| INTRODUCTIONIt is my pleasure to introduce to you, a | | | | didn't move regularly as well, thus eliminating all of the |
| new Diabetes Prevention Education, Public Relations | | | | colon cancer, they eliminated the toxins from their |
| Campaign established under the name Fannie Estelle | | | | bodies through sweat and perspiration. They may |
| Hill Grant, started by me, Lyndia Grant-Briggs, after the | | | | have been tired, but they had healthy bodies. So all of |
| loss of my mother who succumbed to Type 2 | | | | these diseases that are out of control today, like |
| Diabetes on Christmas Day, December 25, 2000. I | | | | Diabetes came along later due to the many lifestyle |
| noticed a fire burning in the Diabetes health arena, and | | | | changes of Americans.Let us all learn a very important |
| it is still burning out of control. The diabetes prevention | | | | lesson from this bit of history: According to all |
| and education public relations campaign was started in | | | | legislations and laws today, African Americans can Be |
| an effort, to "Fan the Flames", and put out the | | | | whatever they want to be, they can Do whatever |
| fire.Fannie Grant was 73 years old, a homemaker, | | | | they are capable of doing, and they can Have |
| who loved her family very much, and she believed in | | | | whatever they can manage to work hard enough to |
| preparing wonderful home-cooked meals for the | | | | achieve. We know that this is a true statement, when |
| family. You name it, and we had it. We would have | | | | you look around and you see such role models as |
| desserts any day of the week. Mama enjoyed | | | | Oprah Winfrey, the queen of talk shows, Bill Cosby, |
| cooking, cleaning and washing clothes, and although | | | | Michael Jordan, we have had several black Miss |
| she raised nine children of her own, she always had | | | | America's, including the current reigning queen, we |
| room for other needy children.In our early years, from | | | | have Tiger Woods, the best golfer of all times and |
| 1945-1965, Mother was the wife of a sharecropper in | | | | The Williams Sisters, who have broken all records. The |
| North Carolina, but they moved the family to | | | | list goes on and on. Today, we live in fabulous homes; |
| Washington, D.C. in 1965. So for more than 30 years, | | | | our children can now go to college, (sidebar: yet we |
| Mother Grant, our father and all of us children called | | | | have more African American men in prison today, |
| the Washington Metropolitan Area home.Our family | | | | over 900,000 than we have in college today, only |
| learned that Mother had Type 2 Diabetes after a | | | | 600,000, that's another article.)The trouble with this |
| major stroke she had back in 1988-89. She lived 11-12 | | | | whole thing is, African Americans continue to enjoy |
| years after the diagnosis. Lyndia and her Sisters, (The | | | | many of the delicious foods handed down to us by our |
| Grant Sisters) pledged to begin the educational | | | | ancestors, our diets haven't changed very much, but |
| prevention campaign while they visited with and/or | | | | we've forgotten one very important ingredient, our |
| cared for their mother during her last year of life.After | | | | ancestors worked 12-16 hour days, performing physical |
| moving back home to North Carolina, Mother Grant | | | | labor. They received the necessary exercise daily, |
| enjoyed her latter years in a very peaceful way. Us | | | | therefore, they didn't get sick with diabetes, and all of |
| children purchased her a new home, took over all of | | | | the fat was burned off in blood, sweat and |
| the mortgage payments, and she was happy. Mother | | | | tears.Today, in order for us to get proper exercise, we |
| Grant enjoyed living on this wonderful 227-acre farm, | | | | must plan to have physical exercise at least 30 |
| near Kinston, North Carolina. She was one of the heirs | | | | minutes daily, one-hour is preferable, but no less than |
| to this wonderful farm left to her family by their father, | | | | 30 minutes. That's not a lot, compared to the amount |
| and my grandfather, Floyd Hill.She enjoyed walking | | | | of time our forefathers worked, but according to |
| around the farm, following my father, Bishop Benjamin | | | | studies done by the National Institute of Diabetes & |
| Grant, around the garden as he worked. She enjoyed | | | | Digestive & Kidney Diseases, the little time we manage |
| shopping with her sisters going to yard sales. Shopping | | | | to put in, while exercising for 30 minutes, 3-4 days |
| gave her considerable joy near the end of her | | | | week can prevent the occurrence of Diabetes.Today, |
| life.Mother suffered numerous strokes, seven to ten to | | | | we continue in the tradition of eating our "soul food" |
| be specific. During one stoke, she lost the use of her | | | | diets, very much the same as we did 200 years ago, |
| tongue and couldn't speak at all. Mother Fannie's kidney | | | | except today, most of us don't use lard, and we can |
| failed, she was receiving kidney dialysis for the last | | | | eat all we want. We've graduated to vegetable oils like |
| two years of her life, she had high blood pressure for | | | | Crisco and other vegetable oils. (Olive Oils are better |
| many years, and both of her legs were amputated | | | | for us, less cholesterol). Families today still enjoy foods, |
| above her knees.The ProblemWe wanted to know | | | | which include far too many carbohydrates like |
| more about the disease that took our mother in such a | | | | macaroni and cheese, desserts, and lots of bread. We |
| brutal fashion. There was so much pain and suffering | | | | have enjoyed these foods for hundreds of years, but |
| prior to her death. Mother Grant was a Christian, she | | | | now, we sit at computers, walk out to our cars, drive |
| was an Evangelist who preached the gospel in | | | | everywhere, including to the grocery stores, we don't |
| churches throughout the Washington D.C. Area, and | | | | have to walk to school for miles any longer, we can |
| everyone loved her and called her Ma.Our mother | | | | ride the school buses, and exercise has all but been |
| was very special, and as her oldest daughter, I | | | | eliminated. America is overwhelmingly FAT, even our |
| promised to carry out a public awareness campaign, | | | | children in many cases are overweight and/or |
| to educate millions of people regarding the causes and | | | | obese.It's a simple problem, bad diets that includes too |
| preventions of Type 2 Diabetes. In educating the | | | | much junk food from fast food restaurants, and a lack |
| general public, I feel a lot better, because my mother's | | | | of strenuous exercise. How many times have you |
| living shall not be in vain. My sisters and I have been | | | | pigged out, after a hard day, then, you fell asleep? |
| blessed over the past 20 years, we've had lots of | | | | That food is fattening you up, just the way that it does |
| success in publicizing several major events, we | | | | for newborn babies. Remember how babies eat and |
| coordinated a major festival, called Georgia Avenue | | | | sleep, and soon, you notice their little legs beginning to |
| Day in Washington, D.C. The festival and parade | | | | get a little meat on their bones. But you can almost |
| attracted more than 200,000 people, major corporate | | | | look at them grow and gain weight. But they are still |
| sponsors and celebrities. We worked for two | | | | babies, and that's what they need, nutrition to grow.For |
| Presidential Inaugural Committees, one was for the | | | | adults though, it's a different story, we have already |
| Republicans, George Herbert Walker Bush and for | | | | grown up, and all we can do now is grow OUT!!! We |
| other for the Democrats, President Bill Clinton, for two | | | | just keep getting BIGGER and BIGGER and BIGGER! |
| D.C. Mayors, Marion Barry and Sharon Pratt Kelly, and | | | | We look bad to ourselves and to others, we can't fit |
| three D.C. City Councilmembers, Charlene Drew Jarvis, | | | | into our nice clothing, we have to keep buying fat |
| Frank Smith and Eyde Whittington. Another major | | | | clothes. And worst of all, our hearts cannot stand this, |
| achievement was an appointment that I received as | | | | and neither can the rest of our organs. (I give a |
| project director by Councilman Frank Smith, to erect | | | | speech entitled "Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled" - |
| the Spirit of Freedom Memorial, a new national African | | | | How to have a healthy mind, body & spirit). It's no |
| American Civil War Memorial located in Washington, | | | | wonder that our starvation genes are reacting the |
| D.C. This monument pays tribute to 209,145 United | | | | way that they have, this so-called "thrifty gene" that is |
| States Colored Troops who fought in the American | | | | found in African Americans seems to store even |
| Civil War.As you can see, Mother Grant passed down | | | | more of this foreign food that we continue to ingest |
| some strong self-worth values. She taught us that we | | | | into our bodies. We came from strong, lean |
| can do anything that we want, and that we can be the | | | | backgrounds, Africa has never been a "fat" nation, but |
| best at whatever we choose. The business of public | | | | as African Americans, we have Americanized our |
| relations is "in my blood." There was no way that I | | | | bodies so badly, that our health problems are |
| could see the devastation caused by Diabetes and | | | | out-of-control!If you take a look at the stats provided |
| understand this disease, and do nothing about it. I | | | | by the National Institute of Health, Today, diabetes |
| wanted to know "what happened to Mother, how did | | | | mellitus is one of the most serious health challenges |
| this happen, could we have done something differently, | | | | facing the United States. The following statistics |
| if only we had known that an improved diet and | | | | illustrate the magnitude of this disease among African |
| regular physical exercise could have made a | | | | Americans.2.8 million African Americans have |
| difference."I know that I've been chosen to get the | | | | diabetes.On average, African Americans are twice as |
| word out regarding this disease that's burning "out of | | | | likely to have diabetes as white Americans of similar |
| control" in the African American community. It has | | | | age.Approximately 13 percent of all African Americans |
| been extremely hard to continue to live without our | | | | have diabetes.African Americans with diabetes are |
| Mother, but in sharing this information with others, it | | | | more likely to develop diabetes complications and |
| gives me some relief from my grief.So, what exactly is | | | | experience greater disability from the complications |
| Diabetes? Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases | | | | than white Americans with diabetes.Death rates for |
| characterized by high levels of blood glucose. It results | | | | people with diabetes are 27 percent higher for African |
| from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. | | | | Americans compared with whitesNational health |
| Diabetes can be associated with serious complications | | | | surveys during the past 35 years show that the |
| and premature death, but people with diabetes can | | | | percentage of the African American population that |
| take measures to reduce the likelihood of such, | | | | has been diagnosed with diabetes is increasing |
| according to recent studies found by the National | | | | dramatically. The surveys in 1976-80 and in 1988-94 |
| Institute of Health. Some researchers believe that | | | | measured fasting plasma glucose and thus allowed an |
| African Americans, (Hispanic Americans, Asian | | | | assessment of the prevalence of undiagnosed |
| Americans, and Pacific Islanders were also included in | | | | diabetes as well as of previously diagnosed diabetes. |
| the study) inherited a "thrifty gene" from their African | | | | In 1976-80, total diabetes prevalence in African |
| ancestors. Years ago, this gene enabled Africans, | | | | Americans ages 40 to 74 years was 8.9 percent; in |
| during "feast and famine" cycles, to use food energy | | | | 1988-94, total prevalence had increased to 18.2 |
| more efficiently when food was scarce. Today, with | | | | percent--a doubling of the rate in just 12 |
| fewer such cycles, the thrifty gene that developed for | | | | years.Prevalence in African Americans is much higher |
| survival may instead make the person more | | | | than in white Americans. Among those ages 40 to 74 |
| susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes.The problem | | | | years in the 1988-94 survey, the rate was 11.2 percent |
| dates back to the beginning of the slave trade, | | | | for whites, but was 18.2 percent for African |
| documented as beginning in 1790, and for those | | | | AmericansRegular physical activity is a protective |
| enslaved ones, food was still scarce, thus the "thrifty | | | | factor against type 2 diabetes and, conversely, lack of |
| genes" protected them. If you research the | | | | physical activity is a risk factor for developing diabetes. |
| documentations found on record at the National | | | | Researchers suspect that a lack of exercise is one |
| Archives and Records Administration, slaves received | | | | factor contributing to the high rates of diabetes in |
| rations. It really doesn't matter what the diets were of | | | | African Americans. In the NHANES III survey, 50 |
| African people hundreds of years ago, as they | | | | percent of African American men and 67 percent of |
| roamed around freely on the African continent, in | | | | African American women reported that they |
| townships like Johannesburg, Freetown, Rwanda, | | | | participated in little or no leisure time physical |
| Sudan, South African and Sierre Leone. What does | | | | activity.ConclusionIn furthering the causes of this |
| matter is the fact that those Africans who managed | | | | Diabetes Educational Prevention Campaign, the first |
| to survive the slave trade here in America, arrived on | | | | order of business has been to make my very own |
| the shores very strong. The majority of them worked | | | | Lifestyle Change. My Mother was buried on December |
| in the fields from sun-up to sundown, six days per | | | | 30th, 2000. When I returned home to Silver Spring, |
| week, and in many cases, seven days/week. Slaves | | | | Maryland, it took a few months before I could go on, |
| ate scraps, like hog mauls, chitterlings, pigtails, pig feet, | | | | the grief period was extremely hard, but the first order |
| pig ears, and they drank milk from a trough along side | | | | of business, was to begin a regular exercise routine. |
| other animals.African people became Americanized, | | | | Walking became my exercise of choice -- two to four |
| they were no longer in their homeland, so to live, they | | | | miles three to four days each week. Some weeks I |
| had to eat whatever was made available to them, | | | | walked, and continue to walk, five days, even six days |
| they were fed last, after the horses and the pigs had | | | | a week, and recently, I've added "walking up and down |
| been taken care of, whatever was left was given to | | | | the stairs in five minute increments, for 12-15 minutes. |
| those enslaved people -- scraps, left-overs, garbage. In | | | | There is an extreme difference in the way that I look |
| an effort to create a delicious meal, the women | | | | and feel. The pounds and inches have been steadily |
| worked at creating recipes that they could all enjoy. | | | | coming off.I've changed my diet. I'm now drinking green |
| They loved collard greens with fat back meat, and | | | | mineral drinks each morning, (you can buy green drinks |
| learned to bake sweet potato pies, cleaned chitterlings | | | | at organic stores); and I'm no longer eating white bread. |
| and made them into a delicacy to be eaten on special | | | | In fact I don't eat very much bread at all, but when I do, |
| occasions. They made pots of beans seasoned with | | | | it is whole grain or wheat bread, brown rice, more |
| ham hocks, or pigtails, and they seasoned with | | | | fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables. I enjoy using |
| pork.They made home-made biscuits from self-rising, | | | | my juice machine for fresh green spinach and carrot |
| white flour and lard, and they learned to make hush | | | | drinks.Recently, I found myself with excellent health |
| puppies, candied yams, lots of potatoes, and they ate | | | | results from my physical examination. My cholesterol |
| plenty corn bread, so even until this day, African people | | | | level was low, at 126, and my glucose levels were |
| who became African Americans beginning in the late | | | | average. My blood pressure was 120/80, which is fine |
| 1700's, had a very different diet than Euro-Americans. | | | | for me, and I feel wonderful too. There is one area |
| Even though this wasn't a "good" and "healthy" diet for | | | | that I'm still working on, and that is my Ideal Body Mass, |
| the slaves, they ate it, they enjoyed it, and they were | | | | IBM. I'm still overweight, but I've lost 30 lbs., and still |
| able to sustain themselves easily. They worked so | | | | counting.If you are reading this article, and you're at risk |
| very hard in the fields 12-16 hours a day. But of course, | | | | for Type 2 Diabetes, consider making a major |
| since they had the so-called "thrifty genes" which | | | | Lifestyle Change. It's very simple: 1-Change your diet, |
| allowed their bodies to preserve food in an appropriate | | | | eliminate most of the carbohydrates from your diet; |
| manner, when food was scarce, seems that was | | | | 2-Exercise regularly for the rest of your life, and 3-Get |
| probably a good thing, since the enslaved didn't always | | | | rid of the extra pounds, work toward maintaining your |
| have ample food supplies.There is a bright side to this | | | | ideal body weight. If you make this promise to yourself, |
| though, as they worked, they were receiving strenuous | | | | to change your life, you will be "Fanning the Flames of |
| daily exercise, which kept them healthy. It really didn't | | | | the Diabetes Epidemic in America," and soon the fire |
| matter what the slaves ate, because what they ate, in | | | | will be put out, but it will take millions of people to join |
| today's standard would have fattened them too, but it | | | | this fight. Won't you begin today? You don't have to |
| didn't, because they burned it off every day out in the | | | | get Diabetes, it can be prevented, you don't have to |
| fields working. It was a vicious cycle. They ate, and | | | | lose one limb to this vicious disease, nor do you have |
| they worked off the carbohydrates. They ate and | | | | to lose your kidney. Change your life, and enjoy your |
| they worked off more carbohydrates, and they didn't | | | | Thanksgiving Dinner - with all of the trimmings, but the |
| die from diseases back then, as they do today, | | | | next day, get back to the business of getting fit and |
| diabetes or cancer, and don't think that their bowels | | | | staying healthy. |