Day 12 – What's a carbohydrate?

There are two types of carbohydrates--simple sugars and complex starches--and they are everywhere: in some dairy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, beverages, vegetables, grain products, fruits, and cereals. Our bodies need carbohydrates for fuel. The digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates in food into glucose, which is then distributed to the muscles for energy. Carbohydrate-rich foods are diet staples because they are abundant and cheap (compared to meat, poultry, and fish). We use them to stretch our meals and, best of all, they make us feel full. Caution: Following the trip to the muscles, the glucose then parks in the liver and fat cells. Mainstream women's magazines talk a lot about eating pasta, beans, and baked potatoes, and it's OK for you to take their advice if you're exercising regularly and if you do not have a sensitivity to carbohydrates. Otherwise, you're going to have a lot of big, energized fat cells on your thighs!

Like my mama used to say, moderation in all things is the key to health and happiness.

Day 11 – Junk-proof the fridge.

"Girl, it's a rough world out there. I got to protect myself."
Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world without temptation? No lasagna commercials, no skinny models to piss us off, no uncooperative mates and friends--just peace and love. Oh well. Truth is, temptations specifically designed to throw us off our program are lurking behind every corner, candy wrapper, and women's magazine cover. But we can fight. We must take responsibility for meeting our goals. That means building support mechanisms into our life. Look for a support group, a new job if need be, new friends. Get the kids to buy in to what you're doing for yourself. Tell them what you need them to do and say. Don't have junk food lying around the house. Try keeping fresh fruit around instead. For all the factors that you can control, take charge. And for all those that you can't, go with the flow.

I am going to protect myself from anything that would undermine my progress today.

Day 10 – Did the devil make you eat it?

The devil made me do it.
--Geraldine (a.k.a. Flip Wilson)
When we first started hearing about the widespread occurrence of heart disease in America, we were told that we had to reduce the risk factors in our immediate environment that were causing the disease. Risk factors, like the devil, make us do bad when we want to do good. They also increase the possibility of harm. Our communities abound with risk factors: alcohol and tobacco billboards, pollution, landfills, and fast-food joints. Our refrigerators are full of junk food, alcohol, and lard. Our homes encourage sedentary living, with a TV in every room. On the whole, we have not yet internalized the behaviors and beliefs that would protect us from obesity, sickness, and disease. Granted, your environment can never be completely risk-free, but you can begin to eliminate those things (and people) that sabotage your efforts to become healthy and free.

Nothing is going to sabotage my eating and exercise program today.

Day 9 – Plan to work, and work to plan.

Goals are great for defining the vision of where you want to go in life, but how you will get there is critical to making your goals a reality. Goals are nothing without a plan of action to move you from point A to point B. Determine first where you are--your health status (now would be a good time for a checkup), your weight, and your fitness level (can you walk briskly without passing out?). Look at the areas that need strengthening and determine how to proceed. If you can't walk and talk at the same time, it's time to start exercising. Short of breath all the time, but you're still smoking? You know what to do--quit! Much too heavy, and you know it? Do your research. Look into the many food programs (diet is now a bad word) and determine which one would be best for you.

I will create my health and fitness action plan today!

Day 8 – Visualize your healthy, cute body.

It is written that Black folks don't plan beyond next week, much less twenty years down the road.
One of the weaknesses we Black people must collectively correct is our failure to make and follow through on our goals. We are a jazzy people, a go-with-the-flow type folk, which is fine, but unless you've got a plan, you're going to flow right on out to nowhere. The process of defining and writing down your goals is a tool of empowerment. To strengthen our communities we must create short- and long-term goals. To restore our bodies, we must have a short-term goal that defines our desire to reach our destination of health and fitness and a long-term goal that defines a maintenance plan. Write down your body goals and tape them everywhere so you won't forget--on your bedpost, on your refrigerator, on your mirrors. Tomorrow we'll discuss how to manifest those goals.

I have a vision! I know where I want to go. I will document my goals.

Day 7 – Make peace with your body.

"I'm fat." "My breasts sag." "My thighs look like cottage cheese." "I look like I'm pregnant." "Is that my butt?"
Making peace with our bodies in this Age of Barbie is an uphill battle for those of us who do not fit the mold. The Black woman's struggle is particularly keen, given the ample ways our bodies refuse to conform to the standard. The prelude to inner peace is the calling of a truce to the war raging within our souls. Cease firing criticisms at your body today. Stop it right now. Your body is precious, has carried you through thick and thin. Make peace with your body. Lavish praise on your body. Look in the mirror and tell your naked body that it's a beautiful body. Sink deeply into a tub of bubbles. Get a massage. Your toes deserve a pedicure. Learn to love your body. Exercise it. Pamper it. As you give your body a much deserved rest, it will reward you with health, strength, and vitality.

Today I will chill and make peace with my body. It's a good beginning.

Day 6 – Will builder: Boycott food for a day.

Every once in a while, it's a good idea to go totally without food. No, you won't die. Fasting on water or pure fruit and vegetable juices will clean you out and strengthen your will, not to mention your body. Fasting will also give your digestive system some peace. Fasting can be a very intimidating experience, but it needn't be. Anticipating some of the initial discomforts should help calm your fears. For example, don't be surprised when, on the first day, you experience headaches, nausea, or other physical discomforts. This is your body cleansing itself of toxins. Drinking prune juice a day or two prior to fasting may help. The psychological discomforts, on the other hand, may be a bit more disconcerting. Part of the pleasure of eating is in the chewing. But the mind's ability to adapt to even this, the absence of food, is remarkable--and a blessing.

A little sacrifice is good for building my will. I will try fasting today, from dawn till dusk or for just one meal, whatever I can manage.