By LQ Wadsworth
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God 1 Corinthians 10:31
“New Year New You” is the phrase posted everywhere at the beginning of the new year. People eagerly profess their New Year’s Resolutions as; to be more conscience of their health, to eat cleaner, go to the gym, to lose weight, to be more organized etcetera. Very few people keep the resolutions past the end of January.
As a people we must do better with educating our community about eating healthier. What would be impactful for our community is to teach our children the value of eating healthier and portion control. Knowledge is power. To exchange our poor eating habits would vastly improve our communities and family’s health. The best place to start is with our children. I call it extending our generational health.
Before I get started, I am disclosing that I am one who struggles with my weight mainly due to my candy addiction. I love cheap candy like chick o sticks to expensive hand dipped chocolate. Sugar may be sweet, but it is not harmless. Sugar is dangerously addictive. Most junk food is. I have learned to eat sugar and junk food in moderation.
Daily I see students carrying the black plastic bags from the Bodegas and Corner Stores filled with the unhealthiest snacks ever created. I wonder about the red dye as well as the other dyes and chemicals used in the manufacturing process can’t be good for human consumption let alone the lack of any nutritional value. Foods that are bad for us always taste better, or so we think before we are exposed to good clean food. Bad food is modified by chemicals and processing. Keep in mind they are poisonous and again addictive.
I was in class when a student tried a blueberry for the first time. She didn’t like it. The key is to introduce the children at young ages to different healthy foods.
I have noticed the health of many students is not optimum. I am not a medical professional however, some students who are overweight have the dreaded dark ring around their necks. It’s a clear sign of diabetes. Sadly, obesity is so prevalent and accepted as the norm. Students of average weight are viewed as abnormal. In the past, being thin was often considered less attractive in the Black and Brown communities. However, that trend is being replaced by the attraction of an athletic physique.
Health concerns of obese people are rarely discussed. Some individuals accept their poor health as a normal state of being. Ignoring annual health checkups.
Hypertension is another health issue in our community. Simple adjustments to diet can drastically improve blood pressure numbers. Salty foods and pork are culprits in increased high blood pressure numbers. I remember when my cousin came home from college and refused to eat the pork roast my aunt cooked. She asked, “who did he think he was”? She continued with telling “many young black men were raised on pork and are successful grown men”. We all laughed. My cousin was not convinced he didn’t eat the pork.
Not just the students eating the bad snacks, but adults need to learn how to use food to help improve our health and strengthen our bodies. Consuming food with high nutritional value is a good place to start.
New Year New You goals or resolutions should be attainable and sustainable throughout the year. They should be focused on improving our state of being. Isn’t that the objective? To strive to be the best version of ourselves. Transforming from the old self to a new and improved self.
