Hey Ladies, if you’re like me, living healthy is something you may struggle with daily.  There are days where I crave sweets, my favorite…dark chocolate ! Yes  I’m addicted to it. Then I have days, (let me be honest…sometimes months ) I don’t exercise.  I have good intentions, but I don’t allow myself the time during my day to get it all done.  Whatever the reason I’ve given myself, or you’ve given yourself why you haven’t done better going to the doctors or just living a healthier life, I’d love to give you a reason to do so today. 

Currently, I’m reading an incredible new book out today by Essence and I’m finding it helpful in so many ways.  It’s packed with information for  women of all ages.  Kudos to them for packing a relatively small book with helpful tips and info.

-Micheline Bowman, Myvoicedc.com

The Best Advice for Body, Mind + Spirit in Your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s & Beyond  

New York – Access to healthcare continues to be a top priority in our nation.  President-Elect Barack Obama has promised to focus on re-vamping healthcare policy, offering each American citizen affordable, quality medical care.  However, until our healthcare system receives the overhaul it so desperately needs, what are we to do?  With over 1,000,000 people having lost their jobs this year alone, many of them not being able to afford health insurance during unemployment, the healthcare crisis threatens to get worse before it gets better. Taking more responsibility for one’s health by being proactive, rather than reactive, when it comes to medical concerns and practicing preventative methods may be just what the doctor ordered. 

From the editors of ESSENCE Magazines comes the publication of THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING: The Best Advice for Body, Mind + Spirit in Your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s + Beyond, the everywoman’s comprehensive, personal, and easy-to-use guide to living a healthier, happier and more fulfilled life.  THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING offers valuable advice and step-by-step tips from some of today’s top medical, lifestyle and fitness professionals.

Why devote a book to the health and lifestyle concerns of Black women?  Statistics show that black women top the charts for life-threatening illnesses like heart disease, disease, HIV/AIDS and cancer.  For instance: “Just being African American is a risk factor for diabetes, but family history, gestational diabetes and excess weight gain all increase your chances of a diagnosis,“ says Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at NIH, as cited in THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING.  Further, one in three Black women do not have health insurance, which leaves them in grave danger of not receiving or having access to the healthcare they may need. 

“Like most Americans, black women work hard. In fact we work so hard at our jobs, looking after our families and giving back to our communities that we often ignore our own bodies,” writes Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in-Chief of ESSENCE Magazine.  “But the truth is, we’re cheating ourselves and shortchanging those who love us.  With THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING, we are extending one of ESSENCE Magazine’s most popular sections with important advice on taking care of your mind, body and spirit.”

THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING covers such important, potential life-saving topics as:

·         The top six health concerns which disproportionately affect African Americans, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, cancer, and HIV/AIDS;

·         An eight-step plan to start an effective exercise program or boost an existing regimen;

·         Stress management recommendations such as meditation, aromatherapy, yoga and massage;

·         A resource guide for optimal sexual health, including answers to women’s most intimate questions;

·         Recipes for over 20 delicious, filling dishes that can be prepared and served in a flash, without clogging the arteries or packing on the pounds;

·         A healthy living journal, which allows each reader to record her own goals with a personalized food and fitness plan, as well as track her progress with food, exercise and daily activity logs.

Now, more than ever, we must pursue preventive measures as it relates to our well-being.  Prevention does not mean immunity from disease and medical problems, but it puts one in a more informed position when it comes to being aware of what is happening with our bodies and as such, creating opportunities for early detection.  THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING is an important first step to taking responsibility for one’s health and life and embracing all that it means to be a busy, multi-tasking, on the move woman today. 

IMPORTANT STATISTICS CONCERNING BLACK WOMEN’S HEALTH 

·        One in three Black women does not have health insurance.

·        Heart disease kills more Black women than AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined, and Black women have the highest death rate amongst women and men of all ethnicities.

·        Stroke is more prevalent among Black women than women in any other group and while more men than women experience stroke, more women are likely to die from it.

·        Cancer is the second leading cause of death for African American women.

·        The leading types of cancer found in Black women are breast, lung and colon, with Blacks having the highest death rate and the shortest survival rate of any racial group in the U.S. for most cancers.

·        61.6 percent of women are overweight, yet among Black women this figure soars to nearly 80 percent.

·        Approximately 3.2 million African Americans, aged 20 and older, have diabetes, with one in four Black women over 55 diagnosed with diabetes.  It’s the fourth leading cause of death for Black men and women.

·        Black women represent an astounding 67 percent of HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed among women.  It is the leading cause of death among Black women, ages 25 to 35; the third leading cause for those ages 35 to 44; and the fourth leading cause for those between the ages of 45 to 54.