Category Archives:Health and Wellness

bbond
Dec. 11.

Health and Wellness: Breanna Bond Lost 66 Pounds at the age of 9

By MI Letisse | Posted in For Conversation, Health, Health and Wellness, Recent Posts |
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The weight of children has always been a popular topic in United States of America for quite some time. The obesity rate for children has increased slightly from the year 2010 till 2012.  Until recently, Monday Dec 10, 2012 9 year old Breanna Bond from California decided to make a change for herself. After family support and health concerns, Breanna has lost 66 pounds so far.

When Breanna Bond turned nine years old she weighed 186 pounds. She told her parents about bullying in school and how hard it was for her to breathe and move around. Of course, this was difficult for her to engage in activities at school; therefore, she and mother Heidi Bond was committed to take charge of her weight.

“There was nothing that stopped us;

 we went at night, in the rain, in the hail, in the fog, nothing.

We had a zero tolerance policy. We’re doing the walk,

no matter what,” Heidi said.

With the help of her family, the decision to get involved in Breanna’s health became a major priority. Heidi Bond created an exercise routine and diet plan to help Breanna’s health issue. The family began walking four miles 3 times a week and cutting their diets to 20 grams a day. Breanna also got involved in a swim team, plays basketball and use the treadmill for 75 minutes a day.

Continue reading “Health and Wellness: Breanna Bond Lost 66 Pounds at the age of 9” » (324)

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shutterstock_80515135
Dec. 11.

Health and Wellness: 5 Basic Ways to get a Jump Start Losing Weight at Home during the Winter/Spring/Summer and Fall Months.

By MI Letisse | Posted in Health, Health and Wellness, Recent Posts |
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Personally, I find myself getting caught up in the winter blues of gaining weight. March hits and I’m depressed because I gained 30 pounds within 3 months. Trying on my last season spring pants upsets me every time and I tell myself it’s not my fault! But of course the excuses form instantly in my mind…It’s either cold or snowing outside. The thought of getting up at the break of dawn to jump in a cold vehicle to go the gym doesn’t seem too hot. Every year my top New Year’s resolution is “losing 20-30 pounds” by a ridiculous time frame. Each year it’s a fail.

Does this sound familiar? Continue reading “Health and Wellness: 5 Basic Ways to get a Jump Start Losing Weight at Home during the Winter/Spring/Summer and Fall Months.” »

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Jovan-Belcher-Kasandra-Perkins
Dec. 03.

Tragic News: Kansas City Chief’s Player Jovan Belcher Kills Girlfriend Then Commits Suicide After An Alleged Argument

By Kelli K. | Posted in For Conversation, Health and Wellness, Life Experiences, Recent Posts, Sports |
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NFL Kansas City Chief LB Jovan Belcher allegedly shot girlfriend Kasandra Perkins, after staying out late following a Trey Songz concert. Following her murder, Belcher drove to Arrowhead Stadium where he stood in the parking lot and thanked general manager Scott Pioli, head coach Romeo Crennel and linebackers coach Gary Gibbs, for what they had done for him, news reports said. Then he pulled the trigger.

According to the NY Post:

The victim, Kasandra Perkins, 22, and Jovan Belcher had a baby girl, Zoey, on Sept. 11. Her relatives declined comment to The Post. The tragic violence was allegedly set off after Belcher’s girlfriend was out late Friday attending a concert by R&B singer Trey Songz, according to the Wichita Eagle.

A friend of Kasandra Perkins, 22, told the paper that the couple argued when she returned from the show at The Midland. Belcher allegedly confronted Perkins when she returned home about 1 a.m. The couple, who met after being introduced by another Chiefs player, had dated about three years. They argued frequently, according to the source, who was not aware of any prior physical abuse, the paper reported.

TMZ also reports:

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and girlfriend Kasandra Perkins were an extremely happy couple … this according to Kasandra’s family, who says news of the alleged murder/suicide this morning came as an “utter shock.”

Members of Kasandra’s family tell TMZ … Jovan and Kasandra always seemed to be in love. In fact, we’re told when Kasandra got pregnant, she and Jovan were “ecstatic.” The family says ever since the baby was born in September, the two couldn’t have seemed happier together.

The 22-year-old’s family says they have NO IDEA why the relationship took a tragic turn this morning — when Jovan allegedly shot and killed Kasandra before taking his own life — and news of their deaths was both devastating and unexpected.

Jovan started playing with the Chiefs in 2009 — and Kasandra, who is originally from Texas moved to Missouri to be with him.

 

And coincidentally, the Daily Mail UK also reported a member of the Cleveland Browns grounds crew killed himself at their practice facility – the same day Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher committed suicide at Arrowhead Stadium. Eric Eucker’s body was found Saturday morning at the facility in suburban Cleveland. Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis released a statement calling the man a good friend and an outstanding employee and saying the team’s heartfelt condolences go out to his family.

Are regular mental evaluations needed for athletes nowadays? It seems that suicide, murder-suicide deaths and violence in athletes are becoming all to common….

And does the African American community tend to ignore seeking professional help when needed? What do you think of this?

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craig
Aug. 29.

Say What? Married Pastor Arrested For Spreading HIV To His Flock

By LOreal | Posted in For Conversation, Health and Wellness, Life Experiences, Recent Posts, Relationships |
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The black church seems to have been under much scrutiny this past year with the Bishop Eddie Long scandal and also Creflo Dollar being criticized for chastising his daughter. Now we have another public embarrassment, Pastor Craig Lamar Davis (who is married by the way) who was once a preacher at the Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atlanta, has been arrested for reckless conduct for sleeping with several women while being HIV positive. Continue reading “Say What? Married Pastor Arrested For Spreading HIV To His Flock” » (605)

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DVSslogan
Jul. 26.

FreeRetroChics Features: Detroit Vegan Soul

By Kelli K. | Posted in Company/Product Reviews, Culture, Detroit News, Health, Health and Wellness, Recent Posts |
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Mac and Cheese, Catfish and Peach Cobbler, made Vegan Style? That’s right!

Vegan and Soul may sound like an oxymoron but our very own has another business to be proud of! Detroit Vegan Soul has created an inventive twist on what we think is traditional soulfood. Instead of baking in customary ingredients found in most African-American kitchens, the owners of Detroit Vegan Soul have decided to re-introduce their version of healthy, yet tasteful cooking from the soul.

“Kirsten Ussery and Erika Boyd were inspired to become vegans because of family members passing away due to poor living choices. Shortly after making that lifestyle change, they went to a vegan soul food restaurant in Chicago and became inspired entrepreneurs. Boyd, a natural hair stylists, and Ussery, media director for City Council President Charles Pugh, are focusing on building the business as a catering service at first. They aspire to open their own restaurant within the next year or two. They are looking at a place in The Villages, Midtown and the Livernois business district.” Credit Model D modeldmedia.com

“Life is short and precious. After realizing the benefits of vegan food choices for ourselves, we want to pass it on to the community. That is why we have made it our mission to help people live healthier lives by providing great-tasting, high-quality, nutritious vegan food, that appeals to all taste buds, while at the same time doing our part to support a sustainable earth.”

Catch more about the services they offer and pricing after the jump…

Continue reading “FreeRetroChics Features: Detroit Vegan Soul” » (332)

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bilde
Jun. 14.

Burger King’s Bacon Sundae Debuts Today Along with the Rest of Its’ New Summer Menu

By Nikki Marie | Posted in For Conversation, Health, Health and Wellness, Recent Posts |
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Many Americans proudly proclaim that they will stand for “No Pork on Their Fork,” but what about on their spoon, accompanied by a generous serving of vanilla soft serve and light drizzlings of fudge and caramel??  Does your mind change then?? Burger King seems to think so!  For the past week, the food media has been going nuts with the information that fast food giant and the world’s second biggest hamburger chain, Burger King, will be launching several pork, beef, and chicken sandwiches as limited time offers.

In addition to their new menu, BK will also be offering the bacon sundae which again consists of vanilla soft serve with fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a piece of bacon.  The swine sundae (OOPS!), I mean the bacon sundae was first tested earlier this year in Nashville, Tennessee and received great reviews.  Now it’s time to see how the rest of the country will respond as Burger King introduces its bacon sundae along with the rest of its’ full summer menu today (June 14).  The new menu will include a Memphis Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich, Carolina BBQ Whopper or Chicken Sandwich, Texas BBQ Whopper or Chicken Sandwich, Sweet Potato Fries, Frozen Lemonade, and of course, the notorious Bacon Sundae. The salty-sweet treat boasts 510 calories, 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar, and will be available along with the other items on the BK Summer Menu until the end of summer or while supplies last.  Eat at your own risk! (234)

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alkaline_water
Jun. 14.

Alkaline Water: The Untapped Fountain of Youth

By Nikki Marie | Posted in For Conversation, Hair and Beauty, Health, Health and Wellness, Recent Posts |
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Wouldn’t you just hate #FreeRetroChics if we told you we’d  found the Fountain of Youth??? LOL!!! Now wouldn’t you just LOVE us again if we told you we would share it with you???  WE WILL! And we’ve got even better news!  Your journey to the Fountain of Youth is no further than your local supermarket or gas station, but it’s all about choosing the right type of water when you go. Let me explain….

We all know that water has been around since the beginning of time.  It not only makes up 70 percent of our planet, but also 60 percent of our bodies.  Health nuts and scientists tell us to drink 8 glasses of water per day—-or at least drink half of our body weight in ounces of water per day—-to keep us feeling full and hydrated. What those researchers and fitness gurus do not so readily tell us is that the type of water we intake makes a huge difference when it comes to our health and wellbeing.

It is extremely important to maintan pH balance within your body, but as it it turns out your body should be more alkaline that acidic.  In fact, your blood has a pH balance that is 7.365 alkaline, and it strives each day to maintain that balance, even going so far as to create stress on other tissues, body systems, and organs to do so. Eating too many acidic and/or processed foods such as sugar, meats, dairy, coffee, alcohol, etc. can oveload the body’s ability to neutralize them and cause chronic low energy, fatigue, excess weight, poor digestion, aches and pains, and even more serious disorders. Chronic acidity will interrupt all cellular activities and functions – it interferes with life itself so adding alkaline water to your diet helps the your blood maintain that pH it so desperately needs.

Read more on alkaline water and its’ benefits after the jump….

Continue reading “Alkaline Water: The Untapped Fountain of Youth” » (709)

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black_girl_AfroDad
Jun. 07.

New Study Finds That Exercise Controls Weight in White Girls BETTER than in Black Girls

By Nikki Marie | Posted in For Conversation, Health, Health and Wellness, Recent Posts |
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Ok so before any of our African American female readers start with the “I knew there was a reason I wasn’t losing weight!” comments or the “I guess it doesn’t matter whether I work out or not!” revelations, let’s unscrew the proverbial light bulbs over our heads and take a deeper look into these findings.  However, before we go there, let’s also look at some of the statistics that we already know about black women’s health and nutrition in relation to our white female counterparts.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, in 2010, black women were 70 percent more likely to be obese than white women, and that number only grows for adolescents of our ethncity. From 2007-2010, black girls were 80 percent more likely to be obese than white girls. Furthermore, four out of five black women are overweight or obese, and African Americans were 70 percent less likely to exercise than white people in 2010.  YIKES!!!!  It’s clear that in the past the odds have definitely been against us, and this is a problem because a greater risk of obesity can put black girls at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke etc! So now that we know what we’re up against, let’s delve into this new information!

Published in the June 2012 issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, this particular study performed by British researchers, Dr. James White of Cardiff University and Dr. Russell Jago of the University of Bristol, followed and observed 1148 adolescent girls (538 black and 610 white) between the ages of 12 and 14. The girls’ level of physical activity and food intake was recorded over three-day periods, and the amount of time girls spent sitting and watching television was also measured in addition to their body mass index and fat percentages.  White and Jago’s study results found that the black girls in the group with the most physical activity were only 15 percent less likely to be obese by age 14 when compared to the group of black girls who exercised the least, and when it came to white girls, the active group was 85 percent less likely to have weight problems in comparison to the inactive group.

Continue reading “New Study Finds That Exercise Controls Weight in White Girls BETTER than in Black Girls” » (284)

smelling_fruit
Apr. 27.

Seasonal Expected Fruits: What to add to your cart

By MI Letisse | Posted in Health and Wellness |
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Get out your shopping list and make it to your local fruit market to stock up on delicious spring harvest fruits. One of the best parts of spring is its seasonal fruits. Fruits are so important to include in your daily diet. The vitamins and nutrients fruits contain is awesome for our health. Very low in calories in which it is easier to fit into your calorie I daily intake. Take advantage of the different selections you see that you don’t see throughout the year. Below is a brief list of spring fruits to consider adding to your list!

 

Avocado B

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Navel Oranges

Nectarines

Papaya

Raspberries

Strawberries (167)

eat-right-4-your-type-cover
Apr. 27.

Eat Right 4 Your Type: Another Fad Diet?

By MI Letisse | Posted in Health and Wellness |
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Before starting any diet it’s always best to check out with your physicians first. Professional trainers and health physicians are well aware identifying the needs of the body.  After a regular physical I was recommended to read this book. I gained a little insight knowing that my failed journey with fad diets wasn’t really my fault!  “Eat right 4 your Type” by Dr. Peter J.D’Adamo, a great book in reference of knowing how your body functions with foods and activities. In this book you will find ways to eat properly and different exercise techniques according to your blood type.  The starting process isn’t easy. In the back of mind I was hesitant about the word “diet” on the cover of the book.  Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to follow this diet process consistently; however, it’s really interesting knowing the type of foods that work best for me. Get to know your body and what it needs!

 

Check it out on Amazon

Sources

Eat Right For Your Type (267)

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