“BLACK” HISTORY & HEART DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH

“BLACK” HISTORY & HEART DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH

The word “black” is quoted because I am coming to learn that, that is a term that was given to my people but that is not necessarily what our color is or even who we are! As we were once niggers, coloreds, “black”, and now “African American” as well. I would be remiss to go through this month and not blog about “Black” History. This month is also dedicated to raising awareness to heart disease so I will try to incorporate something about both in all of my blogs this month.

President Barack Obama is the 8th“black” President of the United States of America. Yes you read that correctly, he is the 8th. As the saying goes one ounce of “black” blood makes one “black!”

1. John Hanson (a Moor)was actually the 1st President of the United States, he served from 1781 – 1782 and he was black. The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation. This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land).Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress.As President, Hanson ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as removal of all foreign flags. He established the Great Seal of the United States, which all Presidents since have been required to use on all Official Documents. He declared that the 4th Thursday of every November to be Thanksgiving Day, which is still true today. Even though elected, one variable that was never thought through was that America was not going to accept a Black President during the heart of the enslavement period. Enter George Washington.

2. Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd President of the United States, he served from 1801 – 1809 and he was black. His mother a half-breed Indian squaw and his father a mulatto (half white and half black) from Virginia. He fathered numerous children with Sally Hemmings, a mulatto slave with whom he lived with in Europe.

3. Andrew Jackson was the 7th President of the United States. He served from 1829 – 1837 and he was black. His mother was a white woman from Ireland who had Andrew Jackson with a black man. His father’s other children (Andrew Jackson’s stepbrother) was sold into slavery.

4. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, he served from 1861 – 1865 and he was black. His mother was from an Ethiopian Tribe and his father was an African American. It was told that his father was Thomas Lincoln, a man to cover the truth, but he was sterile from childhood mumps and was later castrated, making it impossible for him to have been his father. Lincoln’s nickname “Abraham Africa-nus the First.”

5. Warren Harding was the 28th President of the United States, he served from 1921 – 1923 and he was black. Harding never denied his ancestry. When Republican leaders called on Harding to deny his “Negro” history, he said, “How should I know whether or not one of my ancestors might have jumped the fence?”

6. Calvin Coolidge was the 29th President of the United States, he served from 1923 – 1929 and he was black. He proudly admitted that his mother was dark but claimed it was because of a mixed Indian ancestry. His mother’s maiden name was “Moor.” In Europe the name “Moor” was given to all Black people just as in America the name “Negro” was used.

7. Dwight E. Eisenhower was the 33rd President of the United States, he served from 1953 – 1961 and he was black. His mother, Ida Elizabeth Stover Eisenhower, an anti-war advocate, was half black.
(http://fookembug.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/the-seven-black-presidents-before-barack-obama/)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WAIST YOUR WAISTLINE & HEART HEALTH

A follower on Twitter was watching Dr. Oz and according to the good Dr. your waist line should be half the size of your height. Now I understand Dr. Oz’s point but I’m 5’3” which is 63” so that would mean my waist should be 31.5” I would look like sponge bob square pants! My waist the last time I measured it was 27” I want it to be 25” why because I have a bit of belly fat when I sit down.

Nevertheless, I understood where Dr. Oz was going with that as waist size plays a role in overall health including our hearts.Why would a cardiologist be so concerned with your waistline? The reason has less to do with how you look on the outside than it does with how you look on the inside. I'm worried about what prediabetes and diabetes are doing to your arteries. Both conditions can injure the lining of your vessels and accelerate the production of plaque, greatly increasing your risk of having a heart attacker stroke. (http://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-health/waistline-and-heart-health.aspx)

So ladies and gents….take a look at your waist line and determine if you need to get to work. Just because you are slimmer than most doesn’t mean that you aren’t at risk either. A friend of mine asked me: "Can Your Waistline Save Your Heart?" Here is my answer.People usually associate heart disease with overall obesity, but little is known by the general public about the direct link between waistline size and heart disease.It is a common misunderstanding that lean people with a cute "little tummy" are not at risk for a high blood pressure because they are not obese. This is wrong, because their waistline measurement would still be outside the normal range.

The bigger the "belly", the bigger the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Before you proceed to waistline measurement in order to assess your health risk, you need to know how to do it and what a normal range would be.Keep in mind that the words big waistline, central obesity, abdominal obesity, midsection obesity or big omentum mean the same thing. It means that there is fat around the midsection that should not be there. It means BELLY FAT. Waistline measurement is simple, inexpensive and a reliable way to assess your risk for heart disease at home.How to measure waistline?

Position the tape measure around your waist at the level of you navel. You can also use the hip bone as a guide-the tape should go above the hip bone.What is the normal waistline reading?Below are the healthy normal waistline numbers by gender (according to the International Diabetes Federation guidelines): Normal/healthy female waistline: Less than 32 inches (80 cm) Normal/healthy male waistline: Less than 38 inches (94cm)If you don't have a tape measure you can divide your height in inches by two.

Your waistline needs to be that number or smaller in inches.While both waistline measurement and BMI assess your overall obesity, ONLY the waistline measurement can assess the fat around the abdominal organs which is directly related to stress. The stress hormone cortisol comes into play here. Chronic stress leads to fat deposition in the abdominal area which results in belly fat. Researchers now know that if most of the fat is in the belly area, the heart risk is greater than if the fat resides in the hips, thighs or rear (sometimes referred to as the apple versus pear shape body type).

In summary: Yes, your waistline can save your heart if you keep an eye on it, set your priorities and find the best way to balance the stress in your life. To find out where you stand take the free Stress Level Test and measure your waistline(http://www.stress-fat-heart-solutions-for-boomers.com/can-your-waistline-save-your-heart-article-archives.html)


Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials