Celebrating Black History Month, Black Health & Wellness, and Heart Health

By Tramayne Richardson

Black History Month is here, and this year’s Black History Month theme focuses on the importance of Black Health and Wellness.

Black health and wellness encompasses a wide sphere of care, including medical practitioners, birth workers, mental health professionals, and fitness professionals. As we promote Black health and wellness this month, it is also important to recognize that February is Heart Health Month. 

National Wear Red Day kicked off Heart Health Month on Friday, February 4. I wore red for my family, for my friends, and for myself. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the black community. As a Black Woman, a Personal Trainer, and Nutrition Agent for LSU AgCenter, both my life’s experiences and my experiences in the field have forced me to face heart disease head on.

Celebrating black health and wellness starts with promoting healthier habits that support the broader spectrum of care that goes beyond fad dieting, and advocates for lifestyle changes. Simple practices like tweaking your diet and getting sufficient regular exercise work together in creating a climate conducive to achieving and maintaining heart health. 

Heart Health & the Mediterranean Diet

The correlation between diet and heart health is greatly influenced by daily food habits. Focusing on a diet low in saturated fat, processed foods, and fried foods is important for attaining heart health. However, the standard American diet that many people have become accustomed to is not favorable to optimal health, and in fact many foods common to the Western diet have been associated with a myriad of diseases.

Meanwhile, year after year, the Mediterranean diet is proven to positively influence health and wellness, and more specifically, heart health. The Mediterranean diet is rich in unsaturated fats. Deriving from plant sources, unsaturated fats play a major role in promoting heart and brain health. The foods identified in this nutrient dense cuisine contain the essentials of a heart healthy diet: olive oil, whole grains, fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, seafood, and poultry, with little emphasis on red meat and desserts.

Importantly, this method of eating has been deemed easy to follow. Making the conscious choice to adopt this intuitive style of eating does not include calorie counting, skipping meals, or eliminating carbohydrates, thus creating a positive relationship with food, and a more sustainable, attainable route to nutritional health. 

Heart Health & Exercise

Physical activity complements nutrition and plays a major role in making strides towards a healthier heart. It is responsible for improving cardiovascular health, stress relief, and for creating substantial improvements to both health and mood. Aerobic exercise is especially known to strengthen the heart. Common cardio activities like swimming, cycling, dancing, jogging—anything that increases the heart rate— are great heart strengthening exercises. 

Health benefits related to physical activity include: 

• Increased blood circulation to the heart and brain 

• Reduction of bad cholesterol

• Stronger heart

• Blood pressure regulation

• Reduced stress hormones

• Improved sleep, memory, and mood 

• Improved cognitive health  

• Improved self-esteem 

• Increased energy and stamina 

• Reaching and maintaining healthy weight

It is recommended that adults get 150 minutes, or two and a half hours, of exercise per week. This time can be spread throughout the week or divided between a few days. An easy approach to reaching the recommended daily amount of physical activity is 30 minutes a day, Monday through Friday. Adding weekly workouts to your schedule may look like 30 minutes of rollerblading, jump roping, or weighted hula-hooping. No matter how you decide to enjoy physical activity each week, have fun and remind yourself of the many benefits that come along with an elevated heart rate. 

As we celebrate Black History Month with a focus on health and wellness, it is vital to acknowledge Heart Health month. Simple practices like habit forming and goal setting in the areas of nutrition and fitness will help create a climate of improved health and wellness. This month, let’s focus on Black health and wellness by putting an emphasis on heart health. 

Do you want to learn how to improve your heart health with a program designed just for you? Start today with a free fitness assessment!