular checkups.
Information is powerful!! Please continue to educate so that we can
understand health. Sometimes we feel like things are going to work itself out.
Mabel/Joanne: What would you like to tell other people about health?
Roosevelt: Trust GOD to help you heal. God will make you whole; follow
through with things.
Joanne: It’s great to trust God but there is more to come into play besides
trusting. Did you hear the message this morning? God made the doctor and
gave him the tools he/she needed to become the doctor. God gave the doctor
the education to help educate patients. More than just the WORD. (long
conversation about trusting God but also each individual has to do your role
pertaining to your health and God will help you in tough situation as you do what
you suppose to do and believe and have faith in him).
Joanne: I want to give you a free consult. I’m a registered Dietitian and want to
work with you. If you want to help yourself; it’s not just eating less, it’s your mind,
body, spirit, and soul. Its whole body wholeness, movement, psyche, and
drinking water. You can bring your wife and children.
Roosevelt: Thank You! I will accept your offer.
Mabel: Is there anything else you want to say?
Roosevelt: Yes. I feel great; no complaints. I will take my medication, lose
weight, live to be 120 years old, pay attention to my body internally & externally,
educate myself more on health, AND I want to get back on the basketball court
(laughter in the room).
My commitment for 2016:
- free nutritional consult
- 10 – 15 minutes of exercise each day
- would love to do an update later this year
Thank you for choosing me! It’s my life and it shows that the program cares.
Closing By Mabel:
Thank you for allowing us to get this testimony. We are going to share it, hope to
touch lives, and encourage others to be more aware of their health. We want to
be, as CBHC says, the healthiest black folks in Colorado and America!
Dr. Kevin Billups – PEARLS and Responses to Questions
December 15, 2015
If you missed the last Colorado Black Health Forum of the year in November 2015, you missed a treat. We started our quest in 2015 to be the healthiest Black folks in the nation. To get us there we need to know about all the things that can contribute to poor health. We also wanted to provide a take home holiday message about something that might not be as well known in our community. The learning session was kicked off by some great role playing by the “CBHC Players”. Their skit set the tone and Dr. Billups, our keynote speaker, said they covered it all! We had a wonderful day and we can’t give you all the happenings. However, we will give you a brief recap based on Dr. Billups presentation and his answers to questions in the Xalter Newsletters published by Ms. Pamela Jenkins earlier this year.
Dr. Kevin L. Billups is an Associate Professor of Urology and Medicine, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Founder and Director of the Johns Hopkins Men’s Health & Vitality Program. He has a passion for educating the community about issues that significantly impact our health, especially among Black men. In the Pearls and Questions section, you will see that Erectile Dysfunction
(ED), difficulty getting or keeping a firm erection sufficient enough to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse, is more than just a man’s problem!
“In general, men take better care of their cars than themselves”
Dr. Kevin Billups
PEARL:
If a man is between ages 40-49 and has ED, he has about a 50-fold increased incidence of having a heart attack, stroke, or major event within the next 10 years compared to a guy who doesn’t have ED. If a man is between the ages of 50-59, there’s about a 20-fold increased incidence of these conditions. The men who really need this message are between the ages of 35-64. Some guys have pre-diabetes or undetected high blood pressure.
PEARL:
The penile artery is half the size of the coronary (heart arteries) so the smaller penile arteries suffer blockage from plaque earlier than the larger arteries. Therefore, ED may be apparent before a coronary event due to the smaller size of the penile arteries. ED precedes coronary artery disease in 50% of affected subjects; therefore ED indicates early heart disease
Question: Does ED just effect men over 60 and what is the youngest age a man can begin to experience ED?
Editor’s comment: Men aged 70 are 3 times more likely than men aged 40 to have ED. However, younger men do experience ED.
ED becomes more common as a man ages. I’ve seen men as young as 25 [with ED], but most of the younger men were also experiencing other medical problems like diabetes.
Question: Is ED related to lifestyle choices?
Definitely yes, 70% of men I have seen in my practice have significant lifestyle issues that are contributing to ED and overall poor health. A number of these men also lived a more sedentary lifestyle, had poor eating habits, and were overweight, stressed out and not sleeping. If we get everyone to stop smoking, moderately drink alcohol, exercise more, watch what they eat and work on better sleep habits, managing ED and other chronic disorders would be a bit easier.
PEARL:
Getting less than 6 hours of sleep can increase risk for obesity, stroke and diabetes by 20% and increases risk for [Coronary Artery Disease] CAD by 30%.
Question: We’re hearing more and more about prostate cancer, ED, Viagra, etc., is this because we’ve become more comfortable talking about it or because of the revolutionary advancement in science and health. Have these issues always been prevalent?
I think for ED, it has always been there and people are way more comfortable taking about it. ED has always been there, however because of lack of education, it went undetected.
Prostate cancer is serious for African American men. African American men still have a 60% higher incidence and 2-fold higher death rate compared to other ethnic groups in the US. We need to understand that the recommendation (from the US Preventive Services Task Force) against PSA screening does not apply to African American men. I often see African American men in their 40’s and 50’s that aren’t getting the PSA testing because their medical provider heard the test was no longer needed. But for African American men, at a minimum age 40 you should be getting this test, and earlier if your family has a history of the disease.
Question: As women, we don’t know or understand the effect these issues have on men. What are some of the cancer, erectile dysfunction and other areas men deal with?
There is a psychological [mental] component to ED, prostate cancer and other areas men deal with.
80-90% of erectile dysfunction has a medical cause. Only about 10% is purely mental: anxiety, depression, etc. In fact, depression is its own medical risk factor. Let’s take a guy who has ED, do you think that guy is not stressed? After a while he will start to avoid his wife or significant other. I try to encourage couples counseling or clinical counseling because the psychological factors are there.
Sometimes it is safe to say that it is a medical problem because that helps a lot with the men. With the lack of performance, men get more and more frustrated and that adds to their anxiety. This can make the situation even worse. Most women are very supportive; but I do have some men who come in and say that their partner is pissed. But then that poor guy now has to deal with new issues, which is the possibility of a break-up. This is why I try to get couples to come in to discuss all areas and when I can’t assist, I suggest relationship counseling.
Question: For some men does their [sexual] performance define their manhood?
Yes, because that adds to their masculinity, and their masculinity is very important. But on the flip side, some women are so supportive that their love goes beyond whether or not he can perform. In some cases, they will discover other ways to please their wives or significant other. They find other ways to adapt. With older men, say 65 and older, they come in knowing they have other medical problems, but even they want to know if the problem can be fixed. They want that because they still want to please their wives.
PEARL:
High blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease may affect the vitality of men
The Big Three: high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, are major chronic illnesses which can
cause premature death and suffering among men. Erectile dysfunction can occur years before you get
diagnosed with any of those three. So if you come in while there are signs of ED, this can be an early marker signaling me to take a closer look. I can get to you before the heart attack or if you are pre-diabetic, I can get to you before other health issues could increase.
PEARL:
I think people underestimate the importance of sexual health in our society. The whole theory or driving force behind my practice is that it is an important drive for men and women, which is why we look at the whole person: the emotional side, physical side, psychological side, etc. People come in and admit how devastating it is and so we try to deal with the whole person to get them the help they need. I even ask men if their wives are having any problems too because sometimes it’s not always the men. I focus on men’s health, however if we find out that the woman has a problem, then I refer them to an expert.
If you have any other questions or comments please send us a message @ [email protected].
The best fitness resolution that will work for you this year is one that you will do consistently. The bottom line is that the best way to make the fitness gains you want is to be honest with yourself when thinking about frequency, intensity, the types of training you will undertake, and the fitness goals you are hoping to achieve. There are many reasons that people have not been able to adhere to an exercise program, read on to see if they sound familiar:
Not getting results? One of the most common reasons people find it hard to stick to their fitness-related resolutions is because they aren’t seeing the results they want even though they are sticking to their program 100%. You may make a goal to “lose weight” but often times this goal can be a misnomer. Skeletal muscle tissue is more dense than fatty tissue, so as a person exercises, they may gain muscle mass while losing fat mass resulting in either slower weight loss, or even weight gain in some cases. Instead of making resolutions based off of simple weight, make your goals based off of values like decreasing body fat percentage, clothing sizes, or create an exercise benchmark like completing a half marathon or improving a competitive score.
Unrealistic timing. Another reason people might not shed the pounds or make other physical changes as quickly as they would like (and often times quit their program early) is because scientific research shows it can take as much as six weeks for your body to start making adaptations to your exercise program at the cellular level. It is at this point where dramatic changes in your metabolism, blood flow, and exercise capacity take place and fitness gains will begin to develop, so stick with your program for 6-8 weeks before making any major alterations to your program. Your body needs time to adapt to your new habit of maintaining a physically active lifestyle. Additionally, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and other organizations recommend a weight loss rate of two pounds per week for individuals that are not under medically supervised weight-loss programs.
Adjust Your Schedule! One of the main reasons you may find it difficult to adopt a physically active lifestyle is because you have a hard time fitting it into your schedule of other daily activities. Avoid this is by making physical activity as important of a commitment as a shift at work, dropping the kids off at practice or going grocery shopping. You may find it easier to wake up an hour earlier and exercise before heading off to work. By making it the first item on your daily to-do list, not only do you boost your energy higher than a double shot of espresso, but you no longer have to worry about having enough energy to work out at the end of a long day. When it comes to which time of day is ideal, the scientific research is currently inconclusive, so go with what works best for you. Pick a time and stick to it.
Take Small Steps. Lastly, do not take on more than you can handle. Make small steps and gradually build your program. Not only will it be easier to comply with your program, but you’ll be less likely to injure yourself. Remember that exercise does not follow an all-or-nothing principal. Even the smallest of workouts is better than nothing, so don’t give up an entire week’s worth of training because of one bad day.
You must have complete buy-in from yourself with your fitness program. If you’re not giving it an honest effort, reassess and try to find the reasoning behind your lack of dedication. Usually one of the three main reasons listed above is halting your progress, so try to apply the principles given. If you think you need help, speak with a fitness professional and try to rework your program in a way that will better serve your needs and abilities. And remember that some exercise is always better than none so if your schedule is full, start with 15 minutes of consistent physical activity and work your way up. Plan, progress and repeat!
Thanks for reading!
Happy New Year!
Contributors: Kim Farmer of Mile High Fitness. Mile High Fitness offers in-home personal training and corporate fitness solutions. Visit www.milehighfitness.com or email [email protected]
Ingredients:
1 lb green beans (ends trimmed if you like!)
1 T olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds/arils
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Coat green beans in olive oil.
- Heat up a large pan on high heat
- Add green beans once a drop of water on the pan sizzles and evaporate immediately.
- Spread green beans out in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes.
- Flip green beans and cook for 1 minute.
- Flip and repeat for one more minute.
- Lower heat to medium and add garlic. Cook green beans and garlic for 5 mins.
- Add in balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 more minute.
- Top green beans with pomegranate seeds and salt and pepper.
Source: http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2014/10/charred-green-beans-garlic-pomegranate-seeds.html
Recipes supplied by Tolu Oyewumi, a Primary Care Physician and Public Health professional.
Instead of Turkey Gravy, try a Vegan Mushroom Gravy Recipe. You can modify the recipe to your needs, but keep it simple, fresh and healthy. Happy healthy hearty eating!
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 cup chopped white onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 ounces wild mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup merlot or other spicy red wine
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons whole-wheat or spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring 1/2 cup broth to a simmer. Add onion and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, until onion is translucent. Stir in mushrooms, rosemary, and thyme and cook another 2 minutes, until mushrooms release their liquid and start to become tender. Add wine and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining broth and bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together tamari, yeast, and flour to form a thick paste. Add mixture to skillet a teaspoon at a time, whisking constantly to make sure paste dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Season with pepper and serve.
Source: “7 healthy twists on your favorite thanksgiving dish” – http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/7-healthy-twists-your-favorite-thanksgiving-dishes/slide/6
Recipes supplied by Tolu Oyewumi, a Primary Care Physician and Public Health professional.
It’s the holiday season again and surely there will be lots of merry making and celebrating with family, friends and co-workers. What a beautiful time of the year to share love, joy and great times appreciating one another, bonding and fellowshipping. However, it is also a time where we tend to eat more than we need to as there is an abundance of food, sweets and drinks. This might lead to unintentional weight gain and other digestive difficulties.
Even as we make all these delicious meals, we can be mindful to use healthy ingredients in not just our holiday cooking, but to become the new-normal as well. This article is to raise your awareness and to provide resources that will inspire healthier eating habits. There are a few changes we can make that will make huge differences allowing us to consume meals lower is sodium and unhealthy diet. We should eat food to nourish our bodies not to just fill our tummies. Have you ever wondered why after eating a lot of food sometimes you still feel hungry? That’s because your cells are hungry and have not been given what they need. Our attitude towards food should be one of health, nutrition, and balance, not convenience.
When we eat for convenience and not for health, we tend to reap the by-products of unhealthy habits like constipation & bloating in the short term, and diseases like leaky gut syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, stroke in the long term. For our holiday meals, using lots of spices for flavor and minimal salt, Celtic or Himalayan salt is preferred as they contain more minerals, and are unprocessed and unrefined. I personally use lots of fresh herbs and spices to make my meals so flavorful that the amount of salt needed to compensate taste is minimal. A few examples of herbs and spices I consistently use are fresh rosemary, thyme, onions, basil, and turmeric.
Rather than deep fry the turkey, slowly bake with fresh herbs, spices, and seasonings. Rather than using white flour to bake, use almond flour/meal, coconut flour, or golden flax seed flour. Rather than using canola oil, use unprocessed coconut oil. Rather than drinking endless amounts of soda (diet or not), drink lots of water, green tea, or freshly pressed juice from your own kitchen. Rather than purchasing store bought baked goods, make your own. That way you get to control what goes into your meal and what goes into your body. Rather than purchasing store bought salad dressing, try to make your own with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices, and herbs. Also, there are many healthy recipes online. Use the internet to your healthy advantage. Do your research and choose what works best for you. Speaking from experience, of course, these are not only healthy but incredibly delicious.
To avoid eating a lot at once, drink 1-2 cups of water before your meal. This will help you feel fuller over time and reduce the propensity to eat a lot at one sitting. Portion size is also something to watch. Even eating a lot of the healthiest dishes isn’t advisable. Chew your food slowly and thoroughly and stop at the first signal of feeling full. When we pay attention to our body, it always tells us when to stop. Obey that first prompt to stop eating.
We are what we eat and drink. Do not take it for granted regardless of your age, especially when you are young. Ultimately, your body will reward you. See your body as a storehouse. It will give to you in health, quality and life productivity what you give to it. We often use the excuse of being too busy to not eat healthy. However, consider when we get sick, what about all the time lost in doctor’s offices/visitations, time lost from ill health and loss of productivity. Despite maintaining a very busy lifestyle, most of what I eat – about 95% comes from my own kitchen. Yes! We should always make time for what matters to us. It takes dedication and commitment, but it is rewarding. I am more energetic and clear-minded since I made dietary changes, which has resulted in a happier me. So, make time to prepare your own meals and give yourself some love this holiday by cooking healthy.
Article is by Tolu Oyewumi, a Primary Care Physician and Public Health professional.
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass faster while our bone density and flexibility begin to decrease. However, many of the symptoms of age that people experience are actually side effects of a sedentary (sitting too much) lifestyle. The members of the senior fitness classes from Mile High Fitness in Denver, CO, know the importance of maintaining physical activity throughout every stage of life, but not everyone understands how important exercise is for seniors!
Unfortunately, many people who enjoyed being active in their younger years give up their workout routines completely as they get older, and their overall health and wellness suffers as an effect. Some people throw in the towel because they feel frustrated due to weight gain or decreased flexibility. Others feel there’s no point in working out anymore and resign themselves to feeling sluggish forever. The truth is, physical activity is even more important as we get older and it’s better than any diet or skin cream when it comes to making you feel decades younger.
Mile High Fitness Senior Fitness Classes focus on increasing strength, agility, flexibility, and endurance through a variety of engaging classes like Tai Chi, Chair Yoga, Traditional Yoga, Zumba® Sentao, and Zumba® Gold. Strengthening workouts like these can actually increase bone density and flexibility, which helps protect people of all ages from injury. Mile High Fitness offers seniors the unique opportunity to enjoy high-quality physical fitness training that is specifically structured and taught to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
To bring Senior Fitness Classes to your home, apartment complex, community center, or residential facility call the personal trainers from Mile High Fitness today at (720) 436-3899. For more information, visit their website.
Mile High Fitness is a longtime partner of the Colorado Black Health Collaborative.
By Kim Farmer Mile High Fitness, LLC
August 24, 2015
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tracy Gilford, Project Coordinator
Direct Phone: 720.579.2126
Email: [email protected]
The Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC) Launches Form a Lifetime of Wellness (F.L.O.W) Cardiovascular Health Initiative
(DENVER, CO) – The Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC) is proud to announce a new three-year health program initiative, Form a Lifetime of Wellness (F.L.O.W), made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program. CBHC is a network of organizations in Denver committed to improving the health and wellness in Colorado’s Black, African and African American communities. The official launch of this initiative will take place during CBHC’s annual Black Health Expo/Family Reunion 2015 on August 29th at Manual High School beginning at 1pm. Through this initiative, CBHC will work closely with partner community-based organizations and clinical health providers to focus on improving cardiovascular health in Black/African American populations across the Denver Metro area, inclusive of Northwest Aurora, and increasing opportunities for chronic disease prevention, risk education and management through community and clinical linkages.
CBHC’s Form a Lifetime of Wellness (F.L.O.W) Network is comprised of community and clinical health providers committed to achieving the highest level of health equity in Colorado’s Black community. Designated FLOW sites will be located within neighborhoods such as Northeast Parkhill, Skyland, Cole, Montbello and Green Valley Ranch. Each site will feature opportunities for residents of these neighborhoods to receive blood pressure screenings and referrals to access care for a variety of health issues related to diet and nutrition, weight management, physical activity, smoking cessation, stress reduction and depression management. “We want all Black communities to be engaged in improving their cardiovascular health. Access to F.L.O.W. sites creates a culture of wellness in the Black community, breaking down cultural and linguistic barriers to bring wellness full circle”, said Thelma Craig, CBHC Chair & Program Manager for the REACH grant.
CBHC’s launch during the Black Health Expo/Family Reunion 2015 on August 29th at Manual High School includes free health screenings, meet and greeting with health providers, education, handouts, and wellness guidance, community baby shower, a bike rodeo, cycling demos, a cooking demonstration, and food from the soul of Black Americans, East and West Africans, and more! “This will be the beginning of forming a lifetime of OPTIMAL wellness, not just every day wellness but optimal wellness for life,” said Dr. Terri Richardson, MD CBHC’s Vice Chair & Project Director of the REACH grant. “We have all the resources we need in Colorado to be the healthiest Black folks in the nation”.
Thelma Craig and Dr. Terri Richardson are available for interviews upon request.