Bebe Winans and The Power to End Stroke Campaign

Are you a fan of fatty foods, junk foods and pretty much most foods with no nutritional value? Well of course you are, who isn't?

Does your family have a history of stroke or heart disease?

If so than you may want to slow it down, because there's a good chance that you may be at risk and not even know it. Each year nearly 700,000 people are afflicted with some type of stroke. Of that number, 100,000 are African American. What's even more alarming though is that African Americans are twice as likely as other ethnic groups to have a stroke and that one half of all African American women will die from a stroke or heart disease.

Earlier this month, Grammy Award winner, Bebe Winans and "Hip Hop Doc" Dr. Rani Whitfield teamed up and have been actively campaigning for stroke awareness through the American Stroke Association's, Power to End Stroke Campaign

Although the reasons for the statistical discrepancy amongst African Americans does not have one definite reason, what is certain is that high blood pressure, sickle cell anemia, and diabetes (which are also prevalent in African Americans) can greatly contribute to getting a stroke.

Dr. Whitfield adds:

Hypertension is the number one risk factor for heart disease and stroke and African Americans are affected by this disorder more than any other ethnic group in the country. And so if we can control the blood pressure, we can definitely reduce the incidents of stroke and heart disease. But there's also diabetes, high cholesterol, there's sedentary lifestyles, people are just not exorcising and with that comes obesity.

There is a long tradition in the African American community of cooking up soul food. But unfortunately, often times we fail to take in account that, that same plate with the cornbread, collard greens, mash potatoes and deep fried fill-in-the blank is loaded with fat and cholesterol.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, 31.1 percent of African-Americans were obese in 2001, up from 19.3 percent ten years prior. That means obesity has shot up over 50% in a decade and the numbers have risen even more today.

What's more is that according to the CDC nearly 50 percent of African American women are obese.

Bebe was close friends to Luther Vandross, who had diabetes and died of a stroke in 2005. He also lost his brother to heart disease, which prompted him and his family all seek out the doctor about their own susceptibility to getting a stroke.

My brother had heart disease, so our lives were touched by that. Understanding what happened in his life and losing him definitely propelled all my family to go and visit the doctor to find out about the high blood pressure which runs in our family. We are all aware of what's happening in our family so we found it necessary to teach others, adds Bebe.

So what can be done? Dr. Whitfield and Bebe provide some solutions here:

•Eat a balanced diet emphasizing a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes and sources of protein low in saturated fat.

•Get physically active at least 30 minutes per day, most days of the week.

•Don't smoke-if you smoke, stop.

•Schedule regular visits with your doctor.

And remember, don't wait until its too late when you have the power to prevent it today.

For more information, call the American Stroke Association at (888) 4-STROKE or visit www.strokeassociation.org/power.

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