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Eight Steps for African Americans to Follow in Order to Lead a Healthy Lifestyle


"You gotta eat right, you gotta have healthy habits, you know, and balance out your decadence with a healthy lifestyle during the day" - Talib Kweli

According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (2012-2013 fact sheet), 14.6% of blacks all ages have fair or poor health, 37.9% of black males ages 20 and over are obese,  57.6% of black females ages 20 and over are obese, and the top leading cause of deaths for African-Americans is heart disease (24.1%).  The numbers reported two to three years ago on CDC's website have unfortunately increased for the African-American race. It is time to take a stand against statistics and beat the odds. Today is a new day to think about the course of your future and your plan of action to live a longer life.  Living a healthy lifestyle may seem hard, but in the end, it is only beneficial for your health, your life, and those who care about you.  Here are 8 steps to follow in order to get yourself on the right path towards a healthy living.

  1. Be goal oriented! Most people come to find that setting goals for themselves pushes them because it challenges them to work hard for the things they want in life. The goal can be as small as taking a 10 minute walk around the pond before work or school and as big as losing 20lbs in a month.  No matter what, set a goal that you are motivated to accomplish and don't push yourself to the point where the finish line of that goal is out of reach.
  2. More water, less juice and soda. According to WebMD, water helps the body maintain the balance of body fluids, help control calories, help energize muscles, helps skin look good, helps your kidneys, and maintain normal bowel function. So before you pick up the bottle of juice or soda, reach for the bottle of water next to it and add a lemon for flavor (yum!).
  3. Keep track of your habits in a notepad, your phone, laptop, or tablet. Taking note of your daily of what you eat, drink, and do can help you evaluate the good and bad habits in your life. That way, you can make the necessary rearrangements to become a healthier you.
  4. Don't skip breakfast. It is true what they say: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Why? For starters, if you skip breakfast, you will eat a bigger portion of the next meal of the day, adding on more body fat. Plus, breakfast provides people the energy to perform at their best and helps develop growing bodies and brains. So tomorrow morning, grab a piece a fruit, a bowl of cereal, or a hot plate of breakfast and see how focused and balanced you are throughout the day.
  5. Good Snacks vs. Bad Snacks It is always good to have snacks in between your meals to refuel your body, but know the difference between a healthy snack and junk food. While junk food such as chips and donuts may be more tasty, healthy snacks such as fruits and granola bars promote positive thinking and high energy levels (food for thought)
  6. Add greens, greens, and more greens into your diet! What is green that people can't get enough of? I'm not talking about money or collard greens either...Did you think of salads? No? Yes? Well that's what I'm talking about! Greens are low in calories and high in nutrients. Doesn't sound appealing? Spice it up with your favorite foods such as cheeses, fruits, and meats into the salads. That way, eating healthy gets a little bit more bearable.
  7. Get up and work it out (or twerk it out...) Exercise is a crucial part of living a healthy lifestyle. It controls weight, combats health conditions and diseases *cough cough* heart disease, strokes, obesity *cough cough*, improves mood, boosts energy, promotes better sleep, and its fun! Take a walk around the park, take a jog on the trails, ride a bike, dance (ladies, y'all may want to twerk) to your favorite jams, and opt out of taking the elevator and take the steps instead.
  8. Stay positive Surround yourself with positivity and you will come to find that it soothes the mind, body, and every day life. Negativity only adds stress to your life, which will put you in a bad mood, and then you would want to eat your favorite junk food to make you feel better, so on and so forth.

Now that you know these eight steps, incorporate it into your life and see the difference it makes.  If you have any other tips to share, please feel free to do so!

(Photo: PicFont.com via Twitter)

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