NBCI Declares a National Health Emergency in the Black Church

The Black Church and the Importance of Good Nutrition

A Scientific Overview for Health Professionals
A review of the literature from 1999 to 2001 by Dianne Hyson, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.
Produce for Better Health Foundation [read more]

It Has What? Find Out How Many Calories are in Your Daily Meals

Ever wonder how many calories are in the daily foods that you consume? This growing list is a shocking revelation of a few of the factors that keep you from your ideal weight. Calories in Daily Foods

• Fresh vegetables and fruits should make up the largest part of your healthy foods grocery list. Vegetables and fruits have vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and they are usually low in calories. We all need at least five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits every day to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables that everyone in your family will enjoy.
• Most of your grain and cereal products should be made from whole grains, not from refined flours. This part of your list includes whole grain breads, whole grain pastas, and whole grain breakfast cereals. Whole grains are important for vitamins, minerals, and for fiber, which is often lacking in modern diets. Read labels to look for 100 percent whole grain or 100 percent whole wheat to be sure you are getting whole grain products.
• Your protein and meat choices should consist mostly of fish, poultry and lean meats. Eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes are also good protein choices. Choose fresh and frozen unbreaded meats and fish. Avoid breaded, deep-fried convenience foods that you put in the oven. They are high in fats and sodium.
• Beverages should be kept simple. Water, low fat milk, juices and herbal teas are all good choices. If you choose soft drinks, choose diet sodas and soft drinks to avoid extra sugar.
• Dairy products should include low fat milk, yogurt and cheese. If you do not want cows' milk, choose soy and rice beverages, calcium fortified orange juice, or goats' milks and cheese.
• Be careful with dressings, cooking oils and condiments. They are sneaky sources of refined sugar and poor quality oils. Read labels to choose dressings made with olive oil, canola oil or walnut oil. Choose low fat mayonnaise for your sandwiches and choose canola oil and olive oil for cooking.
• Frozen foods are a convenient way to keep vegetables on hand. There are also prepared meals that you can pop into the microwave or oven. These can be convenient and healthy if you choose low fat versions with good portion sizes. Read labels and chose frozen foods wisely. Avoid frozen pizzas, pocket-sandwiches, deep-fried appetizers, and breaded foods.
• Foods in cans and jars are also very convenient. Look for low-sodium soups, vegetables and sauces. Avoid high fat gravies and high calorie foods like canned spaghetti and ravioli products.
• For sandwiches, choose peanut butter or other nut butters, low fat turkey slices or sliced roast beef. Avoid processed lunch meats, sausages and hot dogs.
• Don't load up on high calorie treats and desserts. Choose fresh fruits, healthy nuts, seeds and whole grain crackers for snacks.

The National Black Church Initiative is developing a grocery list for all of its congregants. Soon, you will be able to login and get important information concerning calories and the suggested grocery list that we recommend.

The Importance of Food Choices to Health

Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are leading causes of premature death, disabilities, and high health-care costs in the United States. According to the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), poor diets, along with physicalinactivity, cause about 310,000 to 580,000 premature deaths each year (Table 1;McGinnis & Foege, 1993). That is five times the number of people killed by guns, AIDS,and drug use combined.

Unhealthy eating is a major cause of obesity, heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes,high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, tooth decay and other healthproblems. Poor diet can result in disabilities and loss of independence from stroke,heart disease or osteoporosis-related hip fracture, or blindness and limb amputations due to diabetes.

This segment is taken from The Center for Science in the Public Interest pamphlet titled "Anyone's Guess; The Need for Nutritious Labeling at Fastfood and Other Chain Restaurants" [Click Here for the Whole Pamphlet]

Easy steps to great health through Good Nutrition

As the health crisis continues to rage in the African American community, the black church must assume a more activist role as health advocate for good nutrition. Multiple public health studies commissioned by universities, foundations and the federal government confirmed that poor nutrition, lack of physical exercise, and the lack of access to primary care are the chief reasons for the widening of the health gap.

African-American Men and Good Nutrition

African-American men suffer much higher rates of almost every type of cancer than white men, and they're more likely to have heart disease and high blood pressure," said Secretary Thompson. "These leading causes of death are largely preventable through changes in our lifestyle choices.

The 9 A Day campaign will help us to start emphasizing prevention of this epidemic by letting African-American men know the vital importance of eating fruits and vegetables to their overall health.

African-American Men Suffer Extreme Health Disparities

NBCI is focusing its efforts on reaching African-American men because they suffer disproportionately from a variety of health conditions. African-American men:

• Overall, have the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates, as well as the highest rates for certain cancers of any ethnic or racial group.
• Have the highest rates of prostate cancer and high blood pressure in the world.
• Are twice as likely as white men to develop diabetes.
• Develop diabetes and high blood pressure earlier in life than other men, and are more likely to suffer serious side-effects from these diseases.
• Have higher mortality rates from heart disease and obesity than other ethnic groups.

Although black men are among the most seriously affected by diet-related chronic diseases, they have the lowest consumption of fruits and vegetables overall, eating an average of only 3.1 servings a day of the 9 recommended for men by federal nutrition policy. Only 3 percent of black men are even aware that men should eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day for better health.

"We must not ignore the excessive burden of cancer in black men," said von Eschenbach. "Black men have the highest rates of prostate, lung, colon, oral, and stomach cancers and are over 140 percent more likely to die from cancer than white men. Since we recognize one-third of all cancers are related to diet, this is one area that demands our attention. By eating 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, the risk of diet-related diseases affecting the African-American community can be lowered.

You can help the National Black Church Initiative fight for this progam by writing to the National Cancer Insitute and tell them that we want this program revived and fully funded. Here is how you contact NCI:

On-Line:
http://www.cancer.gov/help

Telephone:
1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
TTY: 1-800-332-8615

E-mail:
cancergovstaff@mail.nih.gov

Post:
Write to the National Cancer Institute at:
NCI Public Inquiries Office
6116 Executive Boulevard
Room 3036A
Bethesda, MD 20892-8322

This is a perfect example of how the government namely HHS, CDC, and NIH contributes to health disparities by killing critical programs like the 9-A-Day campaign because of the lack of funding. The government needs to help organizations like NBCI create more targeted health-promotion campaigns. NBCI needs your financial support to keep this program going --> DONATION (NBCI DONATION Button/Page)

African-American Men: Count yourself healthy
Eat 9 Serving a Day

Diet and Disease

How to find out where you are - Nutritionally.
And what you can do about it.

For more information concerning the food pyramid, visit:
http://www.mypyramid.gov>

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3040190

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3040218

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3042055

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3040203

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3040200

(NOTE: donation page: we will send the book for free with a $150 tax-deductible donation)

Important Web sites on Nutrition:

5-a-day campaign
www.5aday.com

Center for Science in the Public Interest
www.cspinet.org

Produce for a Better Health Foundation
www.pbhfoundation.org

Association of Black Cardiologists
http://www.abcardio.org

The National Diabetes Eduation Program
www.ndep.nih.gov

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Information on the DASH diet from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf

Information on Blood Pressure from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/express.pdf

American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org

ADA African American Link
http://www.eatright.org

American Health Association
http://www.americanheart.org

American Cancer Association
http://www.cancer.org

American Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.org

American Stroke Association
http://www.strokeassociation.org