Maintaining Physical Fitness for 2010

Greetings Everyone,

It's that time of the year in which a vast majority of everyone try to commit to some New Year's Resolution. Well, since I turned 51 this past August, my outlook is dramatically different than just a year ago. I am no longer doing New Year's Resolution.

What I am committing to is doing the things that I have done in previous years and STICKING TO IT!! I am sticking to such basic issues as:

• Watching what I eat
• Preparing foods healthier
• Selecting healthier foods
• Avoiding certain very "rich" foods high in cholesterol and fat
• MAINTAINING MY LEVEL OF PHYSICAL FITNESS!

That's it. By the way, you can check out my latest Football Fitness 2009 Workout at the YouTube site:

• Football Fitness 2009

Gloria and I wish all of you PEACE AND HAVE A HAPPY HEALTHY 2010!!

Happy Holidays Everyone and Welcome Back!

Holiday Menu

It has been a pretty busy year and the holiday break will give us all a chance to rest and restore positive energy. The menu for this Christmas will be a combination of homemade and special order.

This year, I decided to keep things light and make Leek Soup for Christmas Eve. It reminds me of a bowl of Leek soup I had at a California Kitchen Restaurant in Manhattan Beach, California several years ago. I like to add sage, turkey ham and a few more golden potatoes to my soup. One of the ingredients in Leek Soup is white wine so I chose Sandy Cross Vineyards Muscadine wine that is bottled in Mount Airy, North Carolina. The Duplin Carolina Bald Head Red Sweet Table wine works well with punch drinks. I am going to try my best to venture to Raleigh/Durham to try the California Kitchen’s new Moroccan Salad or Baja Fish Tacos with Blue Corn Tortilla Chips. I will let you know how it turns out. As a base, I chose Knorr Leek Recipe Mix and just follow the directions on the package. Speaking of special orders, I will be picking up a Whole Cajun Turkey and a mini ham from the Honey Baked Ham store. My menu side items will be scalloped potatoes with reduced fat cheddar cheese. My main vegetable will be the underrepresented Cauliflower. Once I lightly steam my cauliflower, I plan on adding sautéed corn, orange bell pepper, and onions to it. This should give me a colorful dish. I am adding a side of corn bread stuffing for the kids. Homemade stuffing is great but if you are in a hurry, Stove Top stuffing will do fine.

One of the favorite deserts in our house is Pecan Pie and Peach Cobbler so I will have that on hand for everyone to consume. There are also good pecan pies at the Honey Baked Ham store, Food Lion, Kroger, Harris Teeter and Sams Club. I decided to purchase pie crust for the canned peach pie filling and picked up a jar of Delmonte fresh peaches to lighten the taste of the canned filling. You will notice I am bias to the texture, taste, sight and smell of the food I eat which makes cooking more enjoyable for me. For New Years I plan on a seafood menu of crab salad, shrimp, black eye peas and rice for good luck and the addition of Chinese food. As a child, my family would go to our favorite Chinese food restaurant for New Years Eve and come home and ring in the New Year.

Stress Release

The holidays can be stressful on the cook so I de-stress by playing holiday music of old school, new school, jazz and classics. Some of the holiday classic songs I listen to while I cook were my father’s favorite singers such as Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis. Natalie Cole is unforgettable also.

The Luciana Souza/Romero Lubambo Duos II acoustic jazz CD is wonderful. Luciana’s voice is crisp and melodic. Lately, I have been burning up the Al Jarreau song “Brite N’ Sunny Babe”. Yep ladies, I consider myself a Brite N’ Sunny Babe for the New Year. I hope you do too.
Thanks Natalie Cole for making us fabulous 40 and up women of today look good. A Class Act.
Meanwhile, my kids and I are listening to everything from the Black Eye Peas, Lupe Fiasco, Barcelona, Beyonce’, Shakira, The Fray, Mary J Blige, John Legend , Alicia Keys, The Avett Brothers and many others.

Don’t forget to dance to the music while cooking. It’s a fun way to burn off those holiday calories.

Check it out:
You can find other health and cultural commentary by visiting the blogs:
http://innervoice-rise.blogspot.com/
http://culturalcommentaryartist.ning.com/
Web Tip: http://www.nataliecole.com/
I wish you a positive, energetic and bright New Year.
Keep the faith and stay mentally, physically and spiritually healthy!

Gloria J Harden-Bailey

Fall is in Full Swing!

Welcome Back Everyone,

I hope you are all staying healthy despite the viral flu seasons and multiple vaccinations. Take the time to take care of yourself and get your regular physical exams and stick to your wellness plan. In my prior journals, I have discussed dietary habits, recipes and the mental aspect of health. All those things are important to long term wellness. Currently, I am transitioning through a period of slowing down and listening to the clues of what my body is telling me. I have started cleansing my body of toxins through colonic herbal recipes that are safe and time released. Check with your doctor before you begin any colonic or fasting program. I am utilizing my cleansing kit in moderation, meaning I still fit it into my daily routine by eating very moderately and primarily at dinner time with the rest of the family and of course the food choice is healthy as possible because I want to set the best healthy living example as possible for my children. Cleansing my system will also help with various food allergies and rid yourself of toxins and hydrate the body and skin. I have fasted several times before and it has always rejuvenated me inside and out as well as spiritually. I always have practiced a balanced approach to my health. Events and issues just force you to come to terms with who you are and that is a good thing.


Healthy Deserts

In the previous journal, I talked about low sugar deserts. My sons tested and baked a Betty Crocker pre-packed reduced sugar cake with low sugar icing. It turned out fine. You could tell some of the sugar was missing but overall it was flavorful. I did not have him make the cake mix from scatch, although he can but the reality is that when he is on his own and a fully equipped kitchen and food ingredients are not available to make homemade recipes then he still will need to take that trip to the grocery to make informed and wise food selections. Unless it is a passion of your child to cook the following scenario will play out whereby your son or daughter will be influenced by their peers' food choices and not to mention young men and women in college dorm eating unhealthy without their parents looking over their shoulders. So it goes back to healthy behavior, practicality and balance. Don't take the fun out of enjoying your holiday deserts. The best approach is moderation. In otherwords, don't over eat yourself into a nap or have to go find loose clothing to accommodate your full stomachs.

This year, I am continuing Thanksgiving on a Budget and going out to enjoy holiday meals with family, loved ones, friends, neighbors and associates.


Mental Inspiration

I have a few words to share about inspiration. For as long as I can remember, ideas, images and words have come to me in a flow of light. It's hard to explain because it is so intense and personal and unique to who I am. It can happen in the middle of the night in my dreams, while I am driving, in the middle of a conversation, and other places that thoughts decide to drop in or come back to me for a reasons you cannot decipher just yet because the purpose is not meant to be revealed at this point.

During these holidays and everyday of the year, we all ponder the highs and lows of life. Some year you experience the positive upturn of events and other times loss and grief. I have been through both recently. My siblings and I, as hundreds of other families, have a family member that is battling the last stages of Alzheimer Disease. Concurrently, my daughter is happily and stressfully preparing herself for college. I have found that it is important and mentally healthy to release stress through prayer, meditation and exercise. Choose what works for you. For instance, I was on the treadmill one morning with my IPOD earphones plugged in listening to Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau and the song, "Waltz for Debby" melodically flowed into my ears and the harmonic story unfolds about a little girl who treasures her dolls, favorite toys, dances to silent music, revels in her playful inspired antics and how she transitions to a woman. At that moment, the inspiration hit like a lightning bolt and that encompassed my grief for the loss of my loved one to Alzheimer, the loss of my daughter to becoming a woman as she goes off to college, the loss of my age related to youth but happy to find a new youthful inspiration. It goes to show you that the old tale that death and dying does not just come in (3's) three's but so does life. As Al Jarreau continues to sing in my head, I think of myself dancing to the silent music and songs that are spun of gold and the songs that me and my mother danced to and the dances that my daughter and I leaped across the floor to and I laugh with joy because I get the message that love, joy, sadness, grief and peace is as it should be as other life comes to an end and new youth springs eternal and all is as it should be.

So, the lesson is once again as we all grow that there is continued BALANCE. Hats off to artist Al Jarreau for inspiring me to hit my mental inspiration stride as he sings the lyrics, "In the Sun she Dances to silent music, songs that are spun of gold somewhere in her own little head." "The dolls, bears and toys will miss her but so will I." Here my inspirational tribute to my my Mom and daughter; The things you have embraced and touched will miss you and so will I, so dance in the sun and I hope the same wish for you too!


Check it Out:

You can find my other diet, health and cultural commentary artist journals by visiting the blogs:
http://culturalcommentaryartist.ning.com
http://innervoice-rise.blogspot.com

Keep the faith and stay mentally, physically and spiritually healthy!

Gloria J. Harden-Bailey

Welcome to Fall by Gloria J. Harden-Bailey!

I hope you had a nice summer. I have to pat myself on the back for sticking to my exercise routine through the summer and staying on track for the most part in terms of healthy eating. I did not lose more pounds but lost inches off my hips and legs. I turned 47 years old. What a difference a year or two makes when you discover the age related changes in your body and learn to adjust your eating habits with increasing your exercise regimen in order to lose or maintain a healthy physical and mental lifestyle. It is always a balance as most things in life are and I am a reformed perfectionist who has learned to accept my own flaws and talents. I have added more cardio and strength training to my workouts for heart health and body toning. I feel it's best to customize what works for you. You cannot walk someone else's path to long term wellness. Be happy with who you are. I for one am my own critic and have always competed against myself. I think it is mentally healthy and a positive approach to measure yourself against your own personal and career goals versus other people's lives and what we learn from each other provides growth for the benefit of everyone.

I ran track in high school and enjoyed those agonizing 330 hurdles and no matter how fast or slow I was against a competitor, the internal spirit in me led the race whether I won or loss.

Fall is upon us and I welcome the season changes. I look forward to the holidays and the aroma of the season such as peppermint, apple spice, vanilla, cinnamon, rosemary and sweet potato pie. All those delicious scents can lead to trouble if you forget to count calories and let emotions run your appetite. I also love the scents of the season that Bath and Body Works sells as well as their signature collection for fall and of course I am a long term fan of Carol's Daughter products. Last summer, I promised you that I will continue with my series on healthier recipes and low calorie deserts. So my journal serves as an archive of combining healthy food choices and experiences from my teen years until now.

This past weekend, I baked a low fat sugar substitute chocolate cake using two Sweet and Low chocolate flavor cake mixes. Because most parents do not have time and are looking for affordable options to reduce their grocery bill, I bought this brand on sale at Kroger. The brand advertises no sugar added; low-fat; cholesterol free and low sodium (Just add water). I also used the Sweet and Low chocolate flavor whipped frosting and fudge topping mix which is also sugar free; cholesterol free and low sodium. I added low fat caramel in the middle of the cake. I used the leftover chocolate frosting as a dip for the fresh strawberries.

My three kids enjoyed the strawberry and dip but gave the finished Sweet and Low Cake a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 because you have to get used to lower sugar content and it seemed less moist. They suggested adding more moisture or switch to reduced fat or low sugar cake mixture or make the batter from scratch by changing to healthier ingredients.

I plan on duplicating a healthier version of Southern Living magazine glazed mini pumpkin cakes and my own version of Sweet Potato Pecan pie. My Sweet potato pie may not be as good as my mother's but it will be healthier and my own recipe. Mom won't mind. I am her daughter and her three grandchildren will benefit.

Check it out: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/
http://www.carolsdaughter.com/

A note about my sign off: In the past, I have signed off as Mrs. B. Now I am changing it. The name change reflects the acknowledgment of my parent's heritage, family history and the experiences I have had growing up along with my college years prior to meeting Dr. B.. Much respect to Dr. B. and his expertise but he appreciates and acknowledges my experiences. All 18 journal entries will reflect the name change.

Keep the faith and stay mentally, physically and spiritually healthy!


Gloria J. Harden-Bailey

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.