The P.O.S.H. Life (Pursuit of Strength & Health)

In my last post I'm Not Fat, I'm Thick: What Black Men Are Saying, I briefly glossed over Buffy the Body, modern day video vixen. As soon as I saw her picture I was reminded of Saartjie Baartman: The Hottentot Venus. Baartman lived during Dutch colonization in South Africa. Whites, unfamiliar with the bodies of African women developed stories and tall tales regarding the "large backsides", sexual organs, and sexuality of African women.


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I was watching CNN's Black in America tonight. Several things were disturbing to me in this documentary. However the most glaring, due to my writings for P.O.S.H., was the health disparity experienced by Blacks in America. There are several things I came to realize regarding African- Americans and being healthy like our white counter-parts. We are fighting a war with few foot-soldiers. Health is probably the topic we as a community are least educated about. We also tend to gloss over the topic and often times are not a part of the solution.

How do we close the gap? I watched a woman during the program speaking about her trip to find a tomato in Harlem taking an hour. One whole hour for produce!! This is inconceivable in my world.
Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a vicious cycle for numerous reasons. Large grocery stores will not service the black community for various reasons from crime, lower income patrons, and lower revenue for the food chain. The lack of large chain grocery stores leads to smaller stores supplying food to our communities. Which equals mark up. If produce is expensive for me, imagine how expensive it is in the inner community. These small stores only stock non perishable goods where they can see return on their inventory. Produce, fruits and vegetables spoil, especially if no one is there to buy them.

Here in Las Vegas an initiative was taken to bring a major grocery store to the inner city. One will open in the heart of North Las Vegas in the next few weeks, bringing healthy food to the community.

Lack of education. Many of you reading this blog have given P.O.S.H. e-high fives and kudos for providing you information about health and fitness that you were not aware of before. We are all products of our environments. The reality is the Black environment is not one of health whether you are rich or poor. Imagine the health education disparity in our urban hubs if YOU are unaware of how to live a healthy life. Most Blacks have no idea that it takes good eating habits and exercise to live longer and be healthy.

Exercise- you and I can go to the gym. Most of you reading this post have a gym membership and don't use it. There are no gyms in the inner city. But there are community centers. I was at a North Las Vegas community center this weekend for a health fair. Treadmills sat empty, weight machines were quiet. However, the community center by my house is cracking 24/7 in a white neighborhood. You have to sign a list and can only use a machine for 20 minutes. This problem is two fold. Black people are unaware of the importance of exercise to sustain a healthy life and many people are unaware of programs, facilities, and plans to live healthy lives.

What do we do?

Step 1. Educate yourself. By reading P.O.S.H. you are taking a stand. So keep going and keep learning!! Take what you read here and expound on it!!
Step 2. Implement what you learn. Don't just read about it be about it!
Step 3. Be a testament. Pass your knowledge on to your friends and family. Force those around you to see the benefits of healthy living. The thing I have realized is the more weight I lose and the more healthy I become, it shows!! People are interested in my secret and I am more than happy to give it. You would be surprised how little we know about this topic.

If we are able to pass on our knowledge things in our community will change. Its all about supply and demand. If we demand produce, stores must supply these goods. If we demand gyms or exercise facilities like the YMCA or community centers, they must be built! If we are silent ....we remain statistics.

We all know it takes a village. But the journey begins with you.

What are your thoughts about this topic and how will you participate in changing health in the Black community? How did you feel we were portrayed in the CNN documentary? Read More......

Studies show that listening to music has a positive effect on your work out. Those who listened to music while working out have increased motivation and are distracted from the fatigue that work outs bring.

Dr. Costas Karageorghis, an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England, has studied the effects music has on exercise for years. Karageorghis states that a song's tempo should be about 120 to 140 beats-per-minute. These BPMs mirror the average person’s heart rate during a routine workout. For example, he states that “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa and “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg are around that range, as is the dance remix of “Umbrella” by Rihanna (so maybe the pop star was onto something).

For a stroll walker going at a pace of around 3 miles an hour, a remixed track has a count of 115 to 118 B.P.M.; for a power walker going 4.5 m.p.h., the count is 137 to 139 B.P.M., while the B.P.M. for a runner elevates to 147 to 160.

Additionally, a 2005 study showed that participants who listened to music while walking lost more and had a greater reduction in body fat than those who did not include music in their work out.

"The more unfit you are, the more difficult exercise is," "Music helps break the monotony of exercise and provide a distraction from the physical exertion."

Mix up your playlist - if you keep playing the same tunes, pretty soon you will find your motivation dropping because your mind will tune out the muisc.

So get out that iPod and lets get crackin!!

My Current Playlist - Right now these babies are in heavy rotation on my iPod. I currently play songs that keep me pumped and motivated to continue hitting the treadmill.

Honorable Mention

Push it - Rick Ross
Stunna Shades - The Federation
Stronger - Kanye West

Top 10

10. PYT Michael Jackson
9. Damaged - Danity Kane
8. Go Hard or Go Home - E 40
7. Spaz - N.E.R.D.
6. Spotlight - Jennifer Hudson
5. International Swagger - Glow in the Dark Mixtape ( N.E.R.D. and Kanye)
4. Ms. New Booty - Bubba Sparks
3. Got Money - Lil Wayne
2. Big Boi - Kryptonite
1. Fuego - Pit Bull

What is your playlist? Let P.O.S.H. know so we can all mix it up and stay motivated!! Read More......

10. There is an easy way to lose weight- Nothing could be further from the truth. Fines have been levied against diet pills that claim to have the quick fix. There is no magic fix. Hit the gym and retrain your mind and eating habits.

9. If you stop exercising, your muscles will turn to fat- Muscle tissue and fat tissue are completely different. If you stop exercising, your muscle will become smaller and perhaps atrophy. You'll gain weight only if you keep eating the way you were when you were exercising.

8. If you don't have time workout 30 to 90 minutes a day, you shouldn't bother- The truth is, anything you can do will be beneficial. Studies have shown that even splitting up those 30 minutes into 10-minute segments is good for you.

7. Weightlifting makes women bulky- Its not true unless your are popping steroids.

6. Workouts must be intense to burn fat- Actually, the body burns fat as efficiently when you do low- to moderate- intensity workouts. Unfortunately, though, it takes longer to burn calories

5. Stretching isn't important because it won't make you thinner- Most people skip flexibility training because they think it doesn't have a direct impact on their fitness. But if you think about the fact that without proper stretching you could become injured, thus missing many workouts, it's vital.

4. Carbs make you fat - When you cut carbs you lose water weight. Eating carbohydrates makes you fat. Cutting carbs from your diet may have short-term weight loss benefits due to water loss from a decrease in carbohydrate stores, but eating carbs in moderation does not directly lead to weight gain. The body uses carbs for energy, and going too long without them can cause lethargy.

3 Drink eight, 8-oz. glasses of water per day. You should replace water lost through breathing, excrement and sweating each day - but that doesn't necessarily total 64 ounces of water. It's hard to measure the exact amount of water you have consumed daily in food and drink, but if your urine is pale yellow, you're doing a good job. If it's a darker yellow, drink more H2O.

2. Brown grain products are whole grain products. Brown dyes and additives can give foods the deceiving appearance of whole grain. Read labels to be sure a food is whole grain, and try to get three-ounce equivalents of whole grains per day to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

1. Crunches will burn fat off your abs - Change your eating habits and hit a treadmill. and You could have abs like Schwarzenegger but if you have a layer of body fat over them you will never see them

Got anymore Weightloss Myths? Work out questions let us know! Read More......

7. Smoothies with Whey Protein- I may have one for lunch or after my gym work out! GREAT way to get my protein in!!
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We at P.O.S.H are extremely pleased with the responses we have received with our fitness challenge. For those who have not signed up, its not too late! Email us at poshlifeposhstyle@gmail.com and sign up today!

In order to keep our challengers motivated, I've decided to put together a few weight loss tips to help each challenger maximize their weight loss.

1. Aerobic exercise is great, but.....
For maximum weight loss you want to incorporate strength training into your program. The reality is this, our bodies burn 60-80% of the calories we ingest while sitting on our baddunks. That's right...the vast majority of the calories you burn come from you sitting on the couch watching Flavor of Love and General Hospital. Does this mean exercise is frivolous? Of course not. What this means is that in order to maximize your weight loss, you must increase your BMA (your resting metabolic rate). This is done by creating more muscle. For every pound of muscle you build your body burns an additional 50 calories. So let's say you create 6 pounds of muscle, your body is burning 300 more calories in order to feed that muscle...and that's while you're sitting on your butt! So does this mean you should cut out cardio and head straight to the weight machines? Not so much...everything in moderation people! The thing about aerobic exercises is this....it doesn't create muscle. Thus, you are only burning calories while you are exercising, not while you are resting. And after about 20 minutes of cardio, your body begins to burn not only fat tissue but muscle tissue as well, becoming slightly counter productive. Running is a great form of cardio (my favorite actually) and will help you to quickly shed poundage. But if your goal is for long term leanness, then weight training is essential to your workout regiment.

2. Protein, Protein, Protein (its not just for your hair)
Your body is actually a food snob. It favors some food over others for the silliest reasons such as where it is located on the food chain. Ok, that was only slightly a joke. But really, "between 10 and 30 percent of the calories you burn each day get burned by the simple act of digesting your food. But not all food is the same. Your body actually uses more calories to digest protein (about 25 calories burned for every 100 calories consumed) that it does to digest fats and carbohydrates (10 to 15 calories burned for every 100 calories consumed)." The Abs Diet For Women. Moreover, protein is essential to building muscle. So lean protein (such as fish, chicken, turkey, etc.) actually pack a double whammy.....you burn more calories digesting it than most other foods AND you build muscle which will in turn burn more calories. Now that's hot!

3. God created two-a-days for a reason
Its the same reason why all diets suggest eating smaller portions more often throughout the day....working out more than once a day means you rev up your metabolism more than once a day. Think about it like this...when you drive to pick up a friend, do you drive to their house, turn the car off, jump right back in the car, and then turn the car back on? No....of course not. Why? Because the act of turning the ignition on, then off, then on again uses more gas than if you allow the ignition to stay on the first time. The same concept applies to exercise. Revving your body up to run for 20 minutes in the morning and then doing it again in the evening will make you burn more calories than running for 40 minutes straight one time (and prevents the burning of valuable muscle tissue...see #1). So break up your workouts into two-a-days. Even if you can only do 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes after dinner...you will notice a huge difference in your weight loss as your body benefits from the extra metabolism boost!

4. Whey Protein will make you P.H.A.T
Ok, I'm on a roll tonight with the corny jokes, but in spite of that, its true. Whey protein is a great addition to your diet. Whey protein (typically found in Whole Foods or Trader's Joe's) is a type of animal protein that supports muscle building. I already stated the benefits of protein earlier, but whey protein is an extra special protein because it packs the most essential amino acids and the highest amount of protein for the fewest calories. I typically put about 2 scoops of whey protein in my smoothies before every workout. This is because a "2001 study at the University of Texas found that people who drank a shake containing amino acids and carbohydrates before working out increased their protein synthesis (their ability to build muscle) more than those who drank the same shake after exercising." Abs Diet for Women.

5. Read food labels carefully....
Typically we have been trained to look for things that are low fat and low calorie. Well, that's not all we need to be concerned with. In order to succeed on your weight loss journey (and not be miserably famished the entire time) you need to incorporate foods that are naturally high in fiber, high in protein, low in sodium, and low in sugar. Ok so I know some people read this and their eyes glazed over like, boooo...sounds like a doctor's report. Well, it helped me to know the reason why, maybe it will help you too: Fiber & protein help you to feel full longer (think of it as shopping at Sam's Club vs. Giant...you get more bang for your buck). So while a cheeseburger may have the same amount of calories as baked chicken and a cup of broccoli, an hour after eating that cheeseburger you'll be hungry again. However, the chicken and broccoli, due to their high protein and high fiber content will keep you satisfied well into your next meal and prevent mindless snacking. Moreover, foods high in sodium will make you retain water as your body attempts to flush all the salt out of the arteries....so....you'll look fatter than you really are. Kind of like walking around with one of those circus mirrors attached to your body....now that's just not a good look for anyone, is it? A diet high in sugar, specifically high fructose corn syrup, will actually MAKE you hungry. High fructose corn syrup increases your appetite. It shuts off your body's natural appetite control so you can eat and eat and eat way beyond your body's normal capacity. High fructose corn syrup is the villain. I'll say it again: HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS THE VILLAIN TO YOUR WEIGHT LOSS! Steer clear and read those labels carefully!

**********Can't remember the nutritional information for your favorite fast food spot or chain restaurant , no problem. Technology is a beautiful thing. Click here and find out how you can text your query and find out the nutritional content of your favorite indulgences.*******************

That's it for now...stay tuned for more inspirational posts for a successful weight loss/get fit journey! Read More......

I despise grocery shopping. Seriously, I can get by on Cap N Crunch Crunch berries and Red Kool-Aid mixed with ginger ale for the rest of my life. However when I do go shopping I like to check out one spot...Whole Foods. As a single man, I must say that you will find the most attractive women at Whole Foods. Shameless plug, I know but I have to call it like I see it. Plus they have free wireless. I digress, sorry. Anyway, Whole Foods is a supermarket with fresh produce, meat and fish counters, canned goods, a bakery, a deli, and wine in many of their stores. Here is the thing about Whole Foods: you either love it or hate it.

As an MBA student I have come up with the following equation to help you with your shopping experience and here it is: Whole Foods = Whole Paycheck.

When I was young my first summer job was working at Krogers. Whole Foods is not a Krogers. It’s better. In fact it’s better than Publix, Giant, etc. Grant it that Whole Foods = Whole Paycheck, I like to call it the Pottery Barn of supermarkets. I mean in some cultures Whole Foods has replaced churches and cathedrals as the most important and relevant buildings in the community. It’s like the United Nations right in the inner city. Okay enough with the CHR monologue.

Whole Foods is a food retailer of "natural" and organic products including produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, beer, wine, cheese, whole body, floral, pet products, and household products. “What is the difference between organic and natural food?” Many people think that there is no difference between the two and both mean the same. But this is not true. If you compare organic and natural from their definitions, the difference will be clear.

Organic food refers to food items that are produced, manufactured and handled using organic means defined by certifying bodies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Organic Food Products Act. Natural food, on the other hand, generally refers to food items that are not altered chemically or synthesized in any form. These are derived from plants and animals. Thus a natural food item is not necessarily organic and vice versa.

But the important question is - "Why do some people prefer organic food and some people prefer natural food?" This is because some people have the belief that synthesizing a food item results in loss of its nutrients and properties. Hence they demand natural foods. Organic food fans, on the other hand, want their food to be free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives.

Besides food, at Whole Foods you are fortunate to witness an outrageously large section of vitamins, supplements, and natural oils. There are natural, handmade soaps which give these stores a unique and uniform smell. It's the kind of place that makes you feel like you need to change your whole lifestyle — for the better, mostly — just to sync up with it.

Perhaps you doubt these words. Perhaps you are like: Oh please, enough about Whole Foods already, it's just a ridiculously expensive grocery store that deserves its "Whole Paycheck" nickname for how effortlessly it drains your bank account and feeds your buppie ego and shuts out the poor, just a high concept pseudo-liberal cultural irritant that actively excludes a huge segment of the populace that simply can't afford its massive markup on hothouse cucumbers and organic muffins and whipped chocolate tofu. Sneer and hiss and moan.

I mean lawd jayzus. Merely skimming the company's own press releases, reading up on its various foundations, its commitment to transparency in how it does business and the issues it faces as a so-called "do-gooder" company, its current No. 5 ranking in the Forbes list of the 100 best companies to work for, its surprisingly progressive positions on supporting local farmers and promoting sustainability, commitment to community, its overall dedication to minimizing chemicals and additives, well, it's tough not to sit back and go: Wait, if they can do it, why the can't this be the way of American business overall?

In CHR words, I don't care that Whole Foods isn't for everyone. I don't care if you think it's unbearably snooty or subconsciously pretentious or that it caters only to a certain upscale clientele or that you can't buy giant bags of Doritos and four-gallon drums of Cherry Coke there. Blind cynicism, in this case, is just way too easy.

Curse Whole Foods' apparently genuine concern for the quality of your entire food experience all you want. The bottom line is fairly irrefutable: We should fall on our all-American gluttonous knees right this minute in a devout collective wish, a giant wail of hope that more corporations follow in Whole Foods' footsteps.

Whole Foods' success has forced such stores as Giant, Krogers, and Publix to redesign their stores and soften their brutal lighting and improve the quality of their offerings, as they add organic produce and healthy food aisles and even rethink their business ethos by actually becoming a bit more accountable to their customers. Sweet baby jayzus, how horrible.

Did I mention the women?

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Girl...whats your number. Brotha here's my number...whats yours?

No P.O.S.H. isnt trying to holla, holla, holla atcha. We need to educate ourselves on the silent killer called blood pressure.

Blood pressure is how your blood is circulated through your blood vessels and is one of the principal vital signs. Your blood pressure is directly affected by stress , nutritional factors, drug use, or disease.

High blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension. High blood pressure directly increases your chances of having a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and other life-threatening illnesses. Pre hypertension begins at 120-29 over 80-89. High blood pressure begins at 140/90.

Optimal blood pressure for a healthy American is 120 over 80; however the average American's blood pressure is 130 over 85 and the average American dies of a heart attack. Your mamma told you not to be average. Here is why.

Little known fact:
African-Americans have higher blood pressure because when Africans were taken as slaves across the Middle Passage, the African Americans who survived were the ones who could hold more salt in their bodies. Those who perished were those who could not hold that high salt content in their bodies.

So the very thing which "saved us" is now causing our deaths. African Americans are most likely to develop high blood pressure than any other racial or ethnic group.

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Cocoa Diva hasn't forgotten about you. Here is a little healthy food info to keep you hanging in there until my next wowzer of an article.

We know that fast food isn’t good for us. But some restaurants have simply gone overboard with the amount of fat, salt, calories, and carbs they’ve managed to pack into a meal. Below are the worst of the worst.

Breakfast of Caloric Champions: Denny’s Smoked Sausage Slam. This is the meal to eat if you like pig products: two eggs scrambled with chopped bacon, diced ham, and crumbled sausage, then topped with cheddar cheese. All rounded out with two strips of bacon, two sausage links, hash browns, and two fluffy buttermilk pancakes. The amount of sodium in this pile of pig garbage is enough to last you two days … if you don’t die of a heart attack first.

A better bet: Two eggs, bacon, and toast. It ain’t health food, but it won’t be a day’s worth of calories either.

Worst Thing You Can Eat with a Spoon: KFC Mashed Potato BowlThe KFC bowl is for those who can’t be bothered with a plate. It’s a tub filled with mashed potatoes, layered with sweet corn, and “loaded” with pieces of fried chicken. To add insult to injury, they dump “home-style” gravy and cheese on top. I have a feeling this thing comes out in your toilet bowl looking the exact same way it went in.

A better bet: avoid KFC altogether.

Worst Meal in Tin Foil: Chipotle Barbacoa Super BurritoThe other day my coworkers and I went to Chipotle. It was all shits and giggles while we were eating—“hey, pass the guac!” “want some more chips?!”—but then about an hour later, things went terribly wrong. Our stomachs hurt. Our mouths puckered. I drank about a gallon of water but couldn’t seem to quench my thirst. The bathroom stunk.

I think it’s ironic that Chipotle sponsors a biking team. No athlete would ever eat there.
A better bet: Cut the monster in half and share it.

Money Well Spent: Carl’s Jr. Bacon Cheese Six Dollar BurgerA day’s worth of fat in one meal—not bad for six bucks. Of course, if you eat this, you probably shouldn’t eat anything for the rest of the day.
A better bet: A regular Carl’s hamburger.

Worst Italian Offense: Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s Personal Pan PizzaThe “personal” in this title makes one assume you’re supposed to eat the whole thing yourself. And then you do. And people wonder why we have an obesity epidemic.

A better bet: Veggie Lover’s—it’s “only” 560 calories.

Just Wrong, Mate: Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese FriesAre the Aussies trying to mock us by giving us something they know we could never possibly work off in one day? Even if you split this monster of a fat bomb with three friends—it’s still just a side dish, and you’d still be packing away almost one thousand calories each. That’d take about two hours of kangaroo chasing in the outback just to burn off. Problem is, we ain’t got no outback in the US of A.

A better bet: Share the cheese fries with ten people instead.

Worst Dessert: Outback’s Chocolate Thunder from Down UnderI don’t mean to pick on Outback (who now no longer posts their nutritional information), but what were they thinking with this name? It reminds me of what happens after you’ve eaten there, not something you’d like to end a meal with. To burn this off you’d have to run for over two hours. Hmm … an apple isn’t sounding so bad after all.

A better bet: I would never feed this to a child, but you could order the Spotted Dog Sundae off the kid’s menu, and split it with another adult. It has 730 calories and 27 grams of saturated fat; diet food compared to the Thunder.

Worst Mash-Up: Sonic Drive-in Fritos Chili Pie940 calories for chili? Well, I guess if you make it with Fritos chips and throw in a piecrust, anything is possible.
A better bet: A bowl of chili—without the Fritos.

Worst Appetizer: Chili’s Awesome BlossomChili’s is all sorts of wrong. The one and only time I ate there, I almost dove over the table and made the waitress give me my money back, it was so bad. It’s clear now I was just in a salt and sugar-induced rage. Even with their crappy food laden with sodium, fat, and emulsifiers, you’ve got to admire them. How they turned a simple onion into a day’s worth of calories and three days worth of fat is a miracle of food science.

A better bet: Skip the appetizer. Your meal will most certainly contain more calories, fat, and carbs than you’ll need for a week or so.

Smallest Slice of Sin: Baker’s Square Chocolate Caramel Peanut Crunch PieA day’s worth of saturated fat in a slice of pie. Yowsers.
A better bet: Apple pie. At least there’s fruit in it.


Worst Hot Dog: Wienershnitzel Pastrami DogIt’s scary to top a hot dog with pastrami; it’s even scarier to think there is someone in this world that eats it. (Though it has been years since I’ve seen a Wienershnitzel.)
A better bet: Turkey Mustard Dog—only has 240 calories, and no weird red meat hanging off the sides.

Worst Onion Ring: White Castle Home-Style Onion RingsRings are supposed to accompany a main meal, but this snack has enough calories and fat to hold its own. Though some major fast food chains have made the move to rid their food of trans fats, the type of fat that really has it in for your heart, White Castle apparently hasn’t—30 grams of the bad stuff.
A better bet: Take a white castle slider and throw it across a room. Those things fly!

Truly, this is the short list of bad items at America’s popular restaurants; the long list would encompass most of their menus. Eating at a Chili’s, Outback, or any big fast food or chain restaurant should come with some sort of warning sign, a prescription for high blood pressure medication, a membership at a gym, or at the very least, prominently displayed nutritional information. Now that would be hard to stomach.

This was originally seen on Divine Caroline http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22177/44294-worst-artery-cloggers-america?CMP=ILC-MstLkedWdgt Read More......

I grew up Seventh-day Adventist. A unique part of Adventist doctrine is the emphasis on health. We follow the Levitical laws concerning clean and unclean meats, while actually promoting a vegetarian diet. In fact, most American Adventist churches you visit won’t even serve meat. Adventists were among the first in America to come up with veggie food. While veggie burgers have become mainstream in the past few years, I’ve been eating it my entire life. And, Adventists live about 8 years longer than the average American.

We grew up with a knowledge of scripture concerning health. Your body is not your own but the temple of the Holy Spirit so honor God with your body. In whatsoever you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. All these scripture were preached from the pulpit. We had a health and temperance department in the church, attended health fairs, and cooking classes. Sometimes to a fault, health teachings could almost seem legalist.

Over the past few years, I’ve been more influenced by the Charismatic tradition. In this tradition, the most you hear about health is “God can heal you.” Lay hands on the sick and they will recover. The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up and if he has sinned he will be forgiven. By Jesus’ stripes, you are healed. And, it is all true; healing is the children’s bread.

For a season, there was some reconciliation that I needed to do between the two traditions. I remember being in an Adventist church service and the pastor talked as though health and healing only came through your adherence to the health message. I left the service up in arms. What about faith and the supernatural? We have the same power and authority as Jesus, God is the one who heals all of our diseases! Then I watched those that preach healing, speak healing, and refuse to live or eat healing.

I remember being in the hospital room of a church member, a man of God. He’d had two heart attacks, and was in the hospital down the street from my job. I went to see him everyday. One day he stared off and said, “I remember God used to tell me, ‘You gotta take better care of your body. You need to start eating right and exercising.’ I just never did it.” He had one more heart attack before he eventually passed. Maybe a year later, God was talking to me about his goodness and how he doesn’t do bad things. He brought back to my remembrance that conversation in that hospital room. God began to minister to me that the heart attacks were not his plan and he didn’t do it; but, rather, God told him how to prevent them. It wasn’t a critique on this man’s spirituality, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But, rather, God was revealing his goodness and the balance.

I will forever believe in the healing power of God; in the same way, I’ll always believe in the blessing of obedience. The two are not at odds with each other. God’s laws are not arbitrary neither is his counsel. As Christians, we are not under the law, but rather grace. In his grace and goodness, God gave us counsel on how to do better. So, why not do it? The supernatural can and does supersede the natural. God’s grace makes up for what we lack; it makes up for our disobedience. But, grace is not an excuse for disobedience or a reason to remain in ignorance. God does not use his power override our laziness. God does require of us to do better. God has rule in every part of our life. He’s not just worried about whether or not you are doing the “big” sins; he’s working in us to make us better…mind, body, and spirit. Read More......

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The male ego can sometimes be a good thing, driving us to succeed in our careers, to excel in athletic competition, etc. But, with a few exceptions, this ego creates more problems than not. And no where else is this more evident than on the yoga mat. Well, yoga is hard.

You can’t master it. You can’t beat it. You can’t beat anyone at it. And it’s humbling. Even the most basic poses continue to challenge long-time practitioners. This reality is difficult to swallow for many men, who are used to competitive sports where there is always a way to judge/measure one’s own performance, and where there must always be a way to beat out the next guy.

To do yoga, then, is really to adopt an entirely new way of thinking, a way of thinking that is different and maybe even contrary to the way that men are accustomed to thinking in our Western society. A great misconception about yoga especially in the African American community is that “real” men don’t ever do yoga. This is just not the case. Yoga training is becoming increasingly common today in the U.S. military (and, again, not just for the stretching and relaxation).

In addition to the fact that “real” men do in fact practice yoga today, throughout most of the history of yoga, it’s actually been the case that only “real” men practiced yoga. One of my teachers often tells us that yoga was used traditionally as a means for training warriors (who were all men) and that because of the great power yoga conferred on its practitioners, only a very select group of men were permitted access to it. I don’t know about the historical accuracy of yoga as training for warriors, but it is pretty well established that throughout its long history, yoga has been reserved for men, and usually only for those who exhibited great physical and mental prowess.

So, to wrap up, I have some final words for those skeptical men out there who are reluctant to try yoga. First, and most importantly, forget about all the images you have in your head about yoga from TV shows, commercials, and magazines — these are, for the most part, constructed images that falsely represent what yoga is and what it can be for you. To find out what yoga is, just go to a yoga class and try it out.

Also, be aware that not all yoga classes and teachers are alike, so if you go to a class and find that it is a lot of relaxation and very little exercise (and “real” exercise is what you’re looking for), then try out a different class. Lastly, don’t be afraid of being a beginner. It takes years and years of dedicated yoga practice to really be able to hold your own in an advanced class. Accept this reality, and you can set off on the rewarding and challenging journey that is yoga. Let your ego get in the way, however, and you’ll find yourself continually frustrated and unable to get much out of your yoga experience.

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• Maintain a diet lower in carbs and higher in lean protein - Protein builds muscle and helps in burning calories. Everyone loves pasta and bread but these foods may just hurt you in the weight loss process. Good carbs are fine, these are vegetables and whole grain products. You should eat 3 servings of vegetables and limit other carbs to around one serving.


• Exercise - You should try get some cardio into your life at minimum 3 times a week. Its ok if you are new to exercising. If you need help and don't understand the equipment get a trainer or just ask someone in the gym. Don't worry about how you look working out or if you feel too chunky. No one is worried about your size. Everyone there is trying to fix some part of their body so you are not alone. EVERYONE needs weight training. If you are new to exercise start off with Cardio and work your way to free weights or machines.


• Eat 5-6 times a day - This means 3 meals and at least 2 snacks. Your metabolism is like fuel in your car. If you drove your car all day and ran out of gas your car would not be a happy camper. This is just like your body which needs fuel to run. If you starve yourself or do not eat enough during the day, your body goes into starvation mode. This means it holds on to any little bit of food you put in it because it doesn't know when the next meal is coming. This is how you gain weight.


• Eat Breakfast- Breakfast means breaking your fast. Your body goes into starvation mode during the night. Food revs up your body for the day and provides you with the essential nutrients and calories needed to get you on your way during the day. Skipping breakfast slows your metabolism because your body has no fuel. No breakfast is a sure way to slow down your weight loss goals. You don't need a whole meal. Grab a lower sugar fruit or a protein shake and be on your way.


• Drink 6-8 Glasses of water a day- Water is good for your body. It clarifies the skin and flushes out toxins within the body. Many times when you are feeling ravenous, it may just be your body is in need of water. You may just need a nice cool glass instead of that piece of pie. When you start drinking the right amount of water you will feel when your body craves it.


• Take it one day at a time - You are not a failure if you fall off the wagon one day. So, you lost your mind and ate too many slices of pizza or had too many cookies. Tomorrow is another day!! You can begin again and hit the gym and start over the next day. DON'T QUIT!


• Make short term goals and reward yourself when you reach them - Monthly goals are usually a good way to go. If it takes you a little longer to reach you goal so be it. You can't force your body to go where you want it to go, you can only help it along. Once you hit your goal. Go Celebrate. Buy that new dress or electronics or go on that trip. This is the best way to want to keep moving forward with your journey. Hard work deserves praise!


• Keep a Food Journal - Write down everything you eat in a monthly journal. This is the best way to hold yourself accountable for what you eat everyday. When you write down what you have eaten everyday then you can't conveniently forget the bad things you ate to throw you off your diet. The food journal also allows you to notice your eating patterns. Maybe you are a late night snacker, or go crazy at lunch. Once you recognize your patterns you can get deeper in the trenches with yourself. Keep track of your weight in the journal


• Love your curves- embrace those thick hips, thighs, that belly, and your arms. If you don't love yourself and want to lose weight for you, the journey becomes that much more difficult. Weight loss does not happen over night. If you can't love you where you are now....your journey will be difficult and discouraging when you hit plateaus or you lose slower than you will like. Love you every step of the way!!
  

Let us know what you think! Have any extra tips? P.O.S.H. would love to hear about it!

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