END OF YEAR NOTE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL! I WILL WAIT TILL THE 1ST OF THE YEAR TO RESUME BLOGGING. PLEASE SET GOALS....REALISTIC GOALS......BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND LETS MAKE 2012 ANOTHER GOOD YEAR. I PRAY ALL THAT YOU PRAY FOR BE GRANTED AND ALL THAT YOU DID NT ASK FOR BUT RECEIVED BE APPRECIATED.

MUCH LOVE,
WAHEED

#GET AKB FIT

TEACHING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO A HAPPY EXISTENCE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.....MY CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE AS A MUSLIM

With the holiday season here we should be mindful that not all of us share the same beliefs.
Since my conversion to Islam I have been asked how do I deal with my family as it relates to the holidays. This can be a very uncomfortable time for many revert Muslims because alot of our families aren't as accepting or respectful of the fact we don't share the same views as it relates to the holidays. It can be a time of isolation,  an alienation. When I took shahada(Muslim declaration of faith) it was in  the middle of October some years back and I remember the holiday season was fast approaching. I was conflicted because I was concerned about the reaction of my family. Most didn't know of my conversion so it was going to be a total shock to them. It wasn't that I was keeping my new faith a secret, I simply wasn't near family at the time I took shahada( I was living in Chicago). I replayed the scene over and over again in my mind....."what was I going to say when some said Merry Christmas to me?" How was I going to handle my children as it related to Santa Claus and the idea of gift giving. I spoke to several of my non Muslim friends and they all said the same thing, "you cant just do it for your kids?"  Wasn't you brought up on Christmas? Yes I was and I responded by saying, If you learned one day the sun was the moon and the moon was the sun, would you tell the very people(my kids) who depend on you to prepare them for the world to tell them the truth? Or do you continue with the lie and hope they understand when they get older and find out for themselves. I always told my children if  they ever asked me anything I would ALWAYS tell them the truth no matter what! So how could I not tell them the truth as I BELIEVED it to be about CHRISTMAS? I mean I learned what I learned about  the real story behind CHRISTMAS as a christian! Islam afford me the opportunity to learn the TRUTH about who Jesus(r.a) really was.
When I finally encountered my family for the first time as Waheed Abdul Muhaimin i was met with mixed views. Some dismissed my conversion as "oh he confused" and that not what your mother raised you to be", or the best one is "I heard Muslims don't worship G-D....Jesus(r.a.) to them."  Funny thing is, if they took the time to study anything outside their religion they would know we as Muslims recognize Jesus (r.a.) in the Qu'ran. I resisted getting into religious debates with many because I felt the people calling themselves Christians at that very moment were acting in complete contradiction to what they said they believed. My children handled my conversion probably better than any adults that I encountered.....when my daughter asked me what was wrong( i was really distance with her on Christmas) I asked her did she know what Christmas really meant? She said Santa Claus came to give people presents who have been good. So I asked did she know who's birthday it was, and she said Jesus(r.a). So i asked did Ashton(my son) get presents on YOUR birthday? She said no because his birthday is in October. So i asked why are you getting presents on Jesus(r.a.) birthday? Confused she asked why do I then? At that moment I explain to my children in the simplest way I could find for a 2 year old and a 4 year old to understand. I know Allah was with me that day because I couldn't have found the words to say myself. Of course their mom was extremely upset with me for this but I asked her the same question. How does it feel to know your parents lied to you about something? No matter the size of a lie, isn't it still a lie? I have since discovered that this is the very way rituals became woven into the fabric of our lives.....as the saying goes.."you tell a lie long enough and it becomes the truth".
Many in my family wasn't very supportive in the beginning and I caught flack from many friends as well. This I contributed this to their own lack of understanding. See by nature we fear, despise or hate what we don't understand. If we took the time to learn about things other than what we know a lot of the walls that separate us would come crumbling down. Stereotypes would be debunked, peace and harmony would exist. What we call religion has done more to divide us more than unite us. So on December 25th I don't shy away from my family, I am mindful of their beliefs but I stick to mine, for when we strip away all the trappings of religion we find the core principles that The Creator has instilled in us all, BELIEF IN A HIGHER POWER,  LOVE AND RESPECT FOR ALL HIS CREATIONS! So I bid to you all Asalaam Alaikum....... HAPPY HANUKKAH......HAPPY KWANZAA........HAPPY HOLIDAYS


TEACHING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO A HAPPY EXISTENCE

FLU FIGHTERS......FRUITS TO HELP YOU KNOCK OUT A COLD

With the cold flu season upon us many are running to drug stores and clinics trying to get some help in combating the nasty viruses that make our winter months miserable. However you may not have to venture very far for some help in staying healthy. We tend to get colds when our immune system isn't as strong as it should be. In addition to exercise, maintaining a healthy balance of fruits and vegetables in our system will increase the protection needed to fight the invaders. Fruits also have the ability to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Here are a few fruits you should keep handy that can carry the vitamin load you need to give your immune system a boost.

Apples
is by far the most popular antioxidant we have in our diet. Apples are full of protective flavonoids which help to prevent heart disease and cancer.

Bananas
it is a major source of vitamin B6. It helps to reduce fatigue and leg cramps. It is a great source of potassium. It also combats depression, insomnia and stress. They are also high in magnesium which helps to build strong bones. Great way to prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.

Cranberries
they have more antioxidants than any other common fruits or vegetables. One serving has 5X the amount found in broccoli. Cranberries are natural in probiotic increasing good bacteria levels in the stomach and protecting foodborne illness.

Papaya
It has 250 % of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.....so a papaya will run a cold right out of your body! The beta carotene, vitamin C & E can reduce inflammation  throughout your body, cheapening the effects of asthma.

Grapefruit
Grapefruits contains limonoids which have been know to lower cholesterol. Grapefruits are also loaded with vitamin C. The red grapefruits are laced with lycopene a cancer fighting substance.

Get yourself some fruit next trip to the market and keep your immune system strong so you can enjoy this holiday season.

#GET AKB FIT

TEACHING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO A HAPPY EXISTENCE!

SPEED KILLS......TRACK & FIELD TO FOOTBALL FIELD TOP 5 RANK ATHLETES

I was thinking of who were the best track and field athletes that turn to football to earn a paycheck! After a little research (yes I love to research) I found some great information and decided I would created a top 5 list of who ran the fastest and who threw the furthest. There are some surprises in the information I found as well. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had researching it.

100 meters
Jacoby Ford 10.01- WR-Raiders
Bob "Bullet" Hayes 10.06-Cowboys/ 49'ers
Ron Brown 10.06-WR-Raiders/Rams
Alvis Whitted 10.07-WR-Jaguars/Raiders
Darrell Green 10.08-CB-Redskins

200 meters
Michael Bates 20.01-RB-Seahawks/Panthers/
Mike Miller 20.15- WR-Giants/Saints
James Trapp 20.17-Raiders/Ravens
Phil Epps 20.19-WR-Packers/Jets
Michael Timpson 20.23-WR-Eagles/Patroits/Bears

400 meters
Rod Jones 44.94-CB-Bucs/Bengals
Larry Jones  44.98-DB-Redskins/49'ers
Travis Hannah 45.38-WR-Oilers
Scott Turner 45.69-DB-Redskins/Chargers/Broncos
Patrick Johnson 45.38WR -Ravens/Redskins/Jaguars

110 Hurdles
Renaldo Nehemiah 12.93-WR-49'ers
Willie Gault 13.26 WR-Bears/Raiders
Rod Woodson 13.29 CB-Steelers/49'ers/Ravens
Jabari Greer 13.32 CB-Billis/Saints
Earl McCulloch 13.43 WR-Lions/Saints

400m hurdles
*Robert Griffin III 49.22 QB-TBD
Paul Lankford 49.55 CB-Dolphins
Nolan Cromwell 49.74 DB-49.74 Rams
Brain Moorman 49.77 P-49.77-Bills
Jerry Tarr 50.00 WR-Broncos

Long Jump
Eric Metcalf  8.44-RB Browns/Falcons/Chargers/ Cardinals/Panthers/Redskins/Packers
James McAlister  8.24 RB-Eagles/Patriots
Reggie Jones 8.24 -WR-Panthers/Chiefs/Chargers
James Lofton 8.23- WR-Bills/Chargers/Packers/Raiders/
Vance Johnson 8.21 -WR-Broncos

Triple Jump
Reggie Jones 17.12-Panthers/Chiefs/Chargers
Dokie Williams 16.81 WR-Raiders
Henry Ellard 16.73 WR-Rams/Redskins/Patriots
Al Toon 16.65 - WR Jets
Latin Berry(no isn't my cousin) 16.41-Rams/Browns

Shot Put
Michael Carter 21.76 DT-49'ers
Jeff Stover 20.84- DT- 49'ers
Brian Roberson 20.83-DE- Vikings
Shane Collins 20.20- DE- Redskins
Johnthan Ogden 19.42-DT- Ravens

Discus
Christian Okoye 64.72-RB-Chiefs
Brian Milne 63.2-RB-Bengals/Seahawks/Saints
Michael Carter 61.96 DT-49'ers

*Honorable mentions:
Tommie Smith( This is for you Zach) -Bengals old AFL
Deion SandersCB/PR 100m /Cowboys/49'ers/Ravens/Redskins/Falcons
Herschel Walker 55m/100m RB Cowboys
Tyrone Wheatley 110 HH Raiders
OJ Simpson 4x100m RB Bills/49'ers
Ronnie Lott S 7 ft high Jump 49'ers
Donald DriverWR high jump 7.5 Packers
Eric Dickerson  Sprints RB Colts/ LA Rams

*Held the high school national record in the javelin
Russ Francis TE 259ft
Terry Bradshaw QB 244ftSteelers

The Oakland Raiders once had a foursome that could run with any World/Olympic 4x100 relay team...
Sam Graddy,90-  was 1984 Olympic Champion 4x100, 100 meter silver medalist 84 Olympics
Willie Gault, 88-94 - was 1983World Champion 4x100, 110HH World Champion Helsinki bronze
Ron Brown 90-92- was 1984 Olympic Champion 4x100
Bo Jackson 87-90 -was a college sprinter and has recorded the fasted 40 ever at a combine 4.12*

#GET AKB FIT

TEACHING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO A HAPPY EXISTENCE

I AM NOT STRANGE.......I JUST HAVE AN OCD!

Some years ago a few friends of mine brought to my attention all these"strange" habits I had. Now as an athlete I took these things as just neurotic behavior. Yes I wore the same red mickey mouse socks for all my races, I warmed up the same way all the time,  and I even had a special ritual for getting in the starting blocks before each race. If none of this was done I felt lost and usually didn't have my best race. Once I retired, I noticed these things continued into my personal life and at times caused slight disrutpions in my schedule. As an example, I can't go down the can good aisle in the grocery store because I am compelled to straighten the aisle. I have had moments where customers have seen me in the aisle and asked if I knew where other items were. When my response was "I don't know I don't work here," they express a look of confusion like well why are you pulling all the cans forward. So there I would be in aisle 6 explaining to them why I am straightening the cream of broccoli soup cans. I have moments where I eat the same thing all day long for weeks on end, not because I have to but because there is this burning desire in me that won't allow me to eat anything else. I love routines, patterns and puzzles, and I love the number 3. Often times I find myself doing things in 3's. I can't function in clutter, If things are in disarray I can't move, its as if I am paralyzed. My mood gets affected and I have to either lie down or put on music before i can start to organize. My closet is arranged by style, color and item. I am drawn to knots and jumbled cords and can spend hours trying to untangle them. I fold clothes over and over again even dirty ones. I pack for trips at least 3 times before I go. I iron EVERYTHING ( some of my friends know this), I hate wrinkles and can spend all day ironing.
After being diagnosed earlier this year with an OCD I began to do my own research. It was brought to my attention that having an OCD is by all accounts consider a metal illness. For me coming to the realization that I was mentally ill was not an option because in my eyes what I experience isn't a mental illness by MY DEFINITION. No I don't zone out or walk the streets talking to myself ( I do however avoid cracks and lines on sidewalks) or any of the other stereotypical traits associated with someone that has a "mental illness".
I asked what I thought brought on my OCD. After some therapy and self evaluation I realize the triggering factor was STRESS!  I would find myself in stressful situations and when I did I would resort to arranging, straightening and organizing things. What I go through on a daily basis has become a natural part of my life and FOR ME it seems NORMAL. I have learned to justify it by saying things like "I am a thinker, I am very analytical, or I am just meticulous." The fact is I see the world in a different light than most people. For me the world is perfectly aligned items on the dresser, wrinkle free shirts and pants, full grocery aisles, clutter free desks, neatly cut hair, carefully arranged shoes, organized individual stacks of paper, and alphabetized DVDs. So when you see someone who is in the grocery store pulling can goods forward and he doesn't have on a uniform.....remember they aren't strange they just see the world different than you do. If by chance its me you see, just say hello and I will meet you at the end of the aisle when I am finish. So go and hug someone that's different today....that very person may be you!

#GET AKB FIT

TEACHING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO A HAPPY EXISTENCE

CHILDHOOD OBESITY....THE HEALTHY TRUTH

     We live in a society that puts an emphasis on excess. Look at the food commericals, look at our nations wealthy, and look at our children. In the US alone we have approximately 9 million children over the age of 6 is obese. Now you ask how is this a national problem? It is estimated the treatment of this problem cost us approx $100 million dollars. Children are developing adult like diseases such as sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis( this is the hardening of the arteries)-this is the beginning of heart disease. Now all these complications and obesity itself can be changed if we decide to take action. It is important that these issues are addressed because they sometimes lead to depression, anxiety, low self esteem, social isolation, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, asthma, increased school absence, decreased test scores, decreased fine and gross motor skills, early onset of puberty in girls and delayed puberty in boys. Scariest of all is this generation may be losing as much as 5 years off their life.
     Our society has become fast paced resulting in our lost of family time. This includes healthy home cooked meals, and outside time spent running and playing. Now this has been replaced with fast food dinners and video game babysitters. No longer are children outside developing social skills or fine tuning their gross motor skills. They text one another and learn how to play football on XBOX with Madden 2012. Our children are a reflection of who we have become. When they see mom and dad stretched out on the couch with some oreo's( OK the cookies are my guilty pleasure) chances are they will do the same. I make it a point to get my children out the house every chance I get, even if it is to just take a walk through the neighborhood. We play all kinds of sports, they ride scooters to the playground,  we skip renacting the Wizard of Oz scence. I am usually the Tin Man, we even race to and from the store( I let them win only on Tuesday's and Saturday's...long story). What I have learned with my children is when exercising is fun they don't realize they are exercising. One place where children can get in a workout and not realize it, is at the playground. The equipment is ideal for this. They climb the monkey bars, they tend to play chase with one another, the run up the wrong way on the slide, even the swings are good forms of exercise. All of this is exercise and its a great way for them to burn off that energy they have built up. Nothing better than children worn out and ready for a nap(this is when I have my cookies).  When he weather doesn't permit outside play, most malls have play areas where children can go and run till their hearts content. Here they can work out social skills while at the same time get in a workout.
      All this in conjunction with eating healthy. All the sugar, soda, cookies( I know me and Oreo's....i will be in Oreo rehab soon) and fatty foods need to be with replaced with fruit, veggies and fish and turkey.
Our future doesn't have to be clouded with obesity and disease. Let our children know we love them not only through our hugs and kisses, but by giving them a fighting chance to grow up and grow old. Take 30 minutes of your you day and show your children some HEALTHY LOVE.
#GET AKB FIT

TEACHING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO A HAPPY EXISTENCE

Magic of Metabolism

      One of the questions I get asked as a fitness trainer is about metabolism. People hear about it however not many know what it is or its purpose. So i will speak to you about the Magic of Metabolism. Metabolism is the amount of energy( calories) used by the body to maintain itself. Whatever you are doing, sleeping, walking, eating, or sitting your body is burning calories. Our metabolism is affected by our body composition. What this means is the amount of fat vs muscle you have. Muscle uses more energy to maintain itself than fat does, so those who are muscular and have low body fat tend to have higher metabolism than someone who isn't as muscular. So you ask.....well how can i tell if mine is slow? Some symptoms of a slow metabolism is, fatigue, dry skin constipation and low blood pressure. NOW I AM NOT A DOCTOR , AND THESE MAY BE SIGNS OF SOMETHING ELSE SO IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS PLEASE GO SEE A DOCTOR. Now that I have clarified that let us continue. ....

So lets look at how to increase that magic metabolism and get you functioning at a different level and move you towards that targeted weight loss goal. STOP DIETING! What is meant by this, don't starve yourself, but be more mindful of what you eat. Not including an exercise routine with healthy eating habits is going against the purpose of the diet. Remember the body will assume its going to starve so it will store the calories and not burn them. So when you add fuel and don't burn any, you in essence begin to hoard and that is what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror.

So now you ask how do I increase my metabolism? To gain muscle mass you can do resistance training like weights, dynabands or hand weights. In conjunction with resistance training you can decrease body fat by doing aerobic exercises a minimum of 3 days a week for longer than 20 minutes. Aerobic training can consist of walking, jogging, swimming or bike riding. This will elevate your heart rate and hold it there in the target zone to start the fat burning process.

Let me note that genetics plays a part in your metabolism as well. We are genetically made different, with mesomorph, ectomorph or endomorph body types and structures. It isn't safe to assume we can all achieve the same body as Lee Haney or a Demi Moore as GI Jane. However with weights and aerobic exercises you can get the body you desire based on you makeup.

So lesson today, exercise regularly, eat healthy and you too can get increase the magic metabolism!GET AKB FIT!

"TEACHING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO A HAPPY EXISTENCE"