Thick Thighs = Healthy Heart

 Health & Wellness  2 Responses »
Sep 122009
 

Turns out my thick 23.5in thighs are just perfect. According to a new study they are the perfect size to keep me heart healthy. And here I was thinking I needed to lose some inches:

The lure of “thinner thighs” has been used to market countless books, DVDs, and diets over the years. If new research published today is confirmed by other studies, though, perhaps there should be an addendum: ” . . . but not too thin.” Writing in the medical journal BMJ, Danish researchers who followed 2,800-plus people for longer than a decade reported that—believe it or not—a smaller thigh circumference is associated with a bigger risk of heart disease and premature death. This effect was independent of body fat percentage and BMI.

Oh and there’s more:

People with thighs measuring less than 60 centimeters (a little more than 23½ inches) around were at higher risk of heart problems
and early death than those with larger thighs, but no extra benefit accrued to either men or women whose thighs were more than 60 centimeters around.

23.5 inches?

That’s where I’m at right now.

WOOHOO!

I’m not quite the fat cow I think I am. lol.

Seriously though there have been other studies that show having wide hips and big butts are a sign of health. Others that show that a small waist is key to heart health. So from what I can gather if you’re an hourglass or spoon shaped woman you’re in good shape even if you’re not a size 6. That being a skinny *ahem* chick is just plain bad for your health.

Or am I just projecting?

LOL.

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Apparently Black Women Are Big Boned

 Health & Wellness  5 Responses »
Aug 012009
 

For all of you who’ve lost the weight, but the BMI scale doesn’t seem to agree…it’s not you:

The body mass index (BMI) and waistline measurement overestimate obesity in African-Americans, according to a new study. The results, which were presented at The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., suggest that conventional methods for estimating body fat may need to become race-specific.

“Compared to Caucasians, African-Americans of the same age, gender, waist circumference, weight and height may have lower total and abdominal fat mass,” said principal investigator and study leader Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, professor of medicine and chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis. “These findings argue for a review of the existing cutoffs for healthy BMI and waist circumference among African-Americans.”



I’ve written about this before in Big Butts = Good Health I mentioned how a study shows black women can have a BMI of 27 and still be healthy. This new study largely confirms that the current BMI scale doesn’t do a good job of measuring black women’s body mass.

I completely understand what this article is saying. At 140lbs I’m borderline overweight according to the BMI scale and at 165 I’m listed as obese. In reality I’m rocking a six pack at 140lbs and I’m merely overweight at 165.  The previous scale where you weren’t considered overweight until you BMI hit 27 was a bit more accurate.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you can be 250lbs and be healthy. It does mean if you’ve lost a considerable amount of weight and look lean and helathy, but the BMI scale is suggesting you’re not, you’re probably in good shape. I’m mean at 140lbs I’m rocking a size 6, but if I listen to the BMI I’d still be worried about being overweight.

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Black Women’s Health: Everything You Should Know About Heart Disease

 Health & Wellness  2 Responses »
Jun 252009
 


Introduction

African American women are especially affected by heart disease. They have a higher mortality or death rate than white women and black men under the age of 55 years. The mortality rate from coronary heart disease is 69% higher than for white women. In addition, the first heart attack occurs at an earlier age in black women and is more likely to be fatal than is the case in white women. And pre-menopausal women who have hypertension, which is more common in black women, have 10 times the heart attack risk of those without high blood pressure.

Risk Factors in African-American Women

Black women have the highest rates of what are called risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the country, when they are compared to men and women of their own race as well as other races. When you have a risk factor, which means that you are unusually likely to develop CVD, as opposed to people who have none. In addition, the more risk factors you have, the greater are the chance that you will have an adverse event involving the cardiovascular system such as a heart attack or a stroke. It has been well documented that African American women have the highest rates of the following risk factors:

* Smoking: 26% of black women smoke
* High blood pressure: about one-third of black women have hypertension
* Obesity: two-thirds of black women are overweight or obese
* Physical inactivity: the majority of black women do not exercise regularly

In addition, diabetes, which causes so many heart attacks that it is now considered a cardiovascular disease and a CVD risk equivalent, is found in a very high percentage of African American women.

Warning Signs for Black Women

Pain in the chest is a classic symptom of an impending heart attack, and it means that your heart is literally crying out for help. It is called angina. Black women do not experience it as commonly as white women, for reasons that are not entirely clear. It may also occur in locations other than the chest such as the back, arm, and even the jaw. It may or may not be associated with activity. If it does occur, it may be misinterpreted as indigestion or an upset stomach. The best advice is, don’t take a chance—go to the nearest hospital right away to be checked to make sure you are not having a heart attack. This is crucial, because half of the people who have a heart attack die on the first occasion. You may not get a second chance if you are having a heart attack and don’t get immediate medical attention. So use 911—that’s what it’s there for. Better safe than sorry. Shortness of breath, a fast heartbeat, excessive sweating, unexplained weakness and tiredness, nausea and dizziness may also occur.

High blood pressure may not cause any signs or symptoms warning you of its presence until something happens, such as a stroke or heart attack. For this reason, it is called the “silent killer”. You really do need to get that blood pressure checked by a doctor, and more than one time. When hypertension does cause symptoms, they may include headache, dizziness, rapid heartbeat (palpitations), or blurred vision. But don’t wait until these symptoms occur, because by then, dangerous complications stemming from damage to major organs may already be in progress.

Stroke is caused when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, and it can also be caused by blood clots in these arteries or whenever a brain artery is ruptured or bursts, causing cerebral hemorrhage, which commonly occurs in black people who have hypertension. Strokes generally occur suddenly, often without warning. Some of the warning signs may be sudden numbness or weakness of the limbs or face, especially on one side, sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or walking, difficulty focusing the eyes, and headache. If any of these things happen, you should get to the hospital right away, because brain damage progresses within minutes and is usually permanent and irreversible unless treated very quickly. Call 911 immediately. You don’t even have time to get dressed.

Conclusion

It is not possible in this small space to give more than a comprehensive overview of the problems, but hopefully, you have gotten the most important message of all, which is to get yourself checked out by a doctor and to heed the advice given.

From What Every Woman Should Know About Heart Disease from Blackdoctor.org

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Is Your Hair Really Worth Your Health?

 Health & Wellness  2 Responses »
Mar 172009
 

t’s been awhile since I talked about hair on this blog, but on the few times I’ve been able to make it to they gym, I’m always amazed at what length black women will go to not to sweat. Not sweating…in the gym? Isn’t that the point? But god forbid they mess up their hair.

This leads me to ask the question: Is your hair really worth your health? Really?

I want to look fly like everyone else, but even when I had relaxed hair, I was in the gym sweating it our six days a week. Never was my hair going to prevent me form being healthy and in shape. And lets be real, how fly can you look if you’re grossly overweight? There is more to your body and looking good then a hot hairdo. It’s long past time for us to get out proprieties straight where are health is concerned and realize the superficial (fly hair) is not worth our health.


Make this the year that it’s okay to sweat out the do. It can always be fixed. Here are some some tips to help with the post workout hair from Nubian Fitness Goddess:

1. While working out wear a cotton sport headband. It absorbs most of the sweat while I workout and keeps my hair flat. I do not recommend tying your hair up with a scarf. I have found that my hair sweats more that way.

2. Do NOT touch your hair until it dries. When I first started working out I would try to comb my hair while it had sweat it in. This does not work; it spreads the sweat throughout your hair. I learned that my hair is much more manageable if I wait 30-45 min after working out so it can dry.

3. Learn how to care for you own hair. This past year I had to learn how to care for my own hair. Caring for my own hair gave me the opportunity to wash and deep condition it at least once a week ( as opposed to paying someone every other week). Doing this has kept my hair healthy and I work out when I want to without worrying about wasting my money at the hairdresser.

4. Hair Products that Help
*No Rinse Shampoo- if you’re on the go and you really need to get the sweat out use No Rinse Shampoo.
*Aveda Reviving Mist- this is useful if you need a refresh, you can also dry Dry Shampoo. It’s really helpful in between washes
*Aveda Anti-humectant – this little jar is worth the investment during the summer time. It helps prevent frizziness in humid weather.

You May Have a Big Butt, but How’s Your Health?

 Health & Wellness  4 Responses »
Mar 092009
 

So many sisters pride themselves on their “Donks,” “Fatties” and “Big ol’ butts,” but the question becomes do those large posteriors also come with a side of dimpled thighs and flabby gut?

I get that black women’s butts are the things of lore, but you can’t focus on one body party to the exclusion of your overall health.

I hear (and know) many women who run around touting the gloriousness of their hindquarters yet are probably well into the obese category or at the very least grossly overweight.


Newsflash: we are more than our behinds. And our lives dictate that, not only do we look fly, but we’re healthy as well. We will get out hair and nails done and dress to the nines at whatever size we are, but healthy seems to bypass us.

It’s time we focus on out overall health and not just the greatness of one body part. You can be healthy and have a big butt too. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, let’s just focus on begin healthy first and let the behind fall where it may.

Black Women’s Health: Getting Healthy is Not Something Only White Women Do

 Health & Wellness  6 Responses »
Mar 052009
 

Too often in the black community we ascribe certain aspects of our life we need to improve to “something only white people do,” as if we’re somehow beyond or better than that thing. Unfortunately when it comes to our health, too often it seems we only believe white women do certain things, particularly when it involves any physical activity, dieting or just simply pampering ourselves.

The gym, running, yoga…only white women do that.
Dieting, pilates, spinning….only white women do that.
Massages, Spa dates, facials…only white women do that.

You get the picture.


When did being healthy and taking care of ourselves become something only white women did? We have a right and responsibility to fully take care of ourselves–body and mind. While we regularly praise what the lord has done and will do for us, we would show him real respect and gratitude for the life he has given us if we full took care of ourselves, mind, body and our soul.

Caring for yourself isn’t relegated to race. We all have a right to be healthy and happy and we need to fully embrace that right

You Can be Thick and Healthy

 Health & Wellness  6 Responses »
Aug 132008
 

There’s been a lot of talk around the blogsphere as late on Black women and their thickness and how aspiring to be thick causes women to be unhealthy, overweight and obese.

Well, in my opinion, there is a very big difference between being thick and fat. If you’re confused the following is easy to remember: Beyonce = Thick. Monique = Fat. Simple.

You can be thick and healthy. Contrary to popular belief ass and thigh fat won’t kill you, but belly fat will. As women we should keep our waist under 31.5 inches for optimal health and to fight against common illnesses among Black women such as diabetes, heart disease and hyper tension.

 

Let’s be clear, Black women are naturally curvy, “thick” women. There is nothing wrong with that. You don’t have to lose your curves just because you’re trying to be healthy. But health should be your number one priority above all else.

I assure you, if you’re a naturally big butt/big hip woman that’s not going to disappear because you hit the treadmill or the Starimaster several times a week. As I like to say this isn’t about being a size 6 . It is about being a healthier, happier you. So keep that in mind…and hit the gym.

Today is a new day. So what are you waiting for.

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Drug Resistant Cancer, Threat to Black Women

 Health & Wellness  No Responses »
Jun 052008
 

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.

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Black Women’s Health: Listen to the Hunger

 Diet & Nutrition, Health & Wellness  No Responses »
Nov 182007
 

Moving to the USA to attend graduate school, was a big change for me. Moving is generally recognised as one of life’s big stressors, and this move was no exception. It wasn’t just the challenge of getting used to a new environment that was problematic for me, I’d lived in Paris for two years preceding my move to the USA and so was prepared for that challenge. The thing that made the move most difficult for me was America’s racial politics which depending on one’s temperament, can generate more distress and heartache than any human should have to endure.



My sense of displacement, alienation, disillusionment, hurt and anger manifested themselves as a gnawing hunger which eating did not satisfy. This hunger grew more and more insatiable as time went on. I felt as though a huge hole had opening up in my soul and I needed to fill it to survive … to be whole. At first I would make myself little treats that I’d always enjoyed at home over conversations with my friends. I was trying I guess to recreate the warmth and connectedness of those moments. When that didn’t work I increased the quantities and when that didn’t work I began to branch out, trying one thing after another in larger and larger quantities. By the time I was consuming 20,000 calories a day in cakes, ice cream, sweet biscuits, chocolates and growing larger and larger, I realised that I was locked in a destructive cycle from which I desperately wanted to escape.

Every morning I tried to start fresh. I’d promise myself that I would not eat as I had done the day before. Sometimes I made it until 10am, sometimes noon but always I caved in before the day was over. It often started with having just one chocolate bar and that one would lead to 10 within an hour, which would lead to whole cakes, pints of ice cream, boxes of sweet biscuits etc.

Luckily for me, I happened to be invited to a party about 6 months into my binging career, where I overheard a women talking about her problems with compulsive overeating. I was not that familiar with the term then but I recognised it immediately as one that fitted my behaviour very well. I managed to catch her alone later on that evening and asked her how she managed to stop compulsively eating. She suggested I read a book called Listen to the Hunger by Elisabeth L. and gave me her number to call her once I’d read it. I got the book a few days later. It is quite a small book. Only 84 pages and I read it in one sitting as I cried and binged on chocolate bars.

The introduction read:

If someone habitually overeats, it is safe to say that person is hooked on using food to do things food cannot do. Habitual overeating is an addiction as powerful as the addiction to alcohol or other drugs. In many ways, it is even more difficult to deal with food abuse, since no one can stop eating completely. We can put alcohol and other drugs out of our lives. We do not need either substance for survival. We do need food. We must find a way to identify our legitimate hunger for food without letting it expand and absorb other hungers that need to be fed.

If whenever we feel a twinge of emotion, our first impulse is to put something in our mouths, we are misreading our inner signals. The key to getting “unstuck” is learning to pay attention to what is behind the craving for excess food. What needs are being masked or covered up by the desire to eat more? What is the hunger about?

The path away from food abuse leads out of the boredom and despair of compulsion into a many-splendored world of feeling and participation. The way out is sometimes steep and twisting, with temporary roadblocks, detours, and slippery places. It is a path to be travelled daily with all the aid and assistance we can get. Professional healers can help. So can fellow travellers. Our greatest resource – which is always available – is the inner voice that tells us who we are, what we feel, and what we need. If we will take time to listen and learn, we will slowly discover what the hunger is all about. The hunger will lead to an ever-increasing knowledge of what life is all about. We will grow through our hungers into greater understanding and strength. Each day will be richer and fuller. We will not cease to be hungry, but will learn what satisfies.

That was the beginning for me of a long and arduous journey of recovery from compulsive eating and sugar addiction to a healthy and balanced life.


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