Tisha Campbell-Martin Shares her Healthy Experience in Partnership with Yoplait

As many of you know, we recently talked to Tisha Campbell-Martin, you may remember her as Gina from the 90's TV show "Martin" or most recently from "Everybody Hates Chris".

Today, she's on a mission with Yoplait and Essence.com to encourage African American women to lead healthy lifestyles. "I'm so excited to be a part of this campaign with Yoplait," says Campbell Martin. "Many African-American women tend to juggle a lot at once, so we put off taking care of ourselves until tomorrow. That's why I support the idea that the best time to make our health a priority is today. The small manageable changes make all the difference."

We love her passion and enthusiasm for this new initative and thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with her one-on-one!

First, we had to ask, what can Yoplait do for us? She said that Yoplait can help us make that small change today for a big impact tomorrow. She carries Yoplait in her purse with nuts, cranberries, or a granola bar to replace her craving for junk food. A smart way to prepare for the sudden cravings!

Being an African American woman, we had to ask how does she keep her mane in check while working out? She recommends putting your hair up really, really high with an old-school scrunchie to avoid damage and then let the hair breathe, i.e. avoid using clothe on your hair as that will make it sweat and then lock the sweat in.

Some of you wanted to know if Tisha is into the "Power of Positive Thinking" and, if so, how has this affected her life? "Absolutely!" She approaches her healthy lifestyle without looking at the obstacles ahead. She points out that if you already look at the negative, then you've already lost. For example, she gained 65 lbs during her first pregnacy and then 90 lbs during her second pregnancy, but instead of looking for the easy way out or settling with what she had, she worked hard and found a support system with family members and friends.

So, how does she stay so fit? She works out twice a day, starting off with some light walkingo n the treadmill, doing 300 sit-ups in the morning (go girl!), and then using free weights.

I think its also important that Tisha has to work hard at being healthy just like the rest of us. When she was younger, she was not very fit but she was motivated to get in shape for the long haul and she's a working progress each day.

Want to stay updated on Tisha's lastest tips and progress? Be sure to check out more from Tisha here. Here you can find tips, videos, and even score a free sample of Yoplait (yum).

Want more encouragement to increase your calcium intake with Yoplait or other calcium-enriched foods? Check out what the government has to say!

Is Being Healthy Really Not About the Dress Size? You tell us...

"I'm just thick"

"I'm bootylicious"

The labels go on and on for black women who don't consider themselves overweight but women who are genetically blessed with curves and don't fit the toothpick frame we usually see praised and admired in the media.

I recently read an article in Women's Health magazine entitled: "Can You Be Healthy At Any Size?" This caught my attention becuase I truly believe that in our culture, we celebrate thick-bootlyicious body frames instead of healthy lifetyles. In fact, according to the Office of Minority Health, African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S. And did you know that about four out of five African American women are overweight or obese? We have the highest obesity rates compared to women of different color. We need to take a step back and examine why!

But there is another side to this debate. The government and medical community determine who is overweight by the BMI measurement. I don't personally likee the BMI measurement as a gold standard for determining if your obese or not. I know for a fact that I do not look like the number I weigh. Not every woman can fit the set standards, because no woman is average. Did you know that being heavier helps fend of osteopoprosis and people who fit the "overweight" set for BMI have a lower risk of mortality?

So maybe it really is good to be thin and bootylicious besides filling out those cute outfits!

The debate goes on and on, and I encourage you to read the Women's Health article for more information. (Side note/complaint: I love this magazine, but I find it funny that in this "fat acceptance" article, they actually include pictures of black women: Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, and Mo'Nique. I like to see these ladies in the magazine more, have a better representative of what our society truly is--multicultural! Just saying...but I guess that's why we need a blog like Nubian Fitness Goddess to fill the void!)

For those that what to get to the point, here are the numbers that everyone should monitor, according to Women's Health magazine:

-Blood Pressure: Healthy range is 90/60 yo 120/80 (systolic/diastolic)
-Resting Heart Rate: Healthy range is60 to 100 beates per minute
-Cholesterol: Healthy range is LD below 100, HDL above 50, VLDL under 40, triplycerides below 150
-Fasting Blood Glucose: Healthy range is 70 to 100
-Waist-to-hip ratio: Healthy range is .6 to .8

So tell us, do you agree that "everyone can't be a size zero, but can be healthy, big people" or do you think it important to focus on the BMI measurement? Can one be "thick" and healthy?