2009 - Health & Fitness is High Priority

One of my goals for 2009 is to use my talents, skills and experiences to help others achieve their goals. In order for me to achieve this goal, I had to over-come one major road block. My first step in reaching my goal was to take a moment and look at what talents that I wanted to share with the rest of the world. I think that was the first step and most important step. I know that for some of us, we have talents that have brought us a level of success and we are selfish and refuse to share. I possessed that same selfish attitude however; I have learned in doing that you also hinder your personal growth by blocking opportunities to learn from what others have to offer. In my moment of pausing, and to no one surprise, I know that I can offer others my talents in the area of physical fitness. I feel this is one of my strengths because I have achieved success in this area.

As early as 5th grade, I led my gym class with the teacher's permission in warm-ups and exercise. In High School I ran track and wrestled. In my early twenties, I was an amateur boxer in NYC making it to the Golden Gloves semi-finals and finals. I also won the Ohio nationals and was a finalist in the Florida nationals. Today, I run marathons across the country and to date I have completed ten (10) marathons and 1 half-marathon. I mention my accomplishments to clearly demonstrate my ability to perform at a high level of competition. More important, I want to illustrate my discipline and subsequently prove that I can share with others and assist them to reach their goals of physical fitness.

I use the term physical fitness because it is broad and encompasses so much. Physical fitness is subjective in itself. So let me be a little more specific. Consult your doctor to make sure that your ready for a daily fitness regiment. Next, purchase the correct footwear and equipment you will need. I can tell you from my life experience that you do not need a gym membership to achieve your fitness goals; all you need is discipline. To achieve discipline is simply repetitive habits. If you have a goal of completing an Iron Man triathlon or just losing ten pounds, I can assist you. Let me start by saying that, I can only give you advice and motivate you. Here are a few basic principle to following:

Step One: VISION!!!!!! You must see yourself reaching your fitness goal. You have to see that dress fitting your curves perfectly. You have to see that suit edging over your shoulders and flatting out at your mid-section. You must see yourself walk/running that mile or completing a 10K race for breast cancer awareness.

Step Two: Look at what you’re eating. 85% of your fitness goals will be determined by what you put in your mouth. Yes, life is about moderation however your discipline determines your destination.

Step Three: You have to block off at least one hour per day to do activities to achieve your fitness goals. Yes, we have many things going on in our lives. The kids, the spouse, the job, the dog, the cat....the, the, the. Now, you must say for an hour it is about “the YOU!!!”

If you’re reading this and you need help, I have taken the first step toward helping you and now you must take the next steps to help yourself. Please send me your questions or concerns and I will help: lmcallister@ebonihouse.org Together there is nothing that will stop us.

Praise, Peace and Blessings

Diabetes - Breaking the Cycle

In this five week series on the state of health for men of color, I have shared my private family experiences. It is my hope that by making myself vulnerable, it will help someone make better health choices for themselves and their family. I am a firm believer in that if you don't learn from your history, then you are going to repeat it. As men of color, there are a number of health issues and diseases that we have a greater genetic disposition to develop. For example, Hypertension, Diabetes, Sickle Cell Anemia and Prostate Cancer are among these diseases. However, many chronic illnesses that we suffer from are preventable if men receive regular physicals or wellness examinations. This year my brother passed away from complications caused by diabetes. My brother was 52 years young and his death triggered a lot of suppressed emotion. My brother (who was a Jr.) was a few years younger than my father when he passed away. Like my father, my brother had a poor diet and drank alcohol. As with my father's death, it appeared that his disease was under control. A lot of people have a fatalistic attitude that if your mother and your father and your grandmother had diabetes, that you're destined to have it and there's nothing you can do about it, and that's just not true.

So, now I search for the lessons. How or what can I do to improve my health and the health of others. What can I possible say that will impact change in ones behavior to conquer what appear to be a formidable enemy?

Lesson 1:

It more likely for African American men to develop one or more of the serious complications associated with the disease. These complications include amputation, kidney failure, blindness, and cardiovascular disease. For example, African Americans are 1.5 to 2.5 times more likely to have a limb amputated than any other groups with diabetes.

Lesson 2:

You can control type 2 diabetes. Here are the A B C’s to do that: A is your hemoglobin A1c level, which tells you how well you're managing your blood sugar. Keeping A1c levels at 7 or below reduces the risk of eye, kidney, and nerve damage. B is your blood pressure. The goal is to maintain a reading of 130/80 or below to protect your kidneys and eyes and prevent stroke. C is your cholesterol. Have your doctor check your cholesterol level and keep it within a safe range. LDL or "bad" cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL.

Lesson 3: Know and manage your risks factors

• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Lack of exercise
• Substance abuse

There are tons of web sites that have information on the Internet that you can obtain to help you teach others about the consequence of diabetes. African American suffers the highest rates of diabetes. Please pass this information along and help me to break the cycle. Thanks.

Peace and Blessings

November 7, 1991 - The Day the Earth Stood Still

I was living in New York City, single, no children, dating and working as a diagnostic child protective caseworker in the Bronx. It was a fairly warm day for that time of the year in New York and elders would call that Indian summer. I just purchased my first vehicle in July of that year (a white Jeep wrangler). And like most of my contemporaries, I added a number of accessories to the vehicle to make it stand out. My music system was top of the line and you could hear me coming way before I arrived. I left work that day feeling good about who I was and what I was accomplishing overall in my life; and then the pebble hit the water. Ervin “Magic” Johnson announced that he tested positive for HIV; the virus that causes AIDS. MAGIC????? Magic Johnson, who is an African American male, married, and heterosexual, was one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

I almost fainted. I reacted in such an extreme manner because I was in my early twenties, single (as I stated above) and engaging in high risk heterosexual behavior. At the time, many Americans viewed AIDS as a gay white man's disease. A boxer being knocked to the canvas and given an eight count would best describe what most people especially Black men were feeling. Since that announcement, millions of people world wide have died and fallen victim to the virus that causes AIDS. Also, with the advancement of medicine and medical treatment, millions of people are now living “normal” lives while being infected with HIV.

(Please visit: http://www.stopaids.org/resources/std_info/definitions.html for a complete definition on HIV and AIDS)

In 2008, CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006 (the most recent year that data are available). Over half (53%) of these new infections occurred in gay and bisexual men. African American men and women were also strongly affected and were estimated to have an incidence rate that was 7 times greater than the incidence rate among whites. HIV is also the health problem with the largest racial disparity; 80% of new AIDS diagnoses and deaths are among African Americans and Hispanics. Statistics show that the increase in HIV among African American men is a result of same sex behavior (MSM, “down low brothers); and those same men have heterosexual patterns also.

HIV doesn’t come with an immediate death sentence. It’s almost fashionable. Our perception of someone withering away is long gone.
HIV is now treated like sugar diabetes or any other chronic disease.
Society has become “bullet proof” to this epidemic and worldwide pandemic. Yes, you can live with HIV but like other chronic illnesses, your quality of life is greatly reduced and is met with constant challenges.

There is so much information on HIV education and prevention available to the public. For instance, abstinence and use of condom greatly reduces your chances of becoming infected. If you are sexually active (with one or 100 partners, single, married, engaged, etc.) know your status by getting tested yearly.

What would you tell a young person who’s about to become sexually active about HIV?

Stroke - Who Is At Risk

A day before my 16th birthday, my father came home from work at his normal time. It was a Friday, and traditionally we ate fish. So naturally, my mom fried a big batch of fish (porgies for my dad and whiting for us) and around 6:30 p.m. We ate dinner like clockwork. You see, my dad drove a truck and like most blue collar workers, the end of the day could not come any sooner. I remember being extra excited while eating dinner because my birthday was that Saturday. Shortly after dinner, my father complained that he wasn’t feeling well. He excused himself from the table and went to his room. To everyone's surprise, my dad changed clothes and stated that he was going to the bar to drink “this off.” (self medication). I don’t recall the events after that, but the next morning something was wrong with my dad. My dad was losing his vision, he was belligerent, violent, incoherent, and his speech was slurred. My entire family was trying to coach him into going to the hospital but my father refused. My sister came to me and said, “go tell your father to go to the hospital” (I’m 16 years old and I am going to tell my dad what to do). I walked into the bedroom and told my dad in a firm voice,” dad we are taking you to the hospital.” My dad complied. Unfortunately, his condition had worsened. By the time he was admitted into the hospital my father “slipped” into a deep coma. Ten days later my dad died on Thanksgiving Day. The doctors informed us that he had a stroke and I thought what does that mean.

A stroke occurs when part of your brain doesn't get the blood that it needs. Most often, a stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks or plugs up a vessel bringing blood to the brain. When this happens, brain cells begin to die. That describes a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA). However, my father suffered from a Hemorrhagic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel actually burst and bleeds on the brain. As an adult, I now know the risk factors for stroke. These risk factors include: age, race, sex, family history, diet, exercise, hypertension and diabetes diagnosis. My father scored 100% on test for all the risk factors. My father was dual diagnosis with high blood pressure and diabetes; he had a family history of stroke; we consumed fatty fried foods; he was in his mid 50’s (which I think is young); and he lacked exercise.

African American men suffer from a higher rate of stroke than any other groups in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), African American adults are twice as likely as their non-minority adult counterparts to have a stroke in addition; African American males were 60% more likely to die from a stroke than their non-minority adult counterparts. The troubling part about these statistics are with all of the advances in medicine and medical treatment, African American men are prematurely dying at an alarming rate. So now where do we go from here? I need to talk to the Men just for one moment. Now ladies, you can listen and if the shoe fits…. Step 1: You must educate yourself and do a health self assessment. Step 2: You MUST educate your family and make all adjustments to your lifestyle immediately. Step 3: You must educate your friends because the company you keep has an impact on where you are going in life. Lastly, Step 4: Exercise, exercise, exercise. (at least 45 minutes a day).

My father’s untimely and pre-mature passing was a turning point in my life and continue to fuel the passion I have for helping others improve their health. Yes, everyone wants longevity but what is that worth without the quality of life. Please share with others because you never know who or whom you will help. As I hope, I helped you.

Peace and Blessing

Please visit: www.americanstroke.org to learn more about stroke symptoms and prevention.

Prostate Cancer -The Real Down Low Disease

As we get older in life, I think, the hope is that our experiences and lessons learned instills in us wisdom so we can make better decisions in the future; and don’t repeat the same mistakes twice. Nevertheless, the truth is that most of us continue to make the same mistakes over and over and over; especially in relationships. Regardless if the relationships are with family members, a spouse or with friends. We find ourselves in what Shakespeare calls “a suspended animation of disbelief.” The disbelief of repeating yourself and making that dreaded statement at the end when you realize your mistake and you say to yourself “I did it again”; and that is a hard “pill” to swallow. Unfortunately, this lack of wisdom not only effects our choices in relationships but it overlaps and permeates in other areas of our lives; more specifically health care.
Black men apprehension in seeking medical health care in 2008 has not changed in over 40 years. Now, scholars and researchers will say that we cannot determine if Black men attitudes to seek health care has improved because there is a lack of research to support my hypothesis. The disheartening fact is that there is a lack of evidence to refute my hypothesis due to the fact that Black is classified as a race and not a cultural ethnicity. You can research the attitudes of Latinos-Americans, Asians-Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders; but not Blacks. Subsequently, data for Black men becomes infused in the other cultural ethnicity and Black men attitudes are not reflected.
Let’s take a closer look at this and try to comprehend the impact that prostate cancer has on Black men. A couple of years ago I received a frantic call from my friend telling me that his father has Prostate cancer. My first impulse was to conduct research. So the researcher in me shifted into high gear. I signed onto the Internet and began book marking information on the Prostate cancer, state of the art treatment and where the best hospitals in his area were. I explained to him that Prostate cancer leads all of other types of cancer diagnosis in Black men in the United States. In addition, Black men have the highest rate of Prostate cancer of any other groups in the United States. I presented my friend with a wealth of information and for just one second I thought I did something important. What I failed to do was educate him on the devastating impact that Prostate cancer is having on Black men. More importantly, how early screening and early detection can result in early treatment. However, the real problem is Black men. Black men do not engage in preventative medical procedures. Black men seek medical care as a last resort and it’s usually as an emergency or what is called episodic care. Black men distrust the health care system because of historical trauma. Now in defense of my friend’s dad and other Black men, there are also barriers that prevent Black men from accessing health care. The lack of insurance or being under insured, quality of care/inadequate health care providers in urban and rural areas, communication, and gender specific services.
So now it is time to use wisdom. I am going to tell you what I should have explained to my friend two years ago. The Prostate is one of the male sex glands, located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The normal prostate is about the size of a walnut and it surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). Prostate cancer is a slow growing cancer. According to the American Cancer Society it is highly recommended that men at high-risk (i.e., family history, Black) should begin early detection with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and the digital rectal examination (DRE) at 40 years of age. Either procedure can be requested through your primary care physician or public health service provider. Lastly, please visit www.ustoo.org to find out more information on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Now, you know not to make the same mistake I made, go tell a friend….my friend.
Peace and Blessings.

Hypertension-High Blood Pressure “Silent But Deadly”

As I take a retrospective look at my life growing up in Harlem, there are an abundance of positive childhood memories that surface. One memory that stands out is my mother’s cooking. As I reminisce, I can vividly see, smell, and taste what my mother was cooking by standing outside of our apartment door. I could smell from the outside door and tell you to the “T” what my mother was preparing for us on any given evening. The memories of this time past put a huge smile on my face however; the sad reality is it comes with a bitter sweet reminder. The way in which we prepared food was a recipe for destruction, and a daily reminder because of our necessity to have it. As in most African American homes in the 80’s, everything was fried. I retain memories of fried chicken, fried fish, fried pork chops, fried bacon, fried egg, fried, fried and more fried. Now in defense of my parents (especially my mother who was a home- maker), they were only doing what they knew best; and they provided for me and my 10 siblings and anyone else in the community that would stop in to eat. Now that’s a tall order!

Unfortunately, we now know that our diet plays such a great impact on our over-all health. Fried foods with high sodium content are primary contributors to high blood pressure or hypertension. African American men develop high blood pressure at a younger age and a higher rate than any other groups in the United States. This is alarming and grim to say the least because hypertension is linked to so many diseases that increase the morbidity and mortality rate for African American men. Problematic health conditions like stoke, kidney disease (failure), blindness, dementia and heart disease can directly result from hypertension.

Hypertension in African American men is considered the silent killer because by the time you are diagnosed, the disease has already caused systemic damage to other organs in your body. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The proverbial light is simply in the method that we screen for hypertension. Traditional doctors screen for hypertension by measuring bronchial blood pressure that can appear normal. Bronchial blood pressure is measure at the point of your arms or extremities. However, recent preliminary studies conducted with groups of young African American men indicate early detection of hypertension can be determined by measuring aortic blood pressure or central blood pressure. Studies reveal higher pressure and vascular stiffness is found in aortic blood vessels in African American men while normal conditions appear at the bronchial vascular region. This all means that African American men can have high blood pressure and don’t know it because of the method in which they are being screened. Therefore, African American men MUST speak to their physician about the level of their central blood pressure.

Lastly, what are some of the risk factors in developing hypertension?

● Diet

● Excessive weight gain

● Family history

● Lack of physical activity

Now the next steps are to get tested, monitor your sodium (salt) intake, eliminate fried foods and put that remote down and exercise.

Peace and Blessings

Men of Color

Over the next several weeks, I will focus on providing and sharing information that men and their families will benefit from overall. Personally, I have seen the first hand effects on how poor health can traumatically breakdown a family. At the young age of 16, I watched my father have a stroke and pass away shortly after. I then watched my family's spirit and unit die shortly after my father's death. As I became older, I realized that my father's premature death was directly impacted by poor diet and lack of information. I vowed that I would do my very best in life to inform people on how to improve their health condition and live healthy lives. I constantly "preach" to my friends on having healthy habits.

Feel free to also offer tips on how to improve Men's Health during this series. Also, you can visit our website at www.ebonihouse.org to see some of the work that we are doing in the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan area. Series begin: November 17, 2008