Welcome to Summer!

It is my hope that you are continuing to exercise, eat healthy and maintain a positive and energetic attitude. As summer approaches, we all set goals for our physique and how we view ourselves. I for one have been exercising more often to tone muscle and drop a few pounds in the process. There are all kinds of summer recipes to try. I am keeping it simple by going back to the basics of the original flavor of a fruit and vegetable. Over the years, I have tasted the quality of apples, oranges, pears, nectarines, tomatoes and host of other sweet and tart natural treats and I have not been happy with the results. Fresh fruits and vegetables have been sprayed to the point of tasting waxy and leaving a bad after taste in your mouth which is one of the reasons I rarely eat red apples.

I grew up on Michigan red apples and Sunkist navel oranges and with every bite there was a fresh crunch or enough juice in an orange to make juice. The degradation of the food quality over the years is disappointing but there are glimpses of promise on the horizon towards going back to common sense growth and less harmful pesticides. My mother and father would clip coupons for our large family and plan the Saturday trip to at least three (3) grocers plus the fish store. I went on a few grocery trips with my mom and was exhausted but what I learned was to get the best quality of food for the best price and not settle for less. She taught me and my siblings that no matter what your income or your circumstance (and she had to overcome a lot by being a hearing impaired Black woman), that you deserve to be treated respectively as a human being and as a customer.

Obviously, I took that piece of education to heart and now pass it down to my own children to strive for the best within themselves and others because in the end, everyone benefits. So as a toast to all things natural and summer fresh, I am adding more salads, low calorie fruit desserts and occassionally heart healthy lower alcohol organic sulfite sweet red wine.

Check it out: www.french-wine-online.com and www.esterlinavineyards.com

Also check out my new comments about African American women's hair styles at: http://blackamericabodybeautiful.blogspot.com

Have a Great Summer. CHEERS!!
Stay mentally, physically and spiritually Healthy!

Mrs. B.

Mrs. B's 2009 New Year Thoughts - HONORING YOURSELF

Welcome Back to the NBCD website and thanks to our readers for your feedback. It is our purpose to educate, inspire and motivate you to seek an improved quality of life. Although our focus addresses African American health which is unfortunately still an issue of disparity in the United States and across the world, we invite all to participate. We are also culturally apart of a colorful Diaspora that spans the Globe.

It is important to honor your own unique path. It is mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy for your overall health. Our family has always been proud of who we are and where we are going even in tough times. We honor ourselves and others even in midst of folks hurling insults, accusations and lack of understanding of various views and cultural identities. You are who you are. Your life inspires others.

You have a right to exist and within that existence yu have toiled the soil to always start anew. I honor the families who find strength and joy in each other while battling negative forces that are not family friendly and dare I say that it is a problem within parts of the Black community where we choose not to uplift each other as we should.

Family and relationships are important to our health and we should choose to nurture those ties. We should choose to honor each other. I always teach my children that if someone is having a negative conversation about you and making inaccurate assumptions about you without your input then the outcome is not in your interest nor are they operating in good faith. In our everyday lives, we all have human errors and frailties but at the end of the day take the time to honor your loved ones and you don't need anyone's permission to honor yourself. It is healing to your health.

Stay tune as I compile all my journals and check out my blog: http://innervoice-rise.blogspot.com/

Stay Mentally, Physically and Spiritually Healthy. Keep the Faith!

Mrs. B.

Mrs. B's 2009 New Year Thoughts - I WONDER!

The New Year is in full swing and everyone is seeking to re-energize and hopefully ready to take charge of your health. We concentrate on the physical and sometimes neglect our mental well being. Understanding the importance of being spiritually and physically connected to your body's nuances goes a long way towards your weekly exercise and weight loss goals. The daily ups and downs of life can impeded progress toward a healthier you. From time to time, I wonder what road blocks keep me from being the best that I can be. Some road blocks are internal while others are external. Lately, I find that the start of my internal investigation starts with two words -- I WONDER!

I was on the treadmill this morning reflecting and projecting my physical and mental goals and what obstacles to overcome, not only in the short term but the long term. So here is to giving the proper reflective space to human curiosity.

Most of all, I WONDER why we are losing our wonderment? So let's keep wondering what would happen if you envision a better you and hopefully find some answers to your physical, spiritual and mental road blocks on your journey to health.

Stay mentally, physically and spiritually healthy. Keep the Faith!!

Mrs. B.

4th Week of NBCD 2009 Weight Loss Challenge

Greetings Everyone,

Talk about a very active week -- we had a number of events with the family and kids. February is African American History month (Black History Month) and of course, I am being asked to participate in a number of events. With all the major events going on, I remind myself to watch what I eat even more.

I had to modify my exercise schedule a bit, but I still got my 3 workouts in the week. Two workouts consisted of the Billy Blanks videos (strength training and aerobic training) along with my Football Fitness workout!! I still managed to maintain the exercise regimen REGARDLESS of all the events!! It really makes me feel good by the end of the week because I still put myself FIRST before my professional obligations!!!

By the way, I lost a couple of more pounds!! I am now 151.8lbs!! That's right, my weight may fluctuate during this period, but it is reducing slowly but steadily!!

KEEPIN' IT REAL AND KEEP ON BELIEVING!!

3rd Week of NBCD 2009 Weight Loss Challenge

Greetings Everyone,

Wow, what a hectic week!! Well, I'm keeping up with my weekly blog even though I'm a couple of days late. The month of January has been a very active month already!!

Even though the weather changes from warm, then cold, then back to warm, I try to stay consistent with my exercise regimen. We even had snow this week!! Check out the photo! In fact, I take advantage of the university recreational facility in which I have a membership. It is an excellent facility with all the latest exercise equipment.

Here is my exercise regimen at the university recreational facility:

• Stretch and warm up


• Lift weights on the new resistant machines


• Do reps of three on each machine


• Reps on the machines include Lats, chest, front legs, back legs, stomach and bicep pulls.


• Then I do free weights - 35lbs on each arm

After I complete my 30 minute weight lifting, I then go to the racket ball courts. I love playing racketball because it's like tennis yet much faster. I go into one of the courts (by myself) and hit the racketball for approximately 15 - 20 minutes. I never know what to predict in my game, but it's fast action and it allows me to keep my agility, reaction time and speed up!! I am still an athlete so I have to be COMPETITIVE!! I EVEN GET TO YELL INSIDE THE RACKETBALL COURT TO LET OUT SOME COMPETITIVE ENERGY!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Yes, that feels real good!!

After racketball, I then hit the indoor track which goes all around the facility on the second floor. First, I do a brisk walk for the first lap and then I start jogging. I usually job about 4 to 5 laps. By the final lap, I am at 3/4 top speed! Not bad for a 50 year-old!!

Then that's it and it only took less than 60 minutes to complete a workout with a variety of exercise activities. This also keeps my interest up in exercising.

By the end of the week, I returned to my neighborhood outdoor recreational park to do my INTENSE FOOTBALL FITNESS WORKOUT. Check it out and let me know what you think about it.

Remember to do you best and JUST KEEP UP YOUR WORKOUT REGIMEN THROUGHOUT THE WINTER MONTHS THE BEST WAY YOU CAN!!

2nd Week of NBCD 2009 Weight Loss Challenge

Greetings Everyone,

As promised, I am keeping my weekly blog on my 2009 Weight Loss Challenge. In this blog, I will primarily share with you more of the strategies and the difficulties in trying to maintain my healthy regimen. Yes, it's always easy to preach to folks and tell them do this or do that, but it is another thing to reveal more of your personal issues that gets us to struggle with adhering to a healthy regimen.

So here are a few issues that challenged my healthy lifestyle this week:

• Hectic work schedule made me readjust my workouts through the week. This week, I had several meetings at the university so I had to move my workouts to another day (Wednesday instead of Tuesday then Friday instead of Thursday).
• Cold weather outside prevented me from completing my weekly intense Football Fitness workout. Instead of the Football Fitness workout, I stayed inside and completed the Billy Blanks Power Blast workout! No matter how many times I play his DVDs, they still get me going and exercising.
• A few celebrations for the Obama Inauguration influenced me to have a few more snacks this weekend. Although I did eat a few items that were too hearty (big submarine sandwich) I nonetheless snacked primarily on the healthy items - oranges, grapes and cereals.
• Keep reminding myself to be positive about how I look regardless of how I may feel somewhat stuffed after eating a healthy meal. I don't know why, but after I eat a very health-conscious meal I wonder why I feel guilty in eating a well-rounded meal that fills me up. Sometimes I think that I shouldn't feel good and slightly full after eating a healthy meal. Oh well... I figure it out.
• I completed and sent out my special music CD in tribute to President Obama to my relatives!! It was a lot of extra latenight work which modified a bit of my eating pattern.

Well that's it for this week. At the end of the week, I got on the scale and I felt good even though I didn't lose any weight. I am currently at 156 pounds. At least that's what the scale stated this Sunday morning. Peace and STAY WITH YOUR BLOG AND NBCD PLAN!

First Week of 2009 NBCD Weight Loss Challenge

Greetings Everyone,

It's finally 2009 and yes -- all of us made new year resolutions and I'm sure weight loss was probably at the top of your list! It seems like every year so many people place weight loss as their top 5 resolutions. Well, as you can tell on our blog, we do focus on weight loss but it is so much more than just WEIGHT LOSS! It's about getting control of your LIFE STYLE, LOVING YOUR SELF AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF for the long-term.

Whether you do it for a loved-one or to fit in a new fashion outfit or for yourself, LOSING WEIGHT IS MORE THAN JUST LOSING THE POUNDS AND INCHES. IT IS ABOUT A LIFE LONG CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT IN YOUR DAILY LIFE'S ACTIVITIES TO BE HEALTH AWARE AND HEALTH CONSCIOUS!!

Now that I'm 50 years old, I realize that I HAVE TO make changes in my eating, exercise, work and overall lifestyle activities. It's a fact. Although I believe that I am a very active and athletic 50 year old man, I still have to make CONSTRUCTIVE HEALTHY CHANGES in my daily, weekly and monthly activities.

If you want to check out my WEEKLY EXERCISE WORK-OUT, click my YOU TUBE VIDEO showing my Football Workout:

• Eric's Football Fitness Exercise Workout

Of course, along with my weekly workout here are few other CULTURAL LIFESTYLE ADJUSTMENTS THAT I MADE IN 2008 AND NOW IN 2009:

• Started an Anti-hypertensive medication to control my slightly elevated blood pressure (I take one pill a day. I didn't think that I would have to be on an anti-hypertensive medication, but it REALLY helps to control my blood pressure. That's a big relief off my mind!)


• Eating more fresh foods, fruits, vegetables and DRINK MORE WATER.


• Workout with Billy Blank tapes throughout the week (twice a week);


• Workout at the university's recreational center (lift weights, jog and play racket ball/basketball).


• Eat more balanced meals in the morning, lunch and EARLY evening.


• Concentrate more on long-term health and not just short term health gain.

JUST LIKE THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE WILL KEEP THIS WEEKLY BLOG FOR YOU TO FOLLOW OUR 2009 NBCD WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE!! If you would like to share how you are making CULTURAL ADJUSTMENTS and CULTURAL HEALTH CHANGES in your lifestyle to not only lose weight but stay in control of your life, email us at: administrator@newblackculturaldiet.com or feedback@newblackculturaldiet.com

PEACE AND LET'S START OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH A NEW CHANGE AND HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE!!

The NBCD Team would also like to CONGRATULATE THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES - BARACK OBAMA - FOR BEING INAUGURATED ON JANUARY 20TH, 2009!