During my freshman year of college, Cornel West, the renowned philosopher, had been invited to speak at a campus event. My Black friends buzzed with excitement and rushed to secure tickets to his lecture. When a friend offered to get me a ticket, I hesitated and noted that I didn’t know who West was.
As a Black psychiatrist, I often feel haunted by the prescriptions I offer my patients to salve the anxiety they feel in the face of police brutality or the uptick in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Yet agitation in the face of oppression is healthy. Racism is the disease.
StatNews.com
“You don’t know who Cornel West is?” she asked, incredulous that I was unaware of him and his contributions to American culture. My friend went on to explain that West was one of the most brilliant intellectuals and political activists of our time. As Black students at Harvard, we were standing on his shoulders.
Four years ago, during a sticky New York summer, I anxiously sat in the lobby of the clinic waiting to meet my new therapist. Glued to the torn pleather couch in front of the rattling AC (which did nothing to relieve the heat and I was convinced was only there for show), I wondered what this mysterious person would be like. Will they be nice? Will we get along? Will they really listen? ……………………………..
For seniors and their children – preparation is the key to a healthy future
New research indicates that African Americans and other people of color have twice the risk of getting Alzheimer’s due primarily to diet and lack of proper medical care. With the expected number of folks estimated to swell just when our health care system may have to shrink it’s offerings and accessibility, it’s action time, people.
Here are the steps that will get you started:
Get moving! The number 1 way to combat cognitive decline is to keep the blood flow going and keep the brain busy. After the initial resistance, your muscles, joints and nervous system will wake up with the right level workout. Run it by your health provider. Start small and work your way up. Check out YouTube, phone apps, the local Y or community center. They may all have online offerings to get you started.
Use it or lose it, when it comes to the brain. So crossword puzzles aren’t your thing, but haven’t you always wanted to learn to draw, bead or do woodworking? There are plenty of online classes to get you started or just start experimenting with your computer paint program or different pens, pencils and paper. Practice makes the eye perfect in figuring out how to draw. The more you draw, the better you get.
Also, online brain games, like Lumosity, are fun, challenging and stimu- lating. They guide you towards strengthening your weak spots and you will actually see changes in how you handle things in everyday life. You’re never too old!
Getting older is like being a car that goes from automatic to manual. You gotta do things intentionally that your body used to do without thinking. Stretch! Want to remember things. Write them down. Put up a calendar that you can write on. Set the timer on your stove before you walk away from that pot. Learn how to use some of the new technology. It will help you organize everything.
Get the tools you need to know what your body is doing. Every senior needs a blood pressure cuff, thermometer and even an oximeter at home. Know what foods affect your blood sugar so that you can avoid them. You shouldn’t wait until your next scheduled medical appointment to find that a new menu item is driving your blood pressure sky high. Check out the Apple watches along with other less expensive devices you can wear on your body to know and track those life saving numbers!
Put the brakes on eating everything you want all the time. There is no other part of your life where you can do whatever you want- no holds barred! Your body won’t tolerate it when it comes to food either. The ingredients corn syrup (also in sodas) and hydrogenated fats (like in baked goods) in processed foods are said to be the two top foods that contribute to Alzheimer’s.
Most folks pay more attention to what they put in their cars than what they put in their bodies. Oh, and the Food Pyramid was obviously designed by food manufacturers. It’s led us to an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. We have some ideas on this site about how to get and stay healthy at any age.
With all due respect for the many physicians out there who have sacrificed their whole lives to help you, you still have to be a smart consumer of medical care. Your doctor cannot know and tell you everything. Living is a participation sport. You have to take responsibility for tracking symptoms, your daily behaviors and all the stuff you try to forget as soon as you eat it or do it. People are quick to defend their health with, “Well my doctor said I am fine!” Uh-huh, but your doctor doesn’t know that you work 60 hours a week, skip breakfast, don’t sleep well and can’t walk a city block without looking for somewhere to sit down. You can change your physical and mental health now. It may take time, because you have to be aware of your inner misguider, but YOU CAN DO IT! Here are the facts you need to get started……..
Last, (for the moment) but not least, eliminate the sure enough unnecessary stress in your life. Give others a little grace when they don’t perform as hoped for. Give yourself the time and understanding that you deserve. Let things get done “in due time”, as you keep moving forward at a comfortable pace. Let go of people and things that cause you anxiety.
If the last year or two has left you with a little more weight than what you had planned for this point in your life – here’s the remedy and the plan
Our favorite nutrition expert and a woman with a plan, ChicagoanTracye McQuirter, has a new book and one of the most thorough and appetizing plans to improve your dinner table status than we can remember. We’ve featured her on our home page for years because we feel like you would be in good hands with the food info that she has so smartly put together.
ByAnyGreensNecessary.com’s Tracye McQuirter
Now we know that some of you are not interested in giving up meat but there is little reason to not learn how to make vegetables equal partners on your plate. If we seasoned and approached cooking veggies the way we do meat and seafood, it wouldn’t take long for them to become healthy preferences.
Tracye’s got an even better deal for this year we are stepping into. Check out her site and try out her plan. There is a wonderful guide to download for free. It will get you started on putting some soul in your food, the lite, right way.
Suicide rates and risks for black children are rapidly rising during the isolation of the pandemic. Here’s 5 things you can do to help your child manage this time in a healthy way
These habits form anchors that will help your child feel secure in a time of uncertainty and disconnection.
Help your child come up with a daily affirmation to remind her or him of what’s great about themselves. For example, if empathy is their strength, they might say to themselves, “I am Correctly Caring. I enjoy being kind to others.” Or simply to associate their name with one of their great qualities, like “I am the Marvelous Marky!” or “I am Awesome Anika!”
Spend 2 minutes in the morning to hold hands and say a prayer for the day. It can be a simple statement of intention like, “Today we will focus on learning one new thing that will help us grow and be wiser”. Then talk about it in the evening to help them become more aware of the value in each day.
Put up a calendar for your child. Decide with them what you are going to track. Maybe finishing tasks, maybe good grades, maybe new ideas they’ve created. Mark those that your child has achieved over each week. As you continue to do this, your child can see a string of accomplishments. Maybe even have a monthly “Awards” ceremony! .
Eat at least one meal together during which each child gets a few minutes to talk about whatever they would like you to listen to. You must not interrupt and you should express appreciation for their statements, whatever they are.
Arrange for either outdoor or video play dates on a weekly basis. Some of these will be with other children but can also be with a grandparent or family friend. The video play date can include a movie, online game, dance exercise, shared online drawing, etc.
The underlying purpose is to give an underlying consistency to schedules and routines that are subject to change. For a child to know that each and every day counts as a new opportunity to achieve, to enjoy and to learn helps them see their purpose. Where they learn and with whom might change but what you have set up at home doesn’t have to. Kids also learn that while some days aren’t so great, there’s always good days to balance life out. We’ll add more later
Find the best black therapists, black counselor or African American psychologist near you
