She’s a renowned nutrionist, best selling author, you’ve read her articles in all of your favorite magazines and you’ve seen her hosting her own shows on BET and TV-One along with appearing on network television such as ABC News. Recently BMWK spoke with nutritionist and health & fitness expert Dr. Ro.
40% of African Americans suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure and Dr. Ro is on a nationwide campaign to raise awareness on how people can get their blood pressure under control.
She says, “living a healthy lifestyle through diet with more physical activity is a big part of taking control of your own life and improving your outcome.”
She thinks that changing the way you think about food is also important. Dr Ro says “you should eat smaller meals more frequently instead of a large meat and potato style American meal and to also eat more colorful fruits and vegetables.”
If you feel overwhelmed with excerise Dr. Ro advises that you can start by simply putting one foot in front of the other and to start walking, It can be that simple. Also make it a family affair by taking your spouse or kids walking with you so it’s just not the burden of one person in the house.
For more details you can go to Dr. Ro’s website that offers insight and information on high blood pressure at www.goforbpgoal.com. Here are a few tricks from the website on how to sneak in healthier eating habits:
- Cook large amounts on the weekend and freeze portioned meals for the week
- Keep raw and frozen veggies in the house for snacks
- Add plenty of vegetables to soups, stews, and sandwiches
- Substitute spinach (or any dark leafy vegetable) for iceberg lettuce
- Drink 100% fruit or vegetable juice instead of soda
- Add grated carrots or peppers to sauces
We’d like to thank Dr. Ro for speaking with us and to also let you know to stay on the lookout for a special couple’s spotlight with Dr. Ro and her husband in the near future.
Sharon says
Thanks, for this artical I needed this and it can right on time, have not been doing what I’m surpose to do and my pressure is up, was out of meds, but now I’m back on track and have added at http://www.goforbpgoal.com, to my favorites. Again Thanks.
And keep up the good work,
Peace and Much Love
Sharon
TheDad says
Glad we were able to help with you getting back on track and Sharon, please take care of yourself 🙂
TheDads last blog post..BMWK Speaks With Dr. Ro About High Blood Pressure
Anna says
I will admit I don’t exercise. I get mine by having a 2 story home with a basement(and a walk up attic)with laundry facilites and no laundry shoot. I love to cook in my George Forman grill and also bake more vs frying. I drink water for breakfast, at work and at lunch time. The black community has the biggest number of ppl with heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure than any other race. I try to make sure my family is fed healthy especially my hubby. He is getting older and I don’t want his health to be a part of our marriage. He goes to the gym twice a week. But he also gets a work out at work, where as I sit in my office chair all day, until I have to go to the back of the office to pull a file or fax something. I have exercise equipment on the second story of my home. My hubby says he is going to sell them on ebay. Yeah right. I know I need to do better. My mom died of a heart attack as her father and her brother and her other oldest brother has had a couple heart attacks and also has diabetes. (This is the white side of my family). I can say that we in America are in love with fast food and in my city don’t remember what magazine said it but our men are the most unhealthy. My city always gets #1 for negativity. That’s ok. Home Extreme Make Over was here last week and built a mini mansion for a fire fighter his minister wife and their 11 sons. 5(or 4) kids were adopted from Haiti and the project included us to donate for the devastation that is going on over there. The show will air in Nov. if anyone wants to peek it out. We have seen everything thus far including “move that bus” we just have not been able to see inside the house. Also our University gave all 11 boys a free ride to college. If that does not make you cry you really need a heart. LOL. Of the 11 kids they have all but 3 are biological. 5 families in my city were on the list for the make over. They chose this family and too bad we did not get to see those not chosen. I can say one thing about my city. We do chip in and help when we know or hear one in crisis. Not that this is an issue, the family chosen are white parents who opened their home to 8 extra kids. I can say that I am the neighborhood mom on my block but only thing is I CAN SEND THEM HOME WHEN I GET TIRED. LOL. It makes me feel like a million bucks when I pull up from work after a hard days work and I have kids who can’t wait for me to get out the car to give me a hug. (Of course I have conditioned them many yrs ago). I give the first person $1 to help me bring my groceries or papers from work in the house. ( I just started this this summer) it’s ok, they know there’s a treat in the bags, so those who don’t get the dollar still get a treat.
I can say that I do spend time with the kids who adopted me. I don’t care what color they are, when I come home from work we sit around and watch “Good Times. I wish they would bring back “The Jeffersons”. The neighbor kids and I do also watch “Amen”. Their parents know their kids are in good hands and know that when they are MIA they are at my house. But the best part is my hubby never complains that when he comes home there are extra kids in our home that I did not birth. He loves kids as much as I do and after being married for over 11 yrs. He accepts me and will interact with the kids as I do. They honesly adoped us and we are so greatful for it. As I stated earliler “I CAN SEND THEM HOME”. Talk about the best of both worlds.
Too funny. My son went to pick up my youngest from college. It took me a minute (a minute in real time to a kid is a long time) to finish my comment. I had to talk about school and catch up. let her read it and she approves this message. Wow in talking with my 19 yr old visiting, guess what? She is here to do laundry. That is OK, me and the hubby have been adopted by the kids who really live in the neighborhood. LOL.
tina says
You can do all the right things, but if you are under a lot of unmanaged stress, your blood pressure can still be high. I know too many people who are exercising and eating right and doing everything mentioned yet still have high blood pressure due to all the stress in their lives. Learning how to successfully manage stress would help tremendously, but it’s rarely ever mentioned whenever people talk about blacks and high blood pressure.
tinas last blog post..Tina Update 9.24