Stress Reducing Thoughts

A good friend passed these thoughts onto me.

If you read and give them some time to sink in I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective.

They're written by Andy Rooney , a man who has th e gift of saying so much with so few words. Enjoy.......

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned .... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks wi th my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders20for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Peace.

Get Off The Couch

All right drop and give me twenty!

You don’t have to wait to buy a gym membership to start getting in shape and start turning your life around. Turn off the television right now and get on the floor and do the exercise that in my opinion is the single most effective exercise for improving total body fitness–the PUSH UP.
There is no better or faster way of getting fit as doing push ups. When done properly push-ups work the chest, hands, forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, traps, upper back, lower back, abs, glutes, hamstrings, quads, calf and over course the most important muscle of all–the heart.
Still not convinced? Ok, push-ups offer the benefits of weight lifting, stretching and cardio training all in one simple and straight forward exercise.

Push ups are a core-strengthening exercise that help improve balance by strengthening and shaping up most important muscle groups in your body - the core.
Holding the proper push up form is a great exercise alone, without even performing any repetitions. The push up form benefits the abdominal muscles through simultaneously flexing and stretching. When the lower back muscles contract to stabilize your form, your abdominal muscles are inadvertently stretched. The quadriceps is also relied on heavily to maintain proper form, giving your legs a decent secondary workout.

The push up motion trains the chest, triceps and the anterior deltoids, while stretching the biceps and back. Some consider the push up to provide the best all around chest workout.
In addition, a high repetition push up workout will work wonders for overall cardiovascular health.

What’s best about the push up is that they can be performed anywhere at anytime. All you need is to set aside a few minutes each day and then make up your mind to workout.

The Basic Push Up:
Lie down on the ground with your face down. Keep your palms flat on the ground shoulder-width apart. Make sure that your feet are together and keep legs and back straight.
Look ahead and while you go down, try to touch the floor with your chin.
When you rise, try not to bend your back.
While going up, breathe out.
Pause and repeat the exercise.

The Advance Push Up:
One hand Push Up –open your legs wide while keeping one hand under the center of your chest. Place your free hand at the small of your back. Now, follow the same process outlined in the basic push up.
Try to do five push ups using each hand. (Don’t overdo these push ups since they cause heavy strain on the elbow)

Diamond Push Up and Wide Push Up
For this exercise position your thumbs and forefingers in a diamond shape. Place your hands beneath the center of your chest and proceed with the push up motion.
The wide push up is done by keeping your hands about 4 feet apart.

Remember, the push-up should be performed in a rhythmic motion. At first, aim for 6 to 8 reps of 3 and then slowly increase your reps. Before you know it you will be churning out 20 to 30 reps.

Now, as I said at the top of this post—Drop and give me 20!!!!

Can A Brotha Catch A Break?

It is no secret that when it comes to longevity African American men fare worse than white men. Disparities continue to persist despite recent advances in health care and outreach programs that target inequities in race and socioeconomic status. Here is a snapshot of some:

· LIFE EXPECTANCY The life expectancy for a black male child born in 2004 is 69.5 years, compared with 75.7 years for white males born the same year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

· PROSTATE CANCER African American men are more likely to get and die from prostate cancer than men of any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An African American man has a 1-in-5 chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime and a 1-in-20 chance of dying from the disease. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for African American men, behind lung cancer.

Scientists are studying possible reasons for these disparities, "including culture, environment and differences in the biology of the disease in African American men," the CDC reports.

· CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE About 42 percent of African American men have high blood pressure, compared with 31 percent of white men, according to the American Heart Association. Cardiovascular disease overall was also more prevalent among black men -- 41 percent, compared with about 34 percent of white men.

· PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND OBESITY About 29.5 percent of black men report regular leisurely physical activity, compared with 33.4 percent of white men, according to the AHA. But black men fare better in the weight category than white men. About 63 percent of black men were overweight (having a body mass index of 25 or higher), compared with 69 percent of white men. And 27.9 percent of black men were obese (a BMI of 30 or higher), compared with 28.2 percent of white men.

· HEALTH STATUS Asian and white Americans are more likely to report being in excellent health, according to NCHS. In a 2005 survey, about 37 percent of whites and 36 percent of Asians reported excellent health, compared with 30 percent of African Americans.

(Information courtesy of the Washington Post)

Black Men Are At Risk

According to numerous reports, African-American men as a group are not healthy and are far less healthy than any other racial group in America.

There are a number of societal reason why as a group black men are not enjoying optimum health. Those reasons include racial discrimination, lack of accessible and affordable health care, poverty, poor lifestyle choices, lack of adequate health insurance,insufficient medical and social services geared to African-American men, unemployment and under employment, to name a few.

There are also a number of cultural reasons undermining our health including poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of knowledge, which fall under the big umbrella of poor lifestyle choices.

What was that word, oh yeah--Choices...Choices are related to outcomes that are totally in your control. If nothing else, BMH will hammer on the idea of choice--you making good decisions that will be beneficial to your health.

Now for a few facts:Black Male Health Statistics:

As a group we, African-American men live 7.1 years less than other racial groups.

We have higher death rates than black women for all leading causes of death

We experience disproportionately higher death rates in all the leading causes of death
40% of black men die prematurely from cardiovascular disease as compared to 21% of white men

Black men are 5 times more likely to die of HIV/AIDS

44% of black men are considered overweight
24% are obese
Black men suffer more preventable diseases that are treatable
have a higher incidence of diabetes and prostate cancer
A high suicide rate. It is the 3rd leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year old

According to an article published in the May 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, African American men are significantly less likely than white men to see a physician; 45 percent of African American men do not have a doctor they see regularly.

Men of color are also more likely to be uninsured -- 28 percent of African Americans are uninsured, compared to 17 percent of whites.

Studies that examine how different groups of men use Medicare show that even when health insurance and income differences are accounted for Black men receive fewer preventive services than white men like flu shots and colonoscopy screening.

The 10 Leading Causes of death in the U.S.(2001) Black Americans

Cardiovascular Disease

Cancer

Stroke

Unintentional injuries

Diabetes

Homicide

HIV/AIDS

Chronic lower respiratory disease

Nephritis

Septicemia

Source: Health, U.S., 2003

Recommended Health Screenings for Men

Blood Cholesterol Screenings
Have your cholesterol checked at least every 5 years, starting at age 35. If you smoke, have diabetes, or if heart disease runs in your family, start having your cholesterol checked at age 20.

Blood Pressure
Have your blood pressure checked at least every 2 years.

Colorectal Cancer Tests
Begin regular screening for colorectal cancer starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which test is right for you. How often you need to be tested will depend on which test you have.

Diabetes Tests
Have a test to screen for diabetes if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Depression
If you've felt "down," sad, or hopeless, and have felt little interest or pleasure in doing things for two weeks straight, talk to your doctor about whether he or she can screen you for depression.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Talk to your doctor to see whether you should be screened for sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV.

Prostate Cancer Screening
Talk to your doctor about the possible benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening if you are considering having a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or digital rectal examination (DRE).

Introducing BM3 (Black Men's Maintenance Manual

The BM3 blog is an electronic maintenance manual for body, mind and soul.
Concept: BM3 is geared to the specific health and lifestyle needs of African-American males ages 25 and up, with the core demographic being the 35 to 55 age group.
My goal is to provide information that will improve the quality of life of black men who are in the peak earning years, who have established themselves and who are ready to take their lives to a new level.

The key elements of the blog will be:

Health /fitness/sex....How to get there and how to maintain. This section will focus on diet, nutrition, exercise, medical issues.

Lifestyle/Fashion/Fine Living– Adding style, flair and sophistication to the areas of personal grooming, clothing, interior design, food, movies, leisure, music, literature, movies, finances/wealth building

New fiction section: Short stories from established and new voices.

Interviews–One on one features/interviews with news makers in the areas of politics, education, sports, entertainment, medicine/science

So get ready to live your best life.