Amid the sadness of the loss of another young life, the public health professional in me could not help thinking about the prevalence and incidence of diabetes cases in the minority communities. It is not hard to notice the lack of health food stores, fruit and vegetable stands in our communities. It is also not uncommon to see a new fast food restaurant opening its doors to serve those that are of low income and minorities. Is it really my problem that many young people suffer from diet related illnesses like obesity and diabetes? Should I really be concerned that many people are dying from heart attack and stroke and the age of those dying from heart related illnesses are getting younger in the African American community? Or should I just turn a blind eye to the fact that most people take the escalator instead of the stairs? I cannot turn a blind eye, I refuse to not say something and ultimately do something about it.
You are what you eat. Many of us have heard that said many times, but we fall victims to the appetite. Listen, I absolutely love to cook, would whip up some ackee and saltfish in a minute (Jamaican food), but being raised by parents who were very health conscious, I learnt from very early to set boundaries with food and that diet and exercise were very important. So where do we go from here? I think it is time for us to become more aware of what we are feeding as fuel to our bodies. Our bodies are our responsibilities and the trends that are common among the poor and minorities can be stopped but it takes each individual becoming more conscious of our bodies, what is healthy and what is not. So many times, fast food chains become our dinner tables and our only serving of vegetables for the day came from the broccoli and chicken at the Chinese restaurant around the corner. If you happen to live in an Urban neighborhood like NYC you know exactly what I mean. It is time to make our health our priority, it is time to begin eating right, getting the sufficient amount of water needed and making exercise our priority. I think many of us missed the mark when we decided to loose weight just to look slimmer or skinny. The issue is not about being skinny, its about being healthy. Do not focus on one illness, do not try to avoid getting a stroke or diabetes or lowering our cholesterol, all these things will fall in place if we decide to take care of our bodies. Living a holistic lifestyle will reflect not only in our physical appearance but also improves our mental health and will ultimately lead to a healthier happier you.
So before you fry that chicken in oil, that will only lead to clogging your arteries, and severe acne breakouts, try placing it in the oven. Before you spend $20 on one meal at a fast food joint, why not bake some potatoes, steam some veggies and bake some fish, easy fixes and way more healthy.
I hope I am reaching someone, I cannot sit here and watch my friends, loved ones, neighbors die from diet related diseases. My own cousin died from colon cancer and was severely obese. I cannot emphasize this more. Begin taking responsibility for the lifestyle choices that you make. Think twice before eating that bacon egg and cheese on a roll, or those fries. Think twice before we feed it to our children and then stand over their graves, think twice about that coffee that you are addicted to, think twice about those toasted bagel with creamed cheese or butter. Think twice before walking pass that water cooler, think twice before drinking that soda think twice before taking the elevator or escalator. Thinking twice will prolong your life.
One Love Always
Danni
