Whether you're a broke college student like me, a single mom, or anything in between, living that healthy life in the big city is usually expensive and inconvenient. This blog will address some of the challenges to healthy living in the city, highlight the media coverage of these issues and give you a few tools to make the task of healthy living a little easier. Live long and prosper! But seriously.
The Greatest wealth is health. ~Virgil Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. ~World Health Organization, 1948 In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired. ~Author unknown He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors. ~Chinese proverb We drink to one another's health and spoil our own. ~Jerome K. Jerome A healthy body is the guest-chamber of a soul; a sick, its prison. ~Francis Bacon The best six doctors anywhere And no one can deny it Are sunshine, water, rest, and air Exercise and diet. These six will gladly you attend If only you are willing Your mind they'll ease Your will they'll mend And charge you not a shilling. ~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990
He's beautiful, he has an amazing voice, and he juices. Ladies and gentlemen, it doesn't get much better than Adam Lambert. But what you or I think about him really doesn't help us get through the ups and downs of life and its inevitable medical problems. However, juicing does. It's a popular fad for weight loss. Nowadays, everyone is trying a juice detox. I was so motivated last spring that I invested in a good juicer and went on a 10 day fast. I lost 10 lbs. in that time. It was brutal, but my body felt wonderful. The truth is, whole body well being is more important than shedding a few pounds for cosmetic reasons. If you clicked on that link to the juicer I bought, you might be thinking what I was initially thinking--this thing is too expensive and I just don't have the money for that. Besides that, fresh produce can get pretty pricey. Understandable. I'm a broke college student. I had to pay off that juicer over several months. Think of it in this way: you also can't afford medical issues that will lead to hospital bills and medications. This is especially true if you lack adequate health insurance. One mother told the story about her three-year-old daughter Desiree who was so plagued by her asthma that she was hospitalized regularly even while taking prescribed steroids, medications, and a rescue inhaler daily. These medical treatments did nothing to cure this little girl--they may have even made her worse. Natural News reported:
Fortunately, Desiree's family was able to find comfort through a lung specialist willing to listen to their story and, more importantly, who was open-minded about introducing their daughter to a raw food diet. Desiree went 100% raw and began juicing. Her mother says, "[F]rom day one, she has not had another asthma attack. She has not had another seizure.... She's had no asthma-related problems since then."
The up-front costs of juicing are comparable to purchasing health insurance which can prevent your body from developing ailments and potentially cure it of existing ailments.
My own father, who has been overweight for my whole life, lost more than 50 lbs. (from 420 lbs. to 370 lbs.) in about three months through a combination of juicing and eating healthy solid meals. He did it because he had to--an infection in his leg, exasperated by his weight, made him nearly bedridden and racked up the bills for a week's stay in the hospital. He couldn't afford to repeat that mistake, took his health seriously and is still losing weight and becoming healthier by the day. Most of the nutrients for fruits and vegetables are found in its juice, so you aren't losing much by getting rid of the fibrous pulp. Taking in the nutrients in a mostly juice form makes digestion much easier on your body and gets those cleansing agents where they need to be in half the time. Manuel Apreku, author of a natural home remedy blog, said:
Let me remind you first that, nutrient from fresh juice is quicker to be absorbed by your body than eating fruits and vegetables. Fresh juice contains an abundance of nutrients that will help you fight disease, build your health and energize your body...vitamins, minerals, soluble fiber and carbohydrates.
Allow me to reiterate, juicing is not easy. Most of our bodies are so addicted to sugar and fast food, that juicing for a week might feel (on a smaller scale) like detoxing from a drug addiction. The juice cleans out all the toxins--a potentially unpleasant process. However, that process is worth it if it also cleans out any of these ailments that you suffer from. Sometimes a pure fruit and vegetable juice fast is more than a body can handle, said Lori Corbin, in an ABC7 article, "Juicing responsibly; Diet, cleanse with energy."
But there is a way to juice responsibly so you can perform everyday tasks like taking a test, attending social events, and yes, exercising. For instance, try blending juice with extras. "You need a little more than the vegetables, so put a scoop of whey protein in there, put a scoop of almond butter in there," said [Ky] Evans.
So use some discernment, don't overdo it, but definitely don't be too afraid to try it. As a college student, it's hard to find the time and motivation to juice. For this semester in D.C., I had to leave my precious juicer in California with my family because it wouldn't fit in my suitcase. I can't wait to use it when I go home for Christmas break. Experiment with recipes to fight particular ailments or for your favorite fruits and vegetables. Happy juicing! And happy healthy living!
Think that yoga is something that only 30-something, upper-middle class women practice? Think again! "The Eastern practice of yoga has become a modern-day symbol of peace, serenity and well-being in the West. More than 20 million Americans practice yoga..." said Carolyn Gregoire of the Huffington Post.
Whether you're male, female, old, young, middle aged, flexible, inflexible athletic, or never exercised a day in your life - you are capable of doing yoga, and your body will thank you for it. If you can't afford the expensive classes, or don't have time to exercise out of the house, YouTube has plenty of workout videos to choose from. But why yoga? There are a plethora of benefits. Here's 10 of them:
1. Lower stress levels. You'll see these results immediately. Ain't nobody got time for stress. Stress makes you gain weight, gives you headaches, and makes even the simplest of tasks seem like climbing Mount Everest. Calm your mind and kill that stress with a little stretching. 2. Increased flexibility. You'll see these results immediately. If you're not into exercising, you might not see the value in stretching. But you're also not into injuring yourself, right? Supple, flexible muscles don't tear easily and support your whole bone structure to prevent injury. Even if you're inflexible, start where you can and slowly push your limits. 3. Stronger bones. You'll see these results after some years. The fact is, you can't see your bones - obviously. But studies have shown that yoga increases bone density, especially in older adults. You need those bones to stay active. And those bones need you to do yoga. 4. Relief from chronic back and neck pain. You'll see these results after a few months. Self-explanatory. Loosen up. I should do yoga more often since I'm always complaining about my back and neck pain and lack of chiropractic insurance. 5. Healthy Weight. You'll see these results after a few years. Yoga definitely isn't a go-to when you want to drop a few pounds. Its benefits take effect over time. Its purpose is to improve your quality of life for years to come, not help you fit into those skinny jeans (or tighten up your belt a notch or two). But I can tell you, from the one official yoga class I've taken, that it is a workout. You sweat. You burn calories. You might be sore the next day. Believe it - yoga will help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
6. Anxiety relief. You'll see these results after a few months. For many people, yoga is a cheap (or free) therapy from all the crap that life is going to throw your way. Breathe in. Breathe out. And let the burdens fall from your shoulders. 7. Lower blood pressure. You'll see these results after a few months. Compared to other forms of exercise, a study has found that yoga successfully lowers certain types of blood pressure. Doctor's appointments and medications are stressful and expensive. Yoga is relaxing and cheap. You can't lose with it! 8. Lower risk of heart disease. You'll see these results after a few years. Or maybe you won't see these results specifically, because you won't be going to the hospital for major surgery. Wouldn't that be fantastic? Don't trust me - I'm no pro, listen to Harvard on this topic. 9. Improved sense of balance. You'll see these results after a few months. Balance is a no-brainer, but the benefits of it might not be so evident. Dancers and gymnasts aren't the only people who need balance. Anyone who doesn't want to fall and break something needs balance. 10. Improved brain function. You'll see these results immediately. Some forms of yoga improve your focus and memory. No matter who you are, college student, mother, blue-collar worker, retiree, the list goes on and on - you need your brain to operate at full capacity so you can do whatever it is you need to do effectively and efficiently.
With luck, you might even be as beautiful and inspiring as this guy. The sunset and the water help.
If you have never eaten kale before, you are missing out on a world of nutrition! Kale is a superfood that will pump your body full vitamins, detoxify it, boost your entire circulatory system, and so much more! Beware that some types of kale taste sweeter than others. Whenever it's available in supermarkets, I get lacinato (or dino) kale. My favorite juice recipe for kale is simple: 6-8 large kale leaves 1 cucumber 4 stalks of celery 2 granny smith apples 1/2 lemon 1 ginger knob (about the size of a quarter) Serves two! It can also be made into some fantastic tasting (and fantastic for you) salads. Some of those recipes can be found here. It will be like sending a cleaning crew through your body for somewhere between $2-$4. That can't be beat.
Who's got money for a gym membership? Not me. Who's got hours to spend sculpting those abdominal muscles? Not me. Who's got YouTube? EVERYONE.
Mike Chang's Six Pack Shortcuts is one of my favorite go-to YouTube accounts for quick workouts that burn calories without burning time or through your wallet. My favorite of his ab work out takes 5 minutes, burns fat while building muscle for overall toning. Regular weight training is more effective for boosting your metabolism and improving your health in the long-run than extensive amounts of cardiovascular exercise (e.g. running, cycling, swimming). Besides, it takes less time! You don't need running shoes. You don't need a bike. You don't need swimming gear. You don't need weights. All you need is your body, a clock, and a bit of floor space.
Check it out! You've got at least 5 minutes. You'll only regret not trying it.
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I never lacked fresh fruits and vegetables. My mom is a fantastic cook and although we struggled to make rent many times, we never went hungry or lacked a range of healthy foods. As I transitioned into college, I figured out that what my mom had made look so seamless was actually quite hard - eating healthy on a tight budget. It's especially difficult when there are no supermarkets nearby. I never had to face the reality of food deserts until I came to Washington, D.C. for the semester. From my apartment on the Hill, the nearest supermarket is 0.8 miles away, which means that I am not in a food desert. However, residents of Wards 7 and 8 have very limited access to healthy food and many struggle with food hardship on a regular basis, according to DC Hunger Solutions:
In 2009-2010, 37.4 percent of households with children in the District of Columbia said they were unable to afford enough food. This is the worst rate in the nation. The food hardship rate for households without children drops to 14.9 percent.
Why would average people - the broke college students like me, the single moms with two jobs, the recently unemployed, etc. - take the pains to pay for and prepare healthy meals when it's so much easier to buy fast food? When I come home exhausted from classes or work, I have no desire to walk a mile to buy lettuce and then walk a mile home to prepare a decent salad. Half of the time I don't even have money for that. All I want to do is grab a cheeseburger and kick back on my couch watching The Walking Dead. What the District could really use is a convenient, close, nonprofit grocery store, like Fare & Square in Chester, Pa. - the first of its kind in the United States.
The store is the brainchild of Bill Clark, the executive director of Philabundance, a nonprofit hunger relief organization. Chester has a 36 percent poverty rate and unemployment is 13 percent. Clark said at one time Chester had five grocery stores, but they all closed when the city fell on hard times after manufacturing virtually disappeared. About half of the city's residents don't own a car making it difficult and costly to travel to a supermarket. As Clark put it: "To bring a gallon of milk is a hardship if you have to use two buses to get home."
As a nonprofit, Fare & Square offers lower prices for a healthy range of fruits and vegetables. Time will tell if this model is sustainable and can be used in food deserts across the United States.
Unlike a drought, the weather doesn't control the District's access to healthy foods - we do. I could go on a rant about how "we the people" have the power, but I'll spare you the cliche. On top of that, the District isn't even represented in the federal government. I don't trust the government to fix the mess that we're in anyway. It'll take some enterprising individuals and some start up funding, but if it can happen anywhere, D.C. is the place. Steps are already being taken to increase the increase the inner city's access to healthy foods. One nonprofit organization is using land in Alexandria, Va. to grow food to be sold in food desert areas of Washington, D.C. There are plans in the works to build a massive urban greenhouse in Ward 8 by 2014, as reported by The Washington Post:
And while Ward 8 is desperately in need of jobs, as the average unemployment rate in Ward 8 in 2012 was over 22 percent (one of the highest in the country), this greenhouse isn’t really about jobs, despite how the event was spun. Yes, the 25 full-time jobs and 100 short-term construction jobs that BrightFarms is bringing is beneficial. There is no question there. The real gift to the community, however, is the one million pounds of GMO-free produce that the greenhouse will generate – provided it actually gets into the homes of Ward 7 and Ward 8 residents living in chronic food insecurity. This is the real test.
None of these initiatives in and of themselves will cure the District's food dessert. But combined, there's hope. Healthier foods with competitive prices will make the people of the District healthier. Because proper nutrition is so essential to health, the effects of this will be far reaching. I can't predict the future, but I can imagine how much brighter our Nation's capital will shine if its people, all of its people, have the power to take care of themselves. To see how prevalent food deserts are in the United States, check out this interactive map from the USDA Economic Research Service!
