Being Fearlessly Fit (Article previously written for Fearless Magazine)

The new year always offers the perfect time and incentive to get in shape.  Exercise is not only important to looking good for the upcoming flirty months, but also important to remaining healthy throughout the year.  Try these fun and fast workouts ideas to keep yourself at your sexiest winter's best!

• Beach Run- the beach provides the perfect backdrop to get you up and going!  The fresh air alone is invigorating and the sun provides that extra ounce of beauty to get you energized.  Start with a brisk walk and work your way into a light jog.  For those who are more physically advanced, you can go ahead and start off with a well-paced run.  Whichever you choose to do, the sand will offer a great resistance to your workout and make your workout more effective.
• Cardioke- for those of you who love to dance and sing, or do something a little different, this is the workout for you!  Incorporating  great music, the freedom to belt out your favorite songs, and heart racing aerobic moves, helps you workout and have a good time!  Before you know it, you’ve burned tons of calories!
• Everything you ever want- many may not know, but your cable network offers a channel(s) that give you an endless variety of workouts.  Gone are the days when at-home workouts provided low-intensity workouts; usher in the days when the workouts are just as intense, if not more than your trip to the gym.  From yoga and pilates to cardio and intense weight training, you’ll find everything imaginable to keep you motivated!

Until next time....keep the forward movement....

Ready. Set. Work It Out!

Have you stuck to your resolution? Which one you ask? It’s the one that almost everyone makes. We’re more than halfway through the year and some of us are still going strong. If you happen to have fallen off, don’t be dismayed! It’s never too late to get started again! Read these healthy tips to help rev up your workout engine again!

Research Body Type- a lot of you may be surprised, but your body type has a lot more to do with the way you carry, gain, and lose weight than you think. The three main body types are Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. If you’re an ectomorph, you have low body fat, can usually eat anything you want without gaining weight, and have a fast and efficient metabolism. If you’re a mesomorph, you are naturally lean and muscular, you have an efficient metabolism, and your body responds quickly to exercise. If you’re an endomorph, you usually carry your weight in the lower region of your body (i.e. butt, thighs, and abdomen), have to work a little harder to lose weight, and can gain muscle easily. Knowing these things and a few others details about your body type can provide you with much insight on the most effective track to meet your health and fitness goals. To transform your body and renew your spirit, try this:  Body Gospel Workout

Eat to Live- Pizza. Burgers. Pasta. All delicious things, but not so good for you. The key is balance and the truest nutritional balance has many more healthy options consistently and overall. Allow yourself to indulge every now and then, but create a healthy eating habit that you can commit to on a daily basis. Drink more water, eat more unprocessed foods, and increase your fiber, whole grains, and protein. These small changes over a period of time will give you a lean and healthy look. Not to mention, you’ll also feel better. Eating “clean” will give you a boost of energy. For a delicious shake and boost in nutrition, try this: Shakeology


Work it Out- Ready. Set. Get active! There’s no way around it. Getting active, even in the most minimal of ways, does wonders for your body and overall health. Whether it’s power walking through the neighborhood, or a beach side boot camp class, you’ll get the most results when you increase your activity level. Not only will it aid in weight loss, but it helps to strengthen your heart! To get the heart pumping and that energy up, try this short and sweet workout:  10 Minute Trainer 

Until next time...keep the forward movement....

Health Watch: Sickle Cell Anemia

Check out my article featured on http://www.thefreshxpress.com/

When you think of the major health concerns that are heavily affecting the black population, several diseases come to mind, but rarely is Sickle Cell Anemia mentioned. Until I had the unfortunate experience of losing my brother-in-law AJ to the disease in 2009, I, like so many others, had been oblivious to the severity of the disease. In honor of Fresh Health Month, get to know some important facts about Sickle Cell.


What is Sickle Cell Anemia?
Sickle Cell Anemia is one of the most common inherited blood diseases and primarily affects Africans and African Americans. Although sickle cell is not a “black gene”, it disproportionately occurs in the black population. Current estimates are that one in 1,875 U.S. African Americans is affected with sickle cell anemia. It is a disorder of the blood caused by inherited abnormal hemoglobin that causes distorted red blood cells. These blood cells are fragile are prone to rupture and when this occurs, the condition is referred to as sickle cell anemia. The irregularly shaped cells can and usually block blood vessels which in turn cause tissue and organ damage as well as intense pain.

How is Sickle Cell Diagnosed?
 Sickle cell anemia is diagnosed when the abnormal “sickle-shaped” cells are identified under a microscope. Prenatal diagnosis can also be possible using amniocentesis of the fetal cells. Sickle cell requires the inheritance of two sickle cell genes. When there is only one sickled gene/trait, it almost never produces a problem. The best way to know is to get tested especially when thinking about having children. It’s important for both parties to be aware of whether they or a family member can be a possible carrier of the trait.

What are the symptoms?
 Symptoms and features include: fatigue and anemia, pain crises, swelling and inflammation of hands and feet, bacterial infections, lung and heart injury, eye damage, leg ulcers, etc. Depending on the strand and the health history, each person can be affected and experience symptoms in many ways.

 For more information and support, visit www.sicklecelldisease.org.

“The first wealth is health”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Until next time...keep the forward movement....

The REAL Deal...

In a world where good looks and sex appeal thrive over brains and morals, I wondered how important it is to have the perfect figure. The media bombards us with visions of what the female body should like: big breasts, a small waist, and an ample behind or a walking supermodel in a size 0. Unfortunately, everyone is not built like that. Most people actually aren't. Because of what we're shown, many women are choosing to alter their body in order to be accepted or fit the status quo.

A recent survey shows that of the people surveyed, 65% of them would seriously ponder getting plastic surgery, if money wasn't a factor. The percentage has greatly increased in the past few years and is continuing to increase with the accessibility of plastic surgery. Initially, plastic surgery was for the rich and famous. No payment plans were taken and no deals were made. Nowadays, you can finance your breasts along with getting a new plan for your next procedure. More and more, a lot of people who can't afford a better doctor are shopping around for "doctors" that will give them a discount...but at what price?
The number of horror stories of the surgeries that have gone wrong is on the rise as the need for acceptance continues to grow. With each successful story comes its negative counterpart illustrating just how ugly the fascination of beauty can be. Some women are willing to risk their lives instead of doing their research and taking the proper precautions.


My opinion is this: I will always advocate learning to love what God has given you. I personally feel that it's always the best option. However: whether you agree with plastic surgery or not, do it because YOU want to make yourself happy...and no one else. Some may not want to admit it but men and their obsession with the female physique drive certain women to alter their appearance. I took the time to survey men and found that the majority of them preferred their women "as-is" and "au natural." Regardless of the reasons, always make sure that the person on the procedure table will wake up with no regrets. No matter what....live, laugh, and LOVE YOU.

You Are What You Eat!

The new year always springs forth committments (lies, lol) to getting into shape.  Some of us make the effort because we're overweight and/or have associated health risks/issues that come with carrying excess weight.  Others make the effort for vanity reasons alone.  They think of the summer months and the projected nudity that comes with it, lol.  Regardless of your motives, the same rule applies to everyone: you are what you eat. 

Throughout the first half of the year and now, I've lost weight and maintained my good figure, but it would surprise me how things happened from week to week.  For weeks, I'd do heavy cardio, weight training, and eat regularly and I'd lose a few pounds or stay the same.  Then there'd be a week that I couldn't work out, and to compensate, I'd eat healthier and smaller portions since I wasn't exercising.  Regardless, I'd reluctantly step on the scale with my heart beating fast and my eyes almost shut knowing that if I saw a hint of what I didn't like, my dramatic antics would ensue.  I took a few breaths and looked down.  To my surprise, I'd lost four pounds!  After doing my 'dance of joy', I started thinking how eating and working out affects a person.  After pondering to no avail, I left it alone.

A few days later, I was watching a show that dealt with a man who was trying to lose weight and overcome his family's history of obesity.  He had been on a diet for the past five months that required him to eat sensibly and exercise.  Well, despite knowing this, he worked out, but ate most of whatever he wanted, which wasn't very healthy.  In his mind, he felt that his working out would negate everything he ate, so eat he did.  When he went in for his 5 month check up, his doctor and dietician gave him a rude awakening.  They explained to him that when it comes to losing and/or maintaing your weight, what you eat is 75% and working out is 25%.  He had increased his total body fat percentage.  Wow!!! Who would've ever thought that all those workouts are in vain when you don't monitor what and how much you're eating.  That's when it all clicked!

Portion control and quality is the most important thing.  If you go to your local grocery store or even watch television, you'll be bombarded with the 100-calorie packs of most foods that are pre-packaged.  The first thing that comes to mind is 'diet food', but if you look at the ingredients, you'll find that there's no difference between that and the other containers.  The food isn't different, the portion is.  Often times, you eat all of something simply because it's there, not because you weren't satisfied midway through the meal.  Because of this, you end up consuming way more calories that necessary.  By portion controlling, whether it's through pre-package items, or portioning at home, you will give yourself and your body the habit of eating less and being satisfied.  When you get the hang of this, you'll find yourself hungrier not because you didn't eat enough, but because your metabolism is speeding up since it's not bogged down by loads of heavy foods and inconsistant eating.  Alot of people lose a lot of weight without even working out, though I enjoy and recommend it.  They just change their portions.  Of course it's important to make healthier choices, but in order to a make a life long change, you must balance the good with the bad in order not to deprive yourself.  In essence...everything in moderation.

Here's to wishing you the sexiest summer possible!!!! :)

Until next time...keep the forward movement...

Breaking News: Earthquake in Haiti

Close your eyes.  Calm yourself and breathe deeply.  Imagine yourself spending time with family and/or friends or even by yourself.  You're having a good time and are relaxed.  Maybe you decide to get up and go for a walk or you're on your way home.  No matter what you're doing, you're relaxed and going on with your day as usual.  It's a pretty good thought isn't it?  All of a sudden, the earth begins to shake.  Everything in sight begins to crumble and there is nowhere to run.  If you're with someone, you try to rush to each other and try to hide.  If you're by yourself, you do whatever to shield yourself from the tumbling things.  You may hear screaming and crying and crashing and there's absolutely nothing you can do until it is over.    Open your eyes.  What are you thinking?  How do you feel?  I'm sure everyone reading this is so grateful that they only imagined an Earthquake and it didn't really happen.  Too bad everyone can't be grateful it was just a dream.

On January 12, 2010, the first black country to gain their independence, Haiti was hit with a devastating 7.0 earthquake shortly before 5 pm.  What followed were two strong after shocks that had magnitudes of 5.5 and 5.9.  The damage has been devastating.  The country has been hit by natural catastrophe's before, but this is definitely one of the worst.  As of now, there is no specific dead body count, but thousands of feared to be dead in the aftermath.  In a country where 70-80% of the population lives in poverty, this earthquake is more devastating to the Haiti, then it would be in a country that has a lot more financial stability and support.  The US government has even set up a number to help people locate their family members (888-407-4747).  Not much more is known at this time, but as a new day comes, more questions will be answered and the true damages will be shown as it hard to see since it happened in the later part of the day.

This my friends, is yet another reason to be grateful for life. Things may not always be going the way you think they should and everything is not always perfect, but there are always situations that remind us of how blessed we are.  If you're not in Haiti, nor have people you know there, tonight you will just go to sleep.  You will not have had to fight for your life, nor are you worrying if anyone is dead or alive.  That alone, should be reason enough to maintain an attitude of gratitude.  

Until next time....keep the forward movement....

Get Moving!

When was the last time you worked out or went to the gym?  For a lot of people, especially at this earlier part of the year, they can cheerfully say "today" or "yesterday" because a huge percentage of people's resolutions are to start working out and to lose weight.  My question is, whatever happened to just being healthy?  Even if you don't want and/or need to lose weight, you definitely always need to remain healthy, and working out consistently will do just that.  Experts state that exercise is a simple solution for not only weight loss, but for stress, depression, boredom, and conditioning of the heart.  It contributes to lowering cholesterol and lowering the chance of, if not eliminating diabetes.  Exercise also releases endorphins.  Endorphins are proteins in the brain that are released during exercise that act as the body's natural pain reliever.  It is also said to cause a euphoric state and contributes to overall feelings of well-being.  In a nutshell, it makes you feel good!  Who would've thought that exercise did so much?!  I'm sure there are plenty of other great reasons to exercise as well.  If you are someone who exercises regularly, keep up the good work!  If you're not, here are some tips to get you going:

1. Pick a reasonable number of days a week that you can go consistently throughout the year.  There goes that word again..consistent...and yes I said YEAR.  If you workout for 4 months, stop, and then 5 months later you begin again, those initial 4 months meant absolutely nothing and you will forever be starting over again in terms of getting in shape and staying healthy.  
2. Find different interests and change it up.  No matter how much you like the gym, or anything else, it will get boring after a while which leads to ultimately stopping, so do different things.  Join a community league and play a sport, go to the gym, and take a class.  Try a new form of exercise that you've never done like pilates, hiking, yoga, spinning, etc.  How do you know you don't like it if you don't try it?
3. Enlist the help of someone else.  It helps when you have someone else to work out with.  It provides motivation. WARNING: Do NOT depend on them.  If they end up stopping or not wanting to start at all, you still have to maintain your committment to yourself.
4. Make a goal.  When you have something to work toward, it gives you more ammunition to continue on and work hard.
5. Make NO EXCUSES.  So, you can't go to the gym today...so what?  Walk around your neighborhood.  So you have no weights at home...so what?  I'm sure you have some heavy things around the house that you can substitute and they'll work just fine.  So you don't exactly know what to do or what will work for you....ASK!!!!  There are plenty of people who do know and are willing to share their knowledge.
6. Get your mind right.  If you're not mentally prepared and committed, it will never last and this will carry over into other parts of your life.  You will be inconsistent in all that you do and that behavior and mindset never. accomplishes. anything.

So what are you waiting for?  Get up and get going!  The new healthier and sexier you will thank you.

Until next time....keep the forward movement....