Submitted by RickterScale8.6
“they say you are what you eat so I strive to eat healthy, my goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy, cuz true wealth comes from good health & wise ways, we gotta start takin better care of ourselves” –dead prez
“aint that some shit? im gonna eat some shit until what im eatin kills me, & I choose to do that, why? cuz that’s just what niggas do” –Busta Rhymes
When it comes to the Health & Well-being, there isn’t a lot out there to speak to the realities of folks who are broke. One of the most famous alternative cures for cancer, the Gerson therapy, calls for a $2500 juicer. And whenever I try to show documentaries about Natural Medicine to my friends, they tend to get bored within 10–no–5 minutes. Not because the information is bad, but 
because the presentation just doesn’t speak to the working poor and folks of color. Just when I had the thought of rehashing the info to present to our neighborhoods, I came across a very interesting two volume work: The Hood Health Handbook – A Practical Guide to HEALTH and WELLNESS in the URBAN COMMUNITY. (Compiled by Supreme Understanding and C’Bs Alife Allah). Ringing in at a whopping $24.96 per book ($40.37 if bought together), including shipping and handling, this guide pulls no punches in pricing. So what does this get you in return? A veritable encyclopedia worth of knowledge about getting healthy while livin’ in the hood. This means taking an honest look at the state of health in our communities. And the prognosis is not good. Health experts are coming to recognize that Inequality is the strongest determining factor of one’s health. Race, gender, class, queer, homeless, undocumented. The more one finds herself on the margins, the more likely she is to be in a state of ill health.
The series covers the range of health from examining how people of color have gotten to be at our general state of health, to giving some key coordinates to getting to where we want to be. In addition, it covers Having a healthy pregnancy, Practical weight loss & exercise info, Mental health, Understanding the toxins we often encounter, Stress management, Natural beauty, and Raising healthy children. The most inspiring and motivating factor I found about the books is the return to Indigenous/Original customs and knowledge that kept everyday people healthy before finding ourselves in dusty concrete jungles. We weren’t always in this collective state of health. It’s up to us to make sure we get things right again not just for our own sake, but for the sake of our children and those to come. The books are very comprehensive and each of the topics covered has a dozen or so articles written by various authors including hiphop artist and nutritionist Supa Nova Slom; physician and medical fraud expert Dr. Scott Whitaker; vegan chef Bryant Terry; hiphop artist and fitness expert Stic.man of Dead Prez; chef and holistic health counselor, Afya Ibomu; expert on law and healthcare disparities Dr. Vernellia Randall; hiphop artist and activist, Wise Intelligent; detox expert and educator Dr. Nancy Williams; naturopathic doctor and skin care consultant, Dr. Kanika Jamila; and a personal friend of mine, vegan health expert, Sincere Justice.
The system is waging war on the people. And whether it’s Diabetes, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Cancer, Hepatitis, Manic Depression, or Chronic Fatigue – one thing’s for sure – the wear is showing. It’s not just about getting cured, but getting our health right and maintaining it. And if you can make the time to address the causes of our collective poor health, then all the better. Covanta currently has an incinerator at the end of Crows Landing Road that is billowing pounds and pounds of toxic chemicals into the air for all to breathe when it only takes tiny amounts to poison someone. Many farm workers handle deadly pesticides without proper protection as a part of the job. And the food they’re serving our kids in school – not the business. Of course we can’t forget the health risks of pork. I’m not just talkin bacon either. Cuz it won’t stop till AT LEAST we get the po-po off the block! The Hood Health Handbook is available online at SupremeDesignPublishing.com
Demand your local library to carry a copy of both volumes for the good of (y)our community!
Categories: Book Review, Health Issues
The Revolutionary Hip-Hop Report 
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