Revenge of the Curves

"Growing Your Own Food Is Like Printing Your Own Money" Guerilla Gardening in LA

 

Ron Finley, an artist who decided to grow a vegetable garden on the street in front of his South Central Los Angeles home, was once issued a citation and threatened with arrest for his efforts. Instead of backing down, he got the community - and the news media - on his side and suddenly, the citation disappeared. Finley's observations about living in a food desert where people die of curable diseases and drop-in dialysis centers "pop up like Starbucks" absolutely resonate with me. I am on a bus or a train in New Jersey and New York just about everyday and the differences couldn't be more stark. On the New Jersey Transit train or the PATH train, there are people of various economic circumstances who ride it every day. Most get on the train without assistance and either pull out their iPad or Kindle if they aren't reading a newspaper or listening to music with their earphones. When I'm on the bus in New Jersey riding through Newark, I often see relatively young people walking with the assistance of a cane or in a very basic wheelchair. When I say relatively young, I mean people as young as thirty or forty. Finley's observations - and his hilarious, matter-of-fact delivery, resonates with me on so many levels. Highly recommended.

Ron Finley in front of his garden.

Soul Food Junkies & Nikki Giovanni

Byron Hurt, the filmmaker who is probably best known for the documentary, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, has started an online fundraising campaign to complete his latest project, Soul Food Junkies.

Nikki Giovanni on beer, government secrets and the first black woman in space. And food:

We are foodies, my family and I. My grandmother was an extraordinary cook. Her miniature Parker House rolls have been known to float the roof off a flooded house in hurricane season. Grandpapa made pineapple ice cream so rich and creamy, with those surprising chunks that burst with citrusy flavor. My sister, Gary Ann, made spring rolls so perfectly the Chinese complained to the State Department, and my Aunt fries chicken just short of burning that has been known to make the Colonel denounce his own KFC. Mommy was the best bean cooker in this world—and still is, I’m sure, in the next. I do a pretty swell pot roast myself. We are, in other words, dangerous when it comes to food.

 

Ernestine Shepard is 72 and Runs 80 Miles a Day

Ernestine Sheperd is 72 years old. She runs 80 miles a week, lifts weights every day, and is a certified trainer. Among her many accolades is a first place showing in a body building competition. Talk about inspiration.

via www.fitsugar.com

This video has made the rounds, but I wanted to put it up to inspire those who may have missed it.

Can Michelle Obama Inspire Black Women To Get In Shape?

"Exercise is really important to me for the physical and mental benefits. With all the goodies folks share with you when you're campaigning, the gym is necessary."  Michelle Obama in Pink magazine Nov 2008

We love her clothes, her intelligence, her cute kids and that husband of hers with the big ears is pretty awesome too.  There has been article after breathless article of swooning Black women openly wishing for their very own Barack.

We also admire her slim, athletic shape.  Everyone has heard about the president's workouts (and seen pictures of him going to and from the gym) but the First Lady has stuck to a pretty solid workout routine as well, even with a hectic schedule.  She has recounted in several interviews how she would get up an hour before her family to make sure that she had time for herself, including exercise. Also, prior to her husband's presidential campaign - and during - the first lady worked out with her friend every morning at 4:30 a.m.

Too bad the same can't be said for everyone.  The statistics on American Black women and obesity are mind-boggling. According to a recent Surgeon General's report, 69% of non-Hispanic black women are overweight or obese compared to 58% of non-Hispanic black men.  There are also several underlying factors related to obesity that cross socioeconomic lines like eating out more often and increased television, computer, electronic gaming time.  There are also factors that  may disproportionately affect Black women in lower-income neighborhoods like a fear of crime which would prevent or limit outdoor exercise.  

There are other culturally-specific factors related to Black women that is often under reported.  For instance, a recent study by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that Black Americans were less likely to recognize overweight and obesity, study shows.  The study found that overweight Black Americans are two to three times more likely than heavy white Americans to say they are of average weight — even after being diagnosed as overweight or obese by their doctors, according to a new study led by  researchers.  Yet another study conducted with 103 Black women by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that 31% of them admitted to exercising less to avoid messing up their hair. 

Another set of researchers just laid it on the line and said that ALL African-American Women Could be Overweight by 2034.  "All" as in ninety-percent, but it is still alarming.

Mrs. Obama has stated that she would push for healthier food, if her husband makes it to the White House and now that he is there, I wonder how she plans to do it.  In February 2008, Mrs. Obama spoke with WebMD about eating healthy and her workout schedule:

How do you manage to work exercise into your busy schedule?
I make it a point to get in a good work out when we're home for a day or two between campaign trips. It's an incredible release and a priority for me.

Is it possible to eat healthy while you are campaigning? If so, how do you so it?
You know, it's tough. Really tough, when you spend a lot of time driving between stops and want to focus on meeting with voters and not sitting down to eat a healthy meal. But I make sure the girls eat right all the time, and I eat healthily when I'm home, so it's ok for a treat when we're working hard on the road.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure food?
French fries. Always.

So, I am wondering - especially if you are a Black woman.  Do you think Michelle Obama will inspire Black women to eat healthier and exercise more? Is she inspirational in this area to you?