February 2022 Health Tip

February 5, 2022

 
President Biden has proclaimed February as American Heart Month. In keeping with our Black History Theme “Black Health and Wellness,” we are going to start from the beginning to gain insight into our past and give ways to improve our heart and overall health for our future wellness.
African Americans experience higher rates of illnesses and deaths across a wide range of health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and heart disease, when compared to their White counterparts. Our ancestors in Africa consumed a diet rich in beans, tubers, grains, roots vegetables and greens. When they consumed meat, it consisted of small amounts of wild game which was lean with very little fat content. Having access, knowledge, and the freedom to grow wholesome foods allowed them to live a healthy lifestyle. When the Africans were brought to America, they were fed a diet of cornmeal, lard, molasses, and flour. . Meat was mostly the left-over remnants that the slave owner did not want, like fat, organs, and the head and feet of chickens, pigs, and cows. These diets high in fat, sugar and starch were not nutritionally healthy, but provided the fuel needed to work from sun-up to sun-down. Over the ensuing 400 years, our diet was given the name “Soul Food” and continues to be rich in fat, sugar, and starches.  The health of slaves also suffered from poor health care. When slaves became ill, they were treated by a veterinarian or by a slave woman who had knowledge of roots and natural remedies from Africa. During the Jim Crow era, segregation and racism within the medical profession have, and continue to impact the African American community. We have come a long way, but still have a long way to go to bridge the gap in healthcare disparities.  Let us all strive to make better choices in our personal health.
4 Ways to Take Control of Your Heart Health

• Do everything you can stop smoking. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
• Manage health conditions. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
• Make heart-healthy diet changes. Eat foods low in fat, low in added sugar, and low in salt. Try to eat more fresh vegetables and fruit.
• Stay active. You can break up exercise into 10-minute blocks for a total of 30 minutes per day.