SavvyHealthGirl’s Blog

About three months ago, I came across a post from a young woman on BlogHer who was encouraging women to write letters to their bodies. She was suffering from fibroids and it was taking a toll on her body. It was phenomenal and so inspiring, that I wanted to share the idea with my readers. I know many of you don’t blog so you wouldn’t hear about it unless you were a member or frequent visitor of BlogHer.  So I have provided you a snippet of my letter to my body and encourage you to write one, share it with the rest of us and/or pass on the idea to other women. You will soon realize a new appreciation for this amazing shell of skin, bones, organs, limbs and arteries that get you through on a daily basis. One way of truly taking care of our health as women, is really learning to love who we are - both physically and mentally. How we feel about it, can be a determining factor of how we take care of it. Remember, it’s the only body we have and it’s on loan. So, tell me how do you feel about your body? Here’s how I feel about mine:

Dear Body,

Thank you for always being strong for me, even when I didn’t treat you as well as I could have. I am trying really hard to take care of you now because I know that without you, there is really no me. You help me get to work EVERYDAY. You help me to breathe, eat, sleep, laugh, cry, feel, love and the list goes on. Wow, what would I do without you? I really don’t know. I think about how helpless I would be without you. I think about how blessed I am that I have two great working legs, two working arms, that I have vision, smell and touch. I think how blessed I am to be able to hear so well (sometimes too well) and that my feet keep me going, going and going. How do you it? How do you stay intact, even when I am not doing what I am supposed to at times?  

I have to tell you, I have really turned over a new style of eating to ensure you get what you need, so you can give me what I need. It’s not easy, but I guess being my body isn’t easy either. At the age of 35, I am finally learning to love you and appreciate all of the curves you have bestowed upon me. Yes, my hips frustrate me at times, but I know that they are there for a reason. Oh and my thighs, well I just keep trying to run so those stay toned and firm. Oh yeah, my feet? They are still a tiny bit of an inner struggle, even though I know at 5′10″ I would look awkward with size 8s instead of a size 10.5. But I thank you for those too, so I can stand tall with pride. Well, like I said in the beginning, I don’t know what I would do without you. I have so much more I can say about you, but know that I will spend the rest of my life taking care of you and keeping you healthy. I have to thank my mother though for taking care of her body when she was pregnant with me, to give me what I needed in the womb to have such a strong and amazing body!

Love, Savvyhealthgirl

While I think everyday should be about women’s health, it’s great that the U.S. Office on Women’s Health designates, annually, a week in May to highlight the importance of women’s health. This year National Women’s Health Week begins on May 11 (Mother’s Day) -17th, with National Women’s Check-Up day being on Monday, may 12. This week is about empowering women to take action around their health, taking the steps to a healthier lifestyle and making healthier choices. Monday specifically is about encouraging women around the country to get check-ups, whether it is your annual Pap smear, breast exam, cholesterol, physical exam, oral check-up or eyes. This is the day for you to pay special attention to your body, your health and your wellness. 

In addition to the week, the Office on Women’s Health is also launching the WOMAN Challenge which also starts on the 11th but goes through July 5. It is an eight-week physical (exercise) challenge for better health among women and girls. The great thing is it’s free and you can start your own team at work, with friends or family. There are some great tools on the website to get you started on your challenge. All you have to do is register! The website is http://4women.gov/woman/index.cfm 

I hope that you will use the next week to pay even more attention to your health. If you have been procrastinating and saying oh this is the month I am going to eat healthier or work-out more, here’s your opportunity and a great time to start. Get some other women involved too, you never know who may be wanting to do the same thing as you, but need a partner or extra push too. 

Happy National Women’s Health Week!

It’s Springtime and that means lots of new lives will soon be making their way into this world. I definitely see more pregnant women in the spring and summer, than I do in the winter. Much like last year, I seem to have a few girlfriends that are expecting. A couple of them are still exercising and some of them, not so much. Of course, there are many valid reasons why they don’t exercise — severe fatigue, morning sickness, and discomfort from the baby sitting on their bladder. It’s a little hard to walk 30 minutes when you have to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes. Not very many restrooms on the hiking trail. 

Understanding all of these challenges, I am a firm believer that women who are pregnant should try their very best to get some physical activity on most days. Exercising while pregnant has several health benefits: keeping your weight to the maximum you should gain, reducing your risk of getting gestational diabetes, and strengthening your bones. A few women also told me that working out did help with the nausea, it helped them lose the pregnancy weight much faster and it helped a little bit with the labor. It also helped them bounce back faster, energy-wise, after the baby was born. There is definitely something to be said for exercise, but you still need to be very careful in the type of exercise you do while you are pregnant. Keep the following things (from the March of Dimes) in mind as you begin thinking how you can incorporate exercise into your next nine months:

*Before you go out and run a marathon, talk with your health care provider. Not all pregnant women should exercise, especially if they are at risk of preterm labor or suffer from a serious ailment, such as heart or lung disease.

*Think about the type of exercise you want to do. Know that it’s okay to try several things. You can do brisk walking for 30 minutes or more, and you don’t need to join a health club or buy any special equipment. You can also swim, which is really good for pregnant women. The water supports the weight of your growing body and provides resistance that helps bring your heart rate up.

*You can also look for classes that are specifically designed for you such as prenatal yoga or aerobic classes for pregnant women.

*Avoid any activities that put you at high risk for injury, such as horseback riding or downhill skiing. Stay away from sports in which you could get hit in the belly, such as ice hockey, kickboxing or soccer. Especially after the third month, avoid exercises that require you to lie flat on your back. Lying on your back can restrict the flow of blood to the uterus and endanger your baby. Finally, never scuba dive. This sport may lead to dangerous gas bubbles in the baby’s circulatory system.

*Most importantly, pay attention to your body and how you are feeling during and after exercise. Don’t overdo it—try to build up your level of fitness gradually. If you have any serious problems, such as vaginal bleeding, dizziness, headaches, chest pain, decreased fetal movement or contractions, stop exercising and contact your health care provider immediately.

Enjoy these nine months as best you can and help your body adjust by adding a bit of exercise to your new lifestyle on a regular basis. 

Annually the Tom Joyner Morning Show stresses the importance and urges the Black community to go and obtain necessary screenings for chronic disease such as diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as screenings for prostate cancer and others. This campaign is called Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day and it’s today. So much fear lies within the community about what the screenings will reveal or what the doctor will say, that individuals would rather just not know. As a result, they allow a lot of unnecesary illnesses or health issues languish or evolve. When in fact, the health issue could have resolved by the screening/test or caught early on to prevent further health complications. This of course, is one reason why the Black community has some of the highest rates in obesity, heart diease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension than any other ethnic group. So often, these health issues go unseen and unknown, when many of them can be prevented.

I urge and encourage you to not only overcome your own fear, if it exists, but help someone you know overcome their fear by going together to get screened. For me the fear is NOT knowing what I can do to prevent an illness or problem, or how I can improve it. I would rather know what I can do now so I can lead a healthier life in the future. Remember, your body is on loan, it is your temple and it must be taken care of better than you would your house, car or business. Without your health, what do you have?

Take a loved one to the doctor today and experience what an impact you can have on someone else’s life and yours.

Hi Everyone! Sorry I have been MIA for a couple of weeks, but work has been busy and I have been traveling. 

Okay so I have been on this mission to look better, lose weight and tone up my body. My girlfriend is getting married in Jamaica in May and I have to look good! So I decided for the first time in my life that I would actually diet. I can’t even believe I said that out loud. I have always thought dieting was crazy. So yes let’s change that, I decided I would really change my eating habits in a way that I haven’t done before. I thought it would be a very good idea to cut out carbs, fruit juice, granola bars, and my favorite cheese and crackers. For those of you who have tried this, well, it’s not that hard but it’s not that easy either. Thus, I began researching the South Beach Diet and how I could apply it to my life.  Uhm Phase I is like food boot camp. You can’t eat anything except vegetables, meat and poultry, reduced fat cheese, a handful of nuts, eggs and water. Oh and fat free plain yogurt, fat free jello and sugar free pudding pops (The Original Fudgsicles are the best).  

So why do I say my version? I just finished my first two weeks (Phase I) and I didn’t do the strict diet. But I can totally tell the difference in my clothes and the scale said I lost 5 pounds. Yeah!! I kept in bananas but did cut my intake significantly, and only ate half of it at a time. I ate air popped popcorn as a snack in the evening with little salt. I also ate old fashioned oatmeal maybe twice. Now these items are not allowed in Phase I or II, but for someone who runs and does high-impact cardio, I need a banana in my protein shake to get me through my workouts at the very least. Also, there isn’t really a high protein snack outside of turkey wrapped in lettuce and that will not get me through a 45-minute workout.  Especially since protein bars are a no-no due to the carbs and sugar. Maybe it’s not the way it’s supposed to be done, but my version is still healthy and producing results. The one thing I will say about this change of eating, is the challenge you will have when traveling. Yikes! I will keep you posted. 3 Weeks til Jamaica!

Okay I have some good news about coffee and caffeine as a follow up to my post from last week. You know me, always trying to give you all the most current and accurate research that is out there. Just know there is always going to be research to top the other research and update the past science to provide the current science. So keep that in mind and stay informed to be savvy about your health. In the March issue of “O Magazine” Dr. David Katz answered a question from a reader about caffeine and the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Here is what he had to say:

• Caffeine can interfere with the absorption of certain minerals including calcium, magnesium and iron, but the loss is minimal.
• Some studies, as I pointed out in the other post, drinking coffee can thin bones but it can be offset by adding milk. He suggests nonfat powdered milk — yuck, but less calories.
• The latest research shows coffee actually contributes nutrients to our daily intake. It’s the leading source of antioxidants in the American diet and primarily because we drink so much of it. (Who knew?)
• Research also suggests drinking up to three cups a day can actually have beneficial effects on health.  Mineral loss can be offset by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Okay so maybe we don’t have to give up our coffee entirely, but I still think too much caffeine is just not good for you. Everything in moderation. Seriously, if it was okay, would there really be a strong recommendation for pregnant women not to drink it? I also think there is still truth to losing weight by not drinking coffee. Think about it. When you tend to drink coffee, isn’t there generally a muffin, donut, bagel, or scone next to your cup? Just a thought that we probably don’t eat as healthy as we could when we drink coffee. So I am still going to give it up. I survived week one and I am sure I will survive the next 5 weeks. I will keep you all posted.

One of my forever challenges in working out and breaking a sweat is how my hair will look afterwards. My hair, my  hair, my hair!!! I sometimes loathe working out because I know that as soon as I step on the treadmill or even begin Tae Bo, I am going to break into an immediate sweat. Then there goes my hair! For those of us with ethnic, curly, thick, or frizzy hair . . . this is such a huge concern.   

I really hate having to choose between having great hair or a toned body. So I have given up on stopping every 2 minutes to wipe the sweat from my hairline to prevent my hair from getting soaked. It breaks my concentration and I don’t enjoy my workout.  I have embraced the fact that I will have to do a complete hair makeover after EVERY time I work out. Which is about 4-5 times a week.  Even though I have short hair, it’s naturally curly and can still be time consuming.  But hey, what a small price to pay for a nice body, right? Hmm, not sure I am convinced just yet.

Those of you who keep up with my blog, know that I will go and do some research about what is being said about an issue. So here’s what I found out about exercising and caring for your hair:

• Don’t wear a baseball cap (which I always do when I run outside!). It can block your sweat glands and your glands need to breathe while exercising.
• Make sure you pull your hair back, off of your forehead and out of your eyes. You can pull it back with a scarf or cotton headband.  
• Whatever type of hair you have, you have to rinse the salt from the sweat out of your hair. The salt can really damage your hair.  But I say, even if you can’t rinse or wash or your hair every time, at least do it every other day and condition it well. In between you should use a conditioning hair product and make sure you blow dry that sweat out of your hair very well. 
• If you like the saunas after a good workout, then cover your hair with a towel. The heat can dry out and damage your hair. Otherwise, put some leave-in conditioner or light jojoba oil in your hair while you are in there.  

So whatever type of your hair you have ethnic, kinky, straight, curly or frizzy; you MUST take care of your hair when you are exercising. Our hair should not prevent us from working out and working out shouldn’t prevent us from still having cute hair. There is a happy medium. If you have any other tips, please share them because you never know what may help someone else.

Ahhh . . . there is nothing like a hot, aromatic and smooth cup of coffee first thing on a Sunday morning. Oh and a Monday morning to get you going! I love to mix my grinds with a few dashes of cinnamon. It gives it a nice tasty kick to your cup of java. But now, my mother has ruined it for me. She told me today that she read a study, article, something, that stated if we just stopped drinking coffee daily, we could lose 10 pounds! Is that decaf or caffeinated? Because I only drink decaf. Maybe that doesn’t count.  I don’t know, let me weigh this . . . being able to actually hold a conversation with my colleagues on a Monday morning by 10 a.m. or fitting into a pair of size 10 jeans. Such a tough decision!  I think I may go for the jeans! I may be a little less sociable in the morning, but I’ll look good as I walk by grouchy!!   

So I am not sure how much truth there is to this, but it’s worth a try. Let’s face it, we all know that once you add the flavored cream and/or sugar to the coffee, the calories have gone up. And if you are a latte or mocha kind of girl, then you are already looking at 300-450 calories and 20-30 grams of sugar. Let us not forget the whipped cream.   

Many of us already know that caffeine really isn’t good for us. It’s been linked to several women’s health issues such as infertility, osteoporosis, and low birth weight babies. So for those of you who drink caffeinated coffee regularly, the news may not be so great. You too, may want to go for the  jeans. In the bit of research I did, I found that caffeine can increase hunger and therefore making it more difficult to lose weight. No wonder every coffee shop has delectable pastries just begging for you to buy them. I have also heard that coffee can increase the level of toxins in your body, again making it harder to lose weight as your body is attempting to push the toxins out to decrease fat. Definitely some food for thought.

As you sip on that morning java while reading this, you may want to think how your body responds to caffeine.  Is it the best thing for you and your health? Try replacing it with something like a skim, hot chocolate or green tea. They are definitely less addictive choices. I will let you know in 6 weeks if giving up coffee really helps you lose 10 pounds.  I can feel the withdrawal already, wish me luck!

“Who if not us, will be responsible for our children?”

I am sure many of you heard on the news Monday night or read the paper yesterday morning about the results of the first national study looking at the four common STDs among girls and young women. To say the least, the results were startling. Especially for young African American adolescents and young women. Just in case you need a recap of the results or didn’t hear about it yet here is some information.

• The study found that 1 in 4 girls/young women are infected with at least one of the diseases — HPV (human papillomarvirus), chlamydia, genital herpes and trichomoniasis, a common parasite.
• Nearly half (48%) of the African American girls, ages 14-19 that particpiated in the study, were infected with at least one of the diseases.  This figure is compared with 20% of white adolescents. 
• The two most common STDs were HPV (18%) and chylamyida (4%). 
• Among the infected women, 15 percent had more than one of the diseases.

I actually called CDC yesterday to get some clarificaiton of the numbers and statements released by the NY times, because I felt some of the data revealed was unclear and could be confusing to those outside of the public health world. Like this statement for example  – “Nearly half of the young African-American women (48 percent) were infected with an STD, compared to 20 percent of young white women.” - This is a direct quote from CDC’s press release and the NY times. It just didn’t sit well with me so I dug deeper. CDC was gracious enough to provide me with the presentation slides of the individual who led the study (it’s now accessible to the public). Did it provide clarity? Yes! Are the results still startling for young, black girls? Unfortunately, yes. 

Out of 587 girls, aged 14-19, who were found to have a STI;  221 (47.7%) of them were Black, non-Hispanic. Although the data from this study was taken from 2003-2004, there is still reason to be concerned TODAY about ALL of our young girls. From my experience, I don’t think the numbers would change much it were 2007 data. So I ask you again, “who if not us, will be responsible for our childlren?”  We have to ask ourselves are we making our girls a priority? Some of us may say yes and some of us may not know. But what we should all know is that an epidemic is upon our young girls and many of them will die of cervical cancer or HIV/AIDS before they are 40, if we don’t address it now! That possibility, truly breaks my heart.

The reality is so much of it is preventable. It truly starts with teaching our young girls and women about self respect, self worth and self love.  As we teach them these things, the health information should be folded in, so they are not ignorant on what is going on in their worlds. The world of today’s youth is so different than our world at their age. Accessibility is beyond what we could have ever imagined and it starts earlier! I urge you to seize a teachable moment whenever you are around a young girl or woman that you know. For those who work with young people, everyday is a teachable moment. For those who work on behalf of young people, continue providing quality programs and resources. For Moms, Dads, grandmothers, guardians and so on… don’t be afraid to have a discussion about these issues with your teen. Someone lied when they said “Ignorance is bliss.” The more you let them talk to you, the more you will know and the better guidance you can provide.

Let’s make our girls a priority in 2008 and beyond.

That’s right ladies (and a few gents who skim my blog) WE are at the halfway mark til Summer! It’s March and that means we have three months until June — the start of hot weather, shorts, and cute summer dresses. So I am sure you have all been sticking to your workout regimen since the beginning of the year, right? I hear some mumbling and a few excuses. Okay I have to admit, I too slacked off, but only a little. We are all entitled to a tiny bit of slacking, but never lose sight of your goal. Keep your mind focused on being healthy, eating healthy and thinking in healthy ways. Remember, envision the body you want and the way you want to feel; and you are halfway there.  

So, for the last 10 days I ate hotel and conference food, ugh! Which by the way, can be very heavy and rich. I am not used to eating such hearty food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I usually eat about 5-6 meals a day with lunch and dinner being moderately heavier than my snacks. I can’t eat a heavy lunch because I WILL fall asleep at my desk. I also travel a lot, so I have to be cautious about what I am eating at all of these different conferences and meetings. So let me just give a couple of tips for those who are traveling for work or attending a lot of Spring conferences:

• Apt for the lighter meals. If you have to eat in the hotel restaurant go for the Chicken Cobb Salad (every hotel has one) with the salad dressing on the side, grilled salmon or another high protein and veggie dish.
• Skip the dessert, bread and starch during the luncheons and dinners. Every conference has at least one of these special meal sessions. It is always either chicken or salmon with a creamy sauce and probably risotto, pasta or rice. I say eat only the meat, fish or poultry and the vegetables.  You will not feel as stuffed.
• Say no-way to continental breakfast! Yes I know the budget is tight and it’s better to just eat the complimentary breakfast. But you are doing your body a disservice by consuming the high in sugar yogurts and pastries. Get up a little earlier, go for a walk or ride on the stationary bike in the hotel fitness center, and then hit the breakfast buffet for some protein and fiber. You will feel more energized and less hungry throughout the day.
• Bring your own snacks for those in-between meal times and session breaks. Kashi bars, yogurt covered raisins and trail mix are much better than the hotel gift shop selection of candy bars and chips.