I love Thanksgiving dinners at my moms and grandmother's house were the food never stops after church. Corn bread, collard greens green beans, potato salad, candy yams, carrot and raisin salad fried chicken, and smothered pork chops OH MY GOD. German chocolate cake, sweet potato pie, pound cake. Thanksgiving is next week so enjoyed and celebrates everything you are thankful for with a great dinner with your family.

Everyone around the table, eating and caring on, talk about remembers when so and so did? Those days are emblazoned into my soul. The food was the best in the world because it was made with loving hands and souls of your family...

But We as Black men can not afford to eat in this fashion everyday. Today diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure heart disease these foods have been known to contribute to these condition that develop later in life.

It's never too late to make a change, add cardiovascular training to your weekly routine to improve our cardiovascular health can add years to your life. Our diets should reflect a plan of longevity, Red meats, chicken, and green leafy vegetable, fruits and good hearty fiber.

Believe me I will never give up my Sunday family dinners. But we as can not afford to indulge in such rich foods every day. High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes are pervasive though out our community. There we must take control of ourselves and diets to ensure a positive change for better health and longevity.

The basic five nutrients needed for the body and working muscle are Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals and Water. This does not include Fido Chemicals which are non essitential plants food chemicals that help the body gaurd against certain type of debases.

Antioxidants are compounds that preserve and protect other compounds of the body from free radical damage. Beta Carotene, vitamin C and E are a few. Free radicals are oxygen molecules with single electron.

Just to give you an idea of the amount of calories that we will be consuming over the holidays

There are

- 4 calories/ gram of protein and Carb.

- 9 calories /gram of fat

- 7 calories /gram of alcohol

For an average man the Estimated Daily Calorie Intake needs to be as follow:

Males	Coach potato	Active person
19 - 30	2400	3000
31 - 50	2200	3000
51+	2000	2800

Diet is the key to the success or failure of any training program. The right foods and portions ingested at proper times will maximize your body's ability to increase cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and endurance as well as maintaining ideal body weight.

Each person dietary requires differ due to individual physical make up, vitamins or mineral defections , physical injuries or any conditions or manageable illness. Gay Black Men that may be dealing with a compromised immune system due to HIV or AIDS May require greater intake of proteins and carbohydrates. Regular training and good diet improves the immune system function in fighting off disease and promotes good body composition. Many of these foods are rich in nutrients, as found in collard greens and other leafy green and yellow vegetables, legumes, beans, rice, and potatoes. Other parts of the diet, however, are low in fiber, calcium, potassium, and high in fat. With high incidence of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity, some African-Americans have paid a high price for this lifestyle. Common ways for African-Americans to prepare food include frying, barbecuing, and serving foods with gravy and sauces.

Home-baked cakes and pies are also common. African Americans have higher rates of high blood pressure than other races. Obesity and consuming a diet high in sodium (found in salt) increase the risk for high blood pressure. To prevent hypertension, lose weight and cut back on dietary sodium found in table salt. Highly processed foods such as TV dinners, soy sauce, lunch meat, canned foods and "fast food" are also high in sodium. Left uncontrolled, hypertension may lead to strokes, heart disease, and kidney failure. For information about hypertension and African Americans. Simple changes in diet might include substituting herbs for high sodium seasonings, increasing the amount of vegetables and decreasing the amount of meat, removing the fat and skin from meat, and eating more fresh vegetables and fruits. Cutting calories and eating smaller portions should also be encouraged. Some families may resist change because of family traditions. If this is the case, ask them to submit a list of their favorite foods and recipes and then discuss how to modify them.

Here are some tips to help you lose:

Limit high calorie beverages such as soft drinks

A large soda from a fast food restaurant can have over 500 calories! That's almost as much as a Big Mac®! Drink plain water-- it saves you money and calories.

Cook your favorite foods with less added fat. 

	If you usually deep-fry, try sautéing vegetables in low salt chicken or beef broth.
	Replace fats like bacon grease and butter with olive or canola oil.
	Try steaming vegetables, and add a few spices for flavor.
	Taste your food before you add butter- you may be surprised at how good fresh corn is all by itself.
	Replace heavy cream sauces and butter with low fat or non-fat sour cream and try putting sauces on the side.
	Enjoy seasonal fruit for dessert, such as berries, citrus fruits, pears, cherries or grapes.
	Try eating your vegetables raw with some low-calorie salad dressing.

Lose weight slowly

If you skip your daily candy bar, you will save 250 calories a day. Skip the soda and bag of chips, and you've cut another 250 calories. Over a 4-week period, that can add up to a 2-4 pound weight loss! That might not seem like a lot, but slow, sensible weight loss will build good habits that last a lifetime.

Limit TV viewing time

Several studies have shown that as the number of hours of TV viewing goes up, so does a person's weight. This is probably because of the "semi-conscious munching" of snack foods that often accompanies television watching, as well as decreased physical activity. Turn off the tube and get moving. "

Be physically active.

Begin a moderate level of activity such as 30 minutes of brisk walking, bicycling, dancing or gardening. It is best to do this activity every day, but you can divide the 30 minutes into 10 minutes segments throughout the day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get off the bus one or two stops early. Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise or activity.

Enjoy Thanksgiving and your family and friends during the holidays but don't neglect your training and hitting the gym. Take care men and Be Blessed.