Daily Weight Loss Tip

Eat More Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains. People who eat healthy, mostly unprocessed foods, including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and limited amounts of lean animal protein, often find that they can eat as much as they want without gaining weight. If they are switching from a diet containing lots of processed foods, they find that they can eat more yet consume fewer calories -- and they lose weight.

Yoga and Pilates Do a Body Good

Well, it’s not just the holistic hippie types that recognize the benefits of Pilates and yoga (and a good home cooked meal); apparently big brawny football players can appreciate the disciplines as well. Linebacker Calvin Pace, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals and now of the New York Jets, said it was these, “little things," that convinced him to sign with the Jets. Really?

So, it wasn’t the helicopter ride to the training facility or the 42 million dollar contract that they offered and he signed? Well, whatever the reason, we’re happy for Pace. Maybe he read recent studies showing how yoga prevents wrinkles and acts as a fountain of youth; or perhaps he recognizes a good Pilates workout can stretch out his overworked and abused body after a tough game. Perhaps, but I’ll put my money on the 42 million, with the yoga and Pilates being the icing on top.

Links
Yoga, Pilates and free food set Jets apart
Use Yoga to Stop the Clock

Thick vs. Fat: A Black Man's Take

So here is one brother's take on Thick vs. Fat in the Black community. This one should spark some chatter. Discuss:

I remember in the late 1980’s when Black men first started using the word “thick” to define a woman with ample bottom and/or breasts. We knew what we were describing and it was more about T & A than the result of too many Twinkies, Ho-Hos, Moo-Moos and Cow-Cows.

We also knew that “healthy” was a term reserved for women with a little meat on their bones. They really were considered healthy because they ate regular meals (that they often cooked at home) and had beautiful bountiful bodies to show for it. They were proportionate and anything but obese.

But I remember that the term “thick” was co-opted in the 1990’s by overweight women who wanted to redefine America’s view of women (particularly the ones on the heavy side), and change the way overweight women viewed themselves.

Now, I’m all for people looking for ways to feel good about themselves, but if it is not based on reality and is actually inadvertently promoting and celebrating an unhealthy lifestyle, then it’s not a good thing.

Since the big girls dig brothers like me, some have been aggressive and when rebuffed (even though done politely), they often claim that I’m not a “real” Black man. After all, “real” Black men like big girls.

Right?

Not really.

“Real” Black men like a variety of women, because “real” Black men come in a variety themselves. Some of us do like the big girls, but some of us like the ladies who have little body fat, except where it counts.

Most of us probably know at least one or two Black men who like the big girls.

And, all across the nation, clubs specifically for big girls and the men who love them are popping up on the landscape.

So that means that being a big girl is a good thing.

Right?

Wrong.

Now, here’s where I get to use the phrase “never trust a big butt and a smile.”

While some big girls have co-opted the word “healthy” to denote a woman with largess, the redefinition of fat has gone too far.

It’s going too far to co-opt terms such as “healthy” to describe people who are, in reality, far from healthy.

Read the rest of the article. It's well worth it. Overall I think he does a good job of addressing the issue without coming off sounding condescending. And the whole "thick" phenomenon needs addressing. And I will get to that, but right now I'd like to here what folk have to say about what this Brother is addressing.

Daily Weight Loss Tip

Water is Key. Switch to water first thing in the morning instead of fruit juice. Fruit juice is high in sugar. Since most of us are dehydrated in the morning, water's the best thing to do the trick anyway.

Source

Daily Weight Loss Tip

Substitution. Learn how to make over family favourite recipes by cutting out fats, salt and sugar. Substitute non fat yoghurt for cream, stir fry minus oil and use herbs and spices instead of salt for flavour.

Source

Drug Resistant Cancer, Threat to Black Women

We've really gotta start taking better care of ourselves:

Black women are more likely to have diabetes, hypertension and certain forms of breast cancer than the general community. Yet many are reluctant to seek early treatment.

African-American women in general don't get the appropriate care they need," says Shonda Perry, a physician at St. Joseph's Women's Hospital. "Many don't have access to care, they fear going to a physician. There are so many obstacles they face."

Although a higher percentage of white women are diagnosed with breast cancer, black women have a higher death rate, Baker says. Black women also tend to be diagnosed later than white women.

"That's partially because of how late we wait to seek out treatment and some early detection methods," Baker says. "Lack of information and knowledge, lack of access, transportation issues, there's a multitude of issues that contribute to late diagnosis."

Baker also will shed light on a form of breast cancer unique to black women called "triple negative." The cancer is a triple threat because it strikes early, it's resistant to standard drug treatments and it's more likely to kill.

Diet Mondays: Incorporate Exercise With the Atkins Diet

I'm sure all of you are familiar with The Atkins Diet by now. If not, here's a primer. What I have noticed however, is that many folks on The Atkins Diet, aren't exercising. Because the diet lends itself to such rapid weight loss, I think folk believe that they don't have to work out. Which, as I've noted on this blog in the past, is not the best decision. So, if you're on The Atkins Diet here are a few tips adding some exercise to the diet:

Go Slow During Induction
During the Induction phase of the Atkins diet you are severely limiting your carbohydrate intake. The change in carbs forces your body to burn fat as its primary source of energy. Since your body is used to using carbs as its primary source of energy exercise during induction can be difficult. The lack of carbs means your body doesn’t have the energy source its used to having to help you burn calories and sustain your energy levels during your workout. This phase of the Atkins diet is known for experiencing side effects such as fatigue, light-headedness and headaches.

Exercise during the induction phase of Atkins can make these systems worse; so keep the exercise to a bare minimum during the first two weeks of the diet. Light walking and other low impact exercise for no more than thirty minutes a day, are your best options for the Induction phase of the Atkins diet.

Add More Exercise as You Add Carbs
The best part of incorporating exercise into the Atkins diet is the more you exercise the more carbohydrates you get to eat. Exercise allows your body to better process the carbohydrates you consume so they don’t have a drastic affect on your blood sugar levels as they do for those who don’t exercise at all or very little.

Dr. Atkins diet plan allows for people who are very active to consume considerable more grams of carbohydrates a day than those who exercise moderately or lead sedentary lives. By Atkins standards a person who is active is described as someone who gets at least 45 minutes a day of vigorous exercise at least five times a week. The extra grams of carbs per day should act as an incentive for you to add more exercise to your diet regime. As you more through the latter stages of the Atkins diet try adding jogging, running, power walking or other high impact workouts to your exercise regime.

Don’t Forget the Weights
While aerobic exercise will make your heart healthy weight training will tone your body, making you look leaner and, as you gain more muscle, burn more fat. Working out with weights will replace the fat you lose with muscles and because you’re more active and in better shape, allow you to consume more carbohydrates on the Atkins diet. You can add weight training to your workouts as you move through the later stages of the Atkins Diet but by Lifetime Maintenance weight training should be a regular part of your routine as it will not only help you lose the weight but will aid in you keeping the weight off.