Why Black Women Are Overweight
Expert says a cultural change in this community is overdue.
Black women face more weight challenges than their white counterparts, partly due to unhealthy lifestyles and attitudes, according to Dr. Ro. As a result, they have higher rates of such weight-related conditions as heart disease and dia – betes. Learn: • Why black women resist exercise • Why black women mistrust the diet recommendations of white experts • How a “culture of curves” has hampered black women’s healthy body image • How the traditional African American diet has created generations of unhealthy adults

The Economics of Thinness
Expert debunks myth that you have to be rich to be fit.
Here are two common attitudes among African Americans: “Thin is in” is a white, European ideal, and working out is an activity for the wealthy. Dr. Ro says this way of thinking has got to change. She discusses: • A walking-based exercise program that costs nothing • How socio-economic factors affect weight and health • Practical tips for budgeting in work-out gear • Why poor people in the Caribbean and Africa are healthier and thinner than wealthier African Americans

Food Can Save Your Life
Learn dietary prescriptions for everything from growing better nails to managing memory loss and hot flashes.
Every day, new research is revealing how eating habits impact our health. The good news, says Dr. Ro, is that eating for your health also leads to a better figure. Discover: • Best anti-aging foods • How to prevent diabetes and heart disease with diet • What women can eat to prevent fibroids, breast cancer, hot flashes, memory loss, and colon cancer • How to test your vitamin and mineral IQ • 22 important nutrients you should be eating, and foods that contain them • Black women are 69% more likely than white women to suffer heart dis – ease and heart attacks • 1 in 4 black women age 55 and older has diabetes. • African American women have the highest breast can – cer death rates of any group.

A Tree that Could Save Your Life
Learn how to make a your family medical tree.
How many African American families have an uncle who is an amputee, a great grandma who was blind, and other relatives who had a “touch of sugar”? Dis – covering patterns of diabetes and other diet-related illnesses in your extended family, says Dr. Ro, can motivate you to create a different dietary legacy for your kids. Learn: • How to create a family medical tree • How to mine living relatives’ memory for health clues • How old photos can offer a wealth of visual clues • Questions that help your immediate family overcome their reluctance to give up family secrets

The “New” Soul Food
Learn how to convert unhealthy soul food into nutritious dishes.
We’ve all heard that soul food is bad for us. Dr. Ro says it doesn’t have to be that way—not when you update traditional recipes to make them healthy. Find out: • The history of soul food and how it has evolved • The nutritional downside of soul food • How to modify favorite recipes into new, healthy versions

Stay-on-Track
Tips Learn how to stay motivated with fitness and diet.
When you’re trying to change your behavior to adopt a healthier lifestyle, it’s hard to stay motivated. Dr. Ro offers secrets to help you stick to your new health regiment. Learn: • How to squeeze ten-minute bouts of activity into your day • How to get friends and family to boost your motivation • Eating out tips and tricks

An Alternative to the New Food Guide Pyramid
Problems with the current guidelines and how to solve them.
The new Food Guide Pyramid was not written with black people in mind. For example, one in three African Americans is lactose intolerant, but the Pyramid sug – gests three dairy servings a day. Dr. Ro addresses these issues as she discusses: • Nondairy calcium-rich foods that are easy on digestion • What’s wrong with the “Soul Food Pyramid,” designed as an alternative to the USDA’s version • Dr. Ro’s Color Plate System—a no-nonsense approach that anyone can quickly learn and understand