The Root: Focus on Obesity

Today I attended the Root's Focus On Obesity Conference in D.C. We discussed the challenges that the Black Community faces in terms of Health and Wellness. As I am sure you all know our community is in crisis with 60 % of Black folks overweight or obese. It is great to see the Root.com doing something to help our community.  This conference was a part of the Root's Black Fit and Healthy series. It was very inspiring to hear from the panelists: Mayor Ron Dellums; former Trenton, N.J. Mayor Douglas Palmer; President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Outreach Director Lauren Darensbourg; Black Women's Health Imperative President Eleanor Hinton Hoytt; health writer Sheree Crute. They discussed topics ranging from healthier community planning to strategies for narrowing health disparities.

Attending this conference really reminded me of how important it is that we each do our part. So what are you doing to make a transformation???  Also we have to encourage each other to engage in healthy behaviors. So invite your friends, sister, mom next time you go to your favorite workout class.

Oh and they provided a yummy and healthy Breakfast and Lunch (see below).

Eat your Fruit, Drink you Veggies!

I've posted a few tips about Juicing on my FB page and I've found that a lot of folks don't really know the benefits of juicing. My hubby started juicing everyday about a year ago and lost 30 lbs. I joined the bandwagon earlier this year. Juicing has helped both of us maintain weight loss. Juicing is a great way to stop cravings. Also, I find that my skin is much clearer and it helped with some digestive problems I had from a super high protein diet that I did when I was in the People Magazine Challenge  (I do not diet any more, I just eat whole foods and avoid the processed stuff).

 We make vegetable juices daily (sometimes twice a day) with veggies like Kale, spinach, celery, carrots, and cucumbers. Juicing is a great way to make sure you get enough veggies for the day. When you juice you get a high concentration of all of the vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) found in the whole vegetable. Trust me it is much easier to juice 4-5 cups of veggies than to eat them. Also, when you juice your body can absorb the nutrients much better because it does not have to break anything down.  You can juice fruit too but I recommend keeping the fruit to a minimum because it so high in sugar. It is much better to eat fruit whole. So drink your veggies  (well you can eat them too) and eat fruit!

If you are new to juicing here are some quick tips

1. Select veggies with lots of juice like celery and cucumbers (make this your base)
2. add veggies with more flavor like carrots (but use less of them)
3.  use a leafy green like spinach or kale to boost the nutritional value
4. use ginger, lemon, or limes to spice a bit and add flavor
5. toss a couple of strawberries (or half an apple) in if you want to sweeten it up a bit

My morning juice recipe:

2-3 cups kale
1 cucumber
4 celery stalks
1 lemon
2 carrots
4 strawberries
small piece of ginger

It's quite delicious!


Do you juice? Share your recipes

Charles Barkley and Weight Watchers

I caught a preview of Weight Watcher's newest commercial with Charles Barkley as the spoke person. I think that it is awesome that Weight Watchers is trying to appeal to men, particularly Black Men. Just in case you didn't know this obesity crisis is affecting men too. Unfortunately men are less likely to do something about it. So hopefully the Barkley Ad will encourage men to make lifestyle changes.

Ladies you can help the men in your life by encouraging healthy eating and an active lifestyle. I've been tricking my Hubby into eating healthy stuff for the past couple of year. It's crazy because he is back down to his college weight and now he keeps me on track.

For resources for your hubby, brother, father, etc. see below:

A great blog: Healthy Black Men 

Black Fitness Blog


What do you think of the Barkley Ad?

I will admit that I cannot understand why they put him in a dress.

Black Women Fitness Getaways

Last summer Nubian Fitness Goddess danced the ZUMBA in Amsterdam, would you like to join other goddesses on a Fitness Getaway? Complete the survey below to help us design a fitness getaway with you in mind. Please share with your family and friends.
Survey deadline is April 15, 2012.

Nubian Fitness Goddess enjoying water sports

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

If you are unable to view the survey please Click here to take survey

or http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VVXV33Y,

Thank you for participating in our survey. Check out The Skychi Travel Guide for travel tips.

Food Should Taste Good

Food Should Taste Good Product Review & Giveaway

Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips are a staple in my house. I've got my husband hooked on them and I don't mind because they are sooo healthy. Anyway, I was excited to get the opportunity to sample the other varieties of Food Should Taste Good Chips. I was able to try Chocolate, Multi-grain, Sweet Potato, Olive, and Lime. Sweet potato is still my favorite but the Olive chips are absolutely delicious. The Multigrain go great with some hummus or salsa. I was not too thrilled with the chocolate but they are pefect for the chocolate lover. The best part is all of them are so incredibly healthy with ingredients you can pronounce plus they have fiber and protein.. Check out the nutrition facts for the mutli-grain chips.

You know we love doing giveaways, 2 Lucky Winners will get to try five varieties of Food Should Taste Good Chips. To enter the contest you have to email us at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com and comment on this post. Also, check out their website for coupons and other promotions www.foodshouldtastegood.com

Beyonce Workout:Move Your Body!

Beyonce has partnered with Michelle Obama to fight obesity. She is promoting exercise with the "Let's Move Campaign." She has remixed one of my favorite workout songs "Get 'Em Bodied." The new version is called  "Move Your Body" and there is a workout routine that goes along with it. It is definitely great to see Beyonce taking time to fight Obesity. Especially because Obesity disproportionately affects Black women.  Click the link above to check out the video and then click the video below for instructions on the full routine.........




Free Instructional Video

What do you think? Is this a workout you would try?

Product Revew & Giveaway: EatStrong

We love keeping you guys informed on easy ways to stay fit and healthy. We also love sharing free products with you all. Today we have two yummy and healthy snacks for our Goddesses to try. Check out our review and then be one of the first 10 Goddesses to LIKE this post on Facebook or comment on this post and you will receive free EatStrong Snacks! After you LIKE the post or comment email us at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com.

EATSTRONG Trail Mix

This yummy sweet and salty trail mix has flax and sunflower seeds to make it even healthier. It also has small chocolate drops so you can get your chocolate fix too. It's a decent sized bag for 260 cals (plus 5 gm protein and 7 gm of fiber). I was able to divide it up and have half as my after gym snack and the other half as my mid-day snack. I love the portion control because it's so easy to eat more nuts than you planned. This is the perfect addition to your healthy snack options.

EATSTRONG Energy Boost

Many of us do not get enough protein in our diets. Nuts are a good source of protein but again portion control can sometimes be difficult with nuts. EatStrong's perfectly portioned energy bar packs 12 gm of protein with a low sugar content (7 grams) and no artificial ingredients. I was surprised to see how low the sugar content was. Most energy bars have 20+ grams of sugar , so this is definitely a good alternative.

My favorite was the trailmix but if you are looking for more protein the bar is a good option too.

Have you tried them?

Join My Weight Loss Journey: Month 1

Our mission for this blog is to be supportive, authentic, and a place where women of color can come to find resources and tools to help them live a healthy lifestyle.

We send out links, rate products, share tips--but now we want to take it one step further.

As many of you know, I'm a BodyPump instructor, but what many of you don't know is I'm also an average African American woman who struggles with her weight. In college, senior year, I lost 68 lbs doing Weight Watchers. I was on top of the world. Gaining confidence and becoming a BodyPump instructor to inspire others.

Flash forward to 6 years later, and I became a statistic. Some say 95% of people who lose weight gain it back, but others disagree with that percentage, with good reason. There are many people who keep it off, and sadly other people like me, who seem to struggle to maintain.
This year, after a tough 2 years, I’m ready to get back to the fit me. (see my FIT picture).
I know the following works for me: accountability, friendly competition, and small rewards.
So you all will help me out with the accountability part. I think if I check in once a month with my progress, making a promise to all of you to do so. This will help keep me in check, avoiding the potential cheat days that will throw me off my game.
So here I am. Month 1.

Current stats:
Weight: 223
Heigh: 5’8
Body fat %: 40%
Current Weight Loss method: WeightWatchers PointsPlus
Ultimate Goal Weight: 175
My Pros: I enjoy working out.
My cons: I’m an emotional eater who has trouble drinking water per my diet soda addiction.

During my month of hopeful progress, I’ll be sharing updates on roadblocks, solutions, and handy tips that help me reach my goal.

Will you join me? If you’d like to be accountable to hundreds of your fellow goddesses across the country, please send me your month one photo, your stats as I listed them above, and a brief intro about your goal sand weight loss journey to nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com.

Yours in Health,

Rosethefitnessinstructor

Product Review: Sportline SOLO 925

It's a New Year and time to track your fitness goals. Tracking your progress will keep you motivated. A heart rate monitor can help you with your fitness goals. I decided to pick one up because this year I decided to ditch the treadmill and mix things up a bit. I have been doing a lot of classes like Kick Boxing, Spin, and even West African Dance. I was looking for a new heart rate monitor to keep me motivated and to make sure I am in my target zone. I came across the Sportline 925. It seemed like a good choice because I wanted to replace my old heart rate monitor with one that did not require a chest strap. With the Sportline 925 you can view your heart rate with one touch (no chest strap necessary). It's so much easier to keep up with and it also tracks your steps and calories! I love the fact that I can got to Spin class and see my heart rate and calories burned. Also, I found myself moving more just to see the steps on the pedometer increase. This monitor is especially good for all you ladies that enjoy running outside. You can track your mileage and miles power hour. So, if you are looking for fitness gadget to add your wish list you should definitely check this out.

It has a ton of features, see below:

• Any-Touch Interface
• Integrated Pedometer
• ECG Accurate HRM
• HR Zone Manager
• Audible Out-of-Zone Alerts
• Calories-Burned Calculator
• % of Max HR Indicator
• Chronograph & Countdown Timer
• Dual-Time
• Daily Alarm
• 50m Water Resistant

Self-Empowerment is Sexy!

Hey Ladies!!
It's been a while. I've been sooooo busy with wedding planning, weight loss, and year 2 of my PhD program. I will return to normal blogging soon. For now, I am excited to share a post by a friend at www.prettygirlpost.blogspot.com

Over the last few months (12 to be exact) I've been having some trouble getting myself to the gym. Despite swimsuit season, I haven't been motivated to workout and avoided the gym like the plague. But, after one-too many grabs on the arm by random guys during a night out on the town, I felt compelled to do something. So I quickly googled "Self Defense Class, DC."

Luckily I found a karate dojo that offered 1 free self defense class in Alexandria, V.A. Perfect! Not only am I annoyed by guys at the club, I'm also majorly freaked out by the stories I hear about women being grabbed on the street and dragged into cars by kidnappers. Plus, I'm always looking for ways to feel empowered. And since free is right up my alley, I quickly set up my 1-on-1 session and got my workout gear in order.

Ok. My class was today and it was A-MAZ-ING! Upon meeting with my teacher (aka "sensei" in karate-speak), I was asked what my main reasons are for wanting to take karate. I told him that my priorities are self-defense, improving flexibility, and fitness. "We can definitely work on all 3 of your goals today" he said as he instructed me to get into the "ready" stance. While there weren't any lessons on how to karate-chop through a pile of bricks, I was taught how to kick, punch and block an attacker. After each move, I was to shout "KIAI!!!!!", a battle cry that not only would freak out an unsuspecting attacker, but also ensure that I was breathing after each strike. He led me through a series of high energy exercises, had me kick a big red punching bag, and in the end I even got to practice what I'd learned on him. I was drenched by the time our 1 hour session was over but totally high on adrenaline. I mean, I had actually worked out in a real dojo with a real karate sensei. I was pumped!

After my lesson I was invited into the back office to go over how quickly I could sign up and put a down payment on karate lessons--which were upwards of $350 for karate attire and classes. I had to decline because I can't quite fit karate into my budget yet, but I will definitely keep it in mind. My experience was great. It totally amped up my girl power and has gotten me excited about working out again. And IF I ever find myself in a dangerous situation, I'll yell "KIAI!" at the top of my lungs and get into my karate stance...hopefully that alone will send an attacker running the other way.

What are your thoughts on self-defense classes?

Natahcia Smith

www.prettygirlpost.blogspot.com

Real Inspiration: Shayla-Marie A Weight Loss Success Story

Sometimes it's helpful to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Your work will pay off! Shayla-Marie is a great example of someone who lost weight and improved her health through hard work and lifestyle changes. In addition Shayla-Marie offers the following words of advice.

"My advice is to realize it's not a "diet" it's a lifetime change. Don't give up just keep going!"

I'm Shayla-Marie 25 years and had hypertension, and a failing kidney all because I was overweight. I was 155lbs in 2009 and I'm only 5feet tall, so that is a large amount of weight I had a bmi of 29.9 which is nearly obese, I started dating a man who's sister I was rent a room from. The 1st date was 1/26/2009 a blind date, so I arrived at the Olive Garden to see this astonishingly beautiful man was waiting for me, he was older latin and a medical professional. We hit it off, a few dates in he asked why I had high blood pressure I said I don't know genetics I suppose, his next statement floored me and nearly made me want to floor him he said: "you are a beautiful woman, great personality why do you like being overweight? You can have a stroke any second, I'm looking for a wife, and you'd be perfect but you can stroke out anytime. What about your daughter?" It hit me I was 25 and killing myself with double doubles and french fries. So I began to make changes little by little, no more soda, and juice. Next I started paying attention to what I put into my body reading labels finding out what someone my height and weight should be eating. Next I increased my activity small at first 15 minutes a day 3x's a week. That sexy Latin gentleman became my boyfriend who become my biggest supporter! I found out he was a former bodybuilder with 2% body fat he gave me a lot of pointers and a lot of encouragement (and sushi ;) I started in March 2009 by September I weighed 115lbs and today I weigh 113lbs, I eat 5 servings of fruit mostly strawberries and oranges, I eat around 2 salads a day and save my protein for dinner. I work 6x's a day 30 minutes a week and I am no longer on medication for my bloodpressure! I still have 1 kidney medication but my kidney is basically working on it's own. I cook low fat/ low cal foods that are family friendly since that lovely man is fast approaching becoming my lovely husband. I'm loosing weight I found confidence in myself and loved myself with shedding the weight it was almost like cathartic and renewing I felt like I could do anything if I could change my body I could change any aspect of my life. I learned to love, learned to channel my anger and focus on my career. I became a nurse, a better mother, a have the makings of a great wife all because I can take care of myself.
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Have a story to share? Email us at nubianfitnessgoddess@gmail.com