Doing It Again
Volume 1, No. 11
Guess what? I started 75 HARD this week. I found two people who agreed to do it with me/ My focus this time is develop a lifestyle that carries on beyond the 75 days. I took lessons from before but didn’t make any make any of these keystone habits. For those of you who don’t know, 75 HARD consists of 5 main rules:
Drink 1 gallon of water a day
Take a daily progress picture
Follow a healthy diet (no cheat meals or alcohol)
Complete two 45 minute workouts (one must be outside)
Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book (self-help/learn a skill/educational)
If you miss any of these things, you have to start over from day 1. Yes, DAY 1!!!! If you’re a praying person, please pray for me🙏🏾.
I was supposed to start recording my upcoming podcast this week. I forgot what an energy drain this challenge does to the body until it adjust. I am going to start recording live to YouTube but have it unlisted. If you’re interested in checking it out , let me know.
HIDDEN HERSTORIES:
Barbara Hillary (1931-2019): First African American woman on record to reach both the North and South Poles.
Barbara Hillary was born in New York City and attended the New School University in New York, N.Y. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s in Gerontology. Her career was in nursing with a focus on staff training . She was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula Magazine, a non-profit and multi-racial magazine in Queens, New York. It was the first of its kind in the region.
When Ms. Hillary retired at age 62 , she started to travel. She found out that no black woman had ever been to the North Pole, and that sparked her interest in going there, one of the coldest places on Earth. Even though she had never done cross-country skiing, didn't have enough money for the trip, and had some health concerns (survived breast cancer and lost 25% breathing capacity after the removal of cancerous lung tissue), she didn't let that stop her. She started getting ready by training in Norway. She lifted weights, learned how to ride a snowmobile, and how to drive a dog sled. She became really good at cross-country skiing with harnessed supplies by practicing pulling a tire tied around her waist through the streets of Queens, New York. She worked hard to gather $25,000 for her trip and spent nearly a year training for her big adventure to the North Pole. Hillary became the first African American woman to stand at the North Pole at the age of 75 on April 23, 2007.
The strength and dedication of Ms. Hillary is reminiscent of the grit of other forgotten trailblazers of color like Matthew Henson and Ada Blackjack, an Iñupiat Seamstress from Nome, Alaska who survived an all-male expedition to the Siberian Arctic.
Four years later, she became the first Black woman on record to stand on the South Pole at age 79, on January 6, 2011. Inspired by her expeditions, Hillary became interested in the effects of climate change on the polar caps. She became a fierce advocate for combating climate change until her passing.
NEWS AFFECTING BLACK WOMEN
Landmark study of cancer in Black women launches in 20 states, aiming to be largest ever—— (read more here)
Five Facts About Black Women’s Experiences in Health Care —— (read more here)
As I helped take care of my mother for the past three years, I have learned that we have to be our own health advocate. It is especially important if you don’t live a healthy lifestyle and have doctors handing out pills left and right. If you have more than one doctor, they tend not to communicate with each other. Make sure your medications don’t cancel each other out or can adverse effects. Doctors don’t owe you; take responsibility for your health. YOU OWE YOU!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Everyone's body is different. It's all about knowing and learning what your body needs.”
— Serena Williams
HEALTH CHALLENGE:
Drink 8-12 oz of water before every meal.
Studies estimate that around 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This condition often goes unnoticed because the thirst mechanism becomes less sharp with age and habitual insufficient water intake.
Until next time.....remember your voice and stories matters!
