My path to a more healthy diet
My wife can throw down in the kitchen! Homegirl can hang with the best of them and last week she cooked up this scrumptious and healthy meal after we both watched Oprah last week. (I’m particularly proud of the big pile of leafy romaine lettuce - a food that I’ve not consistently eaten on purpose ever in my life!) Oprah replayed a health show that she did with Dr. Oz some months back.
Now, I’ve already been trying to do better with what I eat since my path has crossed a wonderful coworker who I’ll call Dr. Vegan Momma. She, of course, is vegan, but not one of those vegans who gross out non-vegans for the things that they eat.
She just does her “vegan thing” and sometimes brings a little extra to share with others. She’s become the expert at work on all things dealing with nutrition and health. She’s helped one coworker in particular experience some pretty impressive outcomes based on a changed diet. She’s gently nudged me to do better and I’m trying to take it one step at a time.
I took many steps last week when Oprah and Dr. Oz started talking about the foods we need to stay FAR away from. During this segment I was running from the TV to the refrigerator and guess what? I found ALL of the unhealthy food ingredients in my fridge! They were a regular part of my diet. Well, I don’t want “dunlap” so I made a decision to do better. No more cookies…my new snacks are raisins and fruit. No more Hawaiian Fruit Punch with all that high fructose corn syrup - my new drink Apple/Orange juice (not from concentrate). I simply must take care of my body now so that it’ll take care of me later. Dr. Vegan Momma, Oprah, and the Wonderful Wizard named Oz have done it.
My next step is to couple my changing diet with a consistent exercise routine. I don’t like going to the gym so I usually like walking around the lake or playing ball with friends. I just need it to be consistent. I’ll keep you posted on how I progress with that.
Finally, being the activist that I am -you know I had to find an advocacy issue related to this topic. So let me ask a few questions.
- What type of restaurants/grocery stores are found in poor, African American neighborhoods?
- Where are the healthy food options like Whole Foods found?
- How much do healthy food items cost compared to less healthy food items?
- Who is most able to afford higher priced, healthier food?
- A few years back a member of my church told me that her 6 year old daughter was about to start menstruating. Do you think that hormone-injected, chemically grown, processed foods are having an effect on how rapidly our girls are physically developing? (Click here to read a good article on this)
That’s enough questions to get a dialogue going.
For those who are on the journey toward healthy living as well, let’s keep each other encouraged.
October 5th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Heber!
Don’t do this to me! Especially since I just ate lunch from Kimmy’s! Was on my way to a good start with just salad, but when I finished, chicken tenders and fish “landed” on my plate. Since turning 30, I have been thinking about that as well. Especially since black people are number one for heart attacks, strokes, and the list goes on. All the greasy places are in our neighborhoods. When you look at, it is almost like we are targeted because it is known that we will buy that crap which taste very good at times. We are going to do better.
October 5th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
LOL. Sorry, Keisha. I had to put it on the internet so that I could keep myself honest.
Did you say tenders? (salivating) I haven’t had a tender in a minute. Oh well - I hope you enjoyed it for me.
And you’re right - we are going to do better.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:04 am
Congested Heart Failure (CHF), diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure, and many other obesity related diseases have ravished my family. In fact, it is more normal to be sick than to be well. Sadly, many of my family members have accepted this as a way of life, rather than changing their paths and heading down the road of good health.
After my mother had a stroke at 52, I made a decision that I cannot allow myself to go down the same destructive road. I took some very drastic steps to change my future. Instead of letting high blood pressure, diabetes, CHF, and kidney failure knock on my door, I changed my address. I hope forever… I dropped a lot of weight, started exercising, and changed my diet.
Now, the challenge is staying committed. It is so much easier to eat bad/cheap food, than to take the time, money, and energy to prepare/locate healthy food. Unfortunately, I’ve picked up a very ridiculous habit again. I’ve been drinking fountain drinks like I’m crazy. I know all that sugar and carbonation is not good for me.
I’m now trying to help my sisters. My mother and her sisters are all very sick ladies. Each of them are in their 50’s. In fact, the oldest sister passed to heaven at age 50. They’ve had strokes, bipass surgeries, and so on. Some really major stuff.
That’s why I am committed to making sure that my sisters and I don’t repeat their mistakes. They might not have known better. But we have the information to empower us to a place of good health. We just need to add the inspiration to the information. Then we will be good to go.
Heber and all others, keep up the good work. And always encourage sisters and brothers to get healthy. We can’t keep silent on this issue. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles are dying and facing some serious health challenges. Blindness, amputation, renal failure, and so many other diseases can be prevented if we watch our diets, thereby, watching our weight.
Sorry for the long e-mail. I’m actually very concerned about the health problems that are destroying our communities. I’ve actually dedicated a great deal of my graduate research on the subject.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
Good Move Buddy!
I’m so proud of you.
Anyway it’s important to make healthy food choices and the results are apparent when it comes to our health. It’s not getting better more people suffered from various ailments each year part is do to not only the foods we choose but also the products we use in our homes, and what is used in our environment. The amount of harmful substances that are given the green light by the FDA in the USA is mind-boggling. We have poor health in comparison with other countries. We ranked #100 a few years go. Guess what the USA used to be the healthiest nation back in the early 1940’s.
Actually I can get “in your face but I try to do it in a tactful. I would like to think I gently guide a person to take off their blinders. It’s not always easy and it’s something I’m very passionate about my switch was for ethical reasons. I saw the connection certain animals were put on pedestals where others were treated like property and abused. Don’t some people do that with other races?
It wasn’t surprised to hear that over ½ of the girls in my mentee group suffered from nutrition deficient illnesses. It angered me because it’s not their fault and I know many don’t have the convenience to choose which stores they can shop at. I’m hoping to become their friends, gain the trust of their parents and hopefully pass on a little knowledge about nutrition. You don’t have to be vegetarian to be healthy but you do need to make health whole food choices.
I know changes can be hard and frightening and at times downright confusing. The key for many is to take small steps eventually you will cross over to a healthier way of eating.
There can be conflicting information. It can be discouraging when others around you don’t understand or even make fun of your choices. I’ve been there I have always laughed and made a joke about it.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:35 am
[...] and he’s actively out there trying to turn his dreams into a reality. Guess what? He’s changed his eating habits which I think is very cool. Nope he’s not vegan but he’s making healthier choices these [...]
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 am
[...] and he’s actively out there trying to turn his dreams into a reality. Guess what? He’s changed his eating habits which I think is very cool. Nope he’s not vegan but he’s making healthier choices these [...]