April 2012
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The Sweet Potato →
Keep this in mind for the next couple of post :)
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15 On the Go Breakfast Recipes →
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Tips For Vegetarians →
GOLDEN RULES OF HEALTHY EATING
healthy-powerhouse:
GOAL: Make peace with food
Constantly dieting or restricting the foods you eat because you’re dissatisfied with your body can sap you mentally and physically. Besides being distracting, abnormal eating habits increase your chances of becoming depressed, ill or injured.
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Health - Kicking Genetics In the Teeth
Recently I got a health diagnostic test done by way of biometric screening. Biometric screening is a series of test/a part of corporate wellness programs wherein employees have their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood glucose, and any other measurement that corporations and their employees choose to have measured, measured. For my job that included; BMI (body mass index - a system that measures height-weight ratio), cholesterol, triglycerides (for heart disease risk), blood glucose (for diabetes risk), and high blood pressure.
Being 1 - African American (many health disparities are higher amongst African Americans populations) and 2. Someone who has nearly every imaginable ailing condition (high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease/high cholesterol, etc) run through their family - I am genetically predisposed to all of these things. For a long time I allowed that to haunt me. Until I decided to change my life and start looking at the way I see things a little differently. For that reason, this screening was a very big deal for me.
For the first time today, I finally decided to sit down with the results of my biometric screening and go over them thoroughly and I have to say - I don't think I've ever been so proud of myself. I ranked "Platnum," - the highest possible ranking on the test, in every category tested. Being in the field that I'm in, I interact with a great deal of people, answering a lot of health questions and I can't tell you how many times I hear "BUT, GENETICS" in a given week. I am here to say, that if you want to bad enough - you can take genetics, look it right in the face and refuse to allow it to be master over you. I am a testament to that and I'm glad to be. It hasn't been easy. The truth is, it takes a lot of work, a lot of discipline. It takes getting out in the rain and going for a run (even when you've just bought a brand new movie and a bag of popcorn) and the last thing you feel like doing is running. I will say this - the more you do it, the more you'll want to do it. It takes saying "no thank you" to that second or third beer/cocktail, no matter how curious you are. It takes planning and actually wanting something for yourself. It takes WORK. But it's so WORTH IT you guys, so worth it. Your quality of life is different when you are healthy, active and eating better; your mind is clearer, you're more creative.
I hope that this doesn't just sound like boasting, because that is not my aim - though I am definitely proud. I wrote this to let you know that it's possible and that you can do it, no matter what you have stacked against you. So the next time you get down on yourself and start cursing your genetics, remember that you have a lot more power over them than you think you do - and do something about it. I'm here to help if you need it.
All the best to you guys, good luck on your journey!
Love,
Crystal
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Health at any age - 86 year old German gymnast,... →
So inspired by this!
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“Fact: By the time you feel thirsty you are already (at least) two cups...”
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Shape Up's Walking Challenge! (Start's Today!) →
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