CALL TO ACTION

Start your exercise regimen today!  Workout a total of 30 minutes for 3 weeks and log each workout on this spreadsheet.  After you are done, screenshot your log and share it under this post.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M6-gJILoytTqSc3g7_cVmJm4YtnuSc4saYLtRUYBewY/edit?usp=sharing

THE WHY?

We have always been told that exercise, along with diet change will help get rid of the silent killers that are prominent in the African-American community.  The top three causes of death among African-Americans are heart disease, cancer, and accidental deaths.  Two of these can be prevented by exercise and a change in diet.  This will also provide an extended life expectancy from generation to generation.  

TIP:

FAT burns at a rate of one calorie per pound.  

MUSCLE burns at a rate of 10-15 calories per pound.  

This tells us that instead of tons of cardio, we should lift more, and perform no more than 30 minutes of cardio 3 days a week.  You should only extend your cardio time to an hour or more 5-6 days a week if you are preparing for something in particular, ie, a vacation, challenge, wedding, etc.

Cardio is to look good on a scale, weight training is to look good naked in real life.

RESOURCES

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/black-health.htm

https://www.heartandstroke.ca/articles/exercising-when-you-have-heart-disease

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-many-ways-exercise-helps-your-heart

Call to Action

Add a new healthy food or food dish to your diet by patronizing your local black owned farm.

(If finding a local farmer proves to be difficult we encourage you to patronize a health focused BOR or try a healthier food option at a BOR)

The Why:

Majority of America’s food deserts are centered in disadvantaged minority neighborhoods, this often times can be a factor when it comes to the health of the black community.  Continuing to support black farmers and/or black owned restaurants that offer healthier options allows for their business to grow and assist in closing the food disparity gap in black neighborhoods.

• Majority of America’s food deserts are centered in disadvantaged minority neighborhoods, geographic areas where access to affordable, healthy food options (fresh fruit and vegetables) is limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away. 

• Food insecurity has a high correlation with increased high blood pressure and diabetes rates, People living in the poorest SES (social-economic status) areas have 2.5 times the exposure to fast-food restaurants as those living in the wealthiest areas.

• Not having enough food can have major effects on a child’s physical and mental health, performance in school, and potential hindering their growth.

•  Supporting your local black farmers help them continue to grow and keep

 their land, but you will also be able to add variety and balance to your diet at a lower cost than your neighborhood grocery store. 

• Buying from a black owned farmer will showcase and promote agriculture in our community to raise the number from 2%.

Resources:

• http://www.nationalblackfarmersassociation.org/
• https://moveforhunger.org/harsh-reality-food-deserts-america 
• https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-food-deserts
• https://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/hunger-health-impact-poverty-food-insecurity-health-well-being.pdf
• https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/may/15/food-apartheid-food-deserts-racism-inequality-america-karen-washington-interview

Call to Action:

Share a helpful tip that can be implemented to reduce the potential of having high blood pressure.

THE WHY:

Hypertension, aka high blood pressure is among the leading killers of African Americans.  It is often called the “silent killer” due to its often asymptomatic presence. Understanding the causes of this silent killer is crucial to you and your family’s current and future health.

 More common risk factors include: 

1. Age - Black people develop hypertension at younger ages than other groups in the U. S.
2. Excessive alcohol intake – the keyword is MODERATION!!
3. Smoking tobacco – cigarettes double your chances of developing high blood pressure.
4. Ethnicity and Race – Not only do non-Hispanic black people have the highest prevalence of hypertension in the world, but we also have a higher rate of death associated with hypertension than white people, and we are more likely to develop complications associated with hypertension, such as stroke, blindness, kidney disease, dementia, and heart disease.
5. Obesity – see our first CTA
6. Stress – Work stress, life stress, unnecessary stress; limit all of these.
7. Family History - If your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. have it, be on the lookout. It can possibly be avoided, but you’re still at risk.
8. Sedentary lifestyle – get up and move around!
9. Gender - Sorry, guys, but you are at a greater risk than females if you’re 55 or younger. Don’t get too excited, ladies. After age 64, women are at higher risk.

(for more risk factors and information on stroke, diabetes, etc., DM us and we will send you more tools)

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4108512/#:~:text=The%20increased%20prevalence%20and%20relative%20risks%20constitute%20significant%20population%20attributable%20risks.&text=Specifically%2C%20the%20population%20attributable%20risk,with%2039.5%25%20for%20black%20women.

CALL TO ACTION

Maternal Mortality Rate in the Black Community: Participate in a childbirth education class, ask questions and complete an example birth plan. Share your example birth plan and tag #BMM.

THE WHY?

Maternal mortality in the Black community is an epidemic as well as reproductive warfare. Currently black women are two to six times more likely to die during childbirth than their white counterparts. This statistic is true despite education level, marital status, or socio-economic level. The single root cause is systemic racism.  Proper education and support significantly reduce these rates. 

It is my intention that this class will fill gaps in birth education knowledge and equip black women with the tools to advocate on their own behalf.

RESOURCES

1. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/p0905-racial-ethnic-disparities-pregnancy-deaths.html
2. https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-birthing-positions/
3. https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/labor-delivery-and-postpartum-care/medications-for-pain-relief-during-labor-and-delivery
4. https://youtu.be/3qYFHwiKtLY
5. https://youtu.be/ZJkLTHIVzzk

Call to Action

Research your current insurance coverage and share a fact about your current coverage or share a helpful tip when it comes to selecting an insurance plan.

Why

 Understanding your health insurance and being able to select the appropriate plan for you and your family is critical when it comes to receiving adequate care. 

It’s important to understand what your plan entails and also the costs associated with your plan to ensure that you are being given appropriate care and that you are aware of you and your insurance company’s financial obligations.

 It is very important to understand what type of insurance you are choosing when selecting a plan with your employer or insurance through the state because it will determine how much you will possibly be spending for the year on healthcare and how much you will save.  It will also determine the medical resources that are available to you. It is equally or more important to understand what happens during office visits since that will determine how you are being charged as well making sure you are not charged for services not requested. In the black community we tend to be taken advantage of due to the lack of medical knowledge we have. We have to know our rights and not think that because he/ she is the doctor they know it all. 

Resources

https://tcf.org/content/report/racism-inequality-health-care-african-americans/

Health Care - Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life - NCBI Bookshelf