Author: By Stacy

Across the world, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the Black community.   Mentally, physically and spiritually

Dr. Joseph Williams says that our health should not be an afterthought during this pandemic.   

Courtesy Photo

“Life will throw many punches; however, when they come, we must understand our ability to choose how we react. We have more power than we often understand.”

As author and health expert, Dr. Williams fiercely advocates for better health and, with summer approaching, wants to help others reach their goals.   

His recently released book entitled, “The Journey: Principles of Total Life Transformation” helps people who are trying to achieve transformative action.   

“What got me into this lane is I was obese, and I had a story similar to many Americans, and I got tired of it,” said Williams, affectionately known by his friends, colleagues and family as Dr. Joe.  

“We are conclusively seeing that people who don’t have underlying conditions can survive this, and [what] we learn from that is that our health is our wealth. We have to be serious about what we’re eating, exercising and our overall lifestyle.”  

Dr. Williams said he once had an

“unhealthy relationship with food.”  

“In America, there’s a connection with food. When we close a deal, we eat. When we mourn, we eat. Everything is followed by eating. We have to break that cycle,” Dr. Williams demanded.  

Born and raised in Atlanta, the Morehouse alum has made it his mission to help people reach their health goals.  

He notes that he has been intentional about setting the proper parameters on what it requires to make an actual lifestyle change— “a change in the mind, body and spirit.”

Dr. Williams says he learned how to “emotionally detoxify” as well as “spiritually recalibrate,” which resulted in his weight loss.   

Reversing all medications and health ailments, Dr. Williams has taken what he learned and conducted a 40-day holistic process to help 127 people between the ages of 26 to 77 years old lose 2,325 pounds during his 40-day comprehensive process titled, “40 Days with Dr. Joe.”  

In his book, Dr. Williams notes that “Like a trained fighter who takes punches while remaining focused on his strategy, we should be aware of our emotions without breaking focus on what we need to accomplish.  

“Life will throw many punches; however, when they come, we must understand our ability to choose how we react. We have more power than we often

understand.”  

He also proclaims that the most

significant obstacle to physical health,

especially in Western cultures, “is our relationship with food. In the West, food is used to meet. It’s used to celebrate, [as well as] when someone passes away. Customs and food go hand in hand. This mindset gives food purposes besides its original divine purpose.”  

When a negative emotion comes and [we are] aware of it, Dr. Williams says everyone must refocus their mind.  

“The place of our focus should be in the direction that’s desirable— not where we are but where we desire to be,” he said.   

To receive a free copy of Dr. Williams’ book, “The Journey: Principles of Total Life Transformation,” visit  https://www.22s.com/app/m/121319  

BALTIMORE — Medical professionals are delivering the old catch phrase, “feet don’t fail me now” to help educate the public about the specific risks and foot complications faced by those with diabetes.

The American Podiatric Medical Association has started a “Reflect on Your Feet” campaign alerting individuals that diabetes can cause nerve damage called neuropathy, a loss of feeling in the feet.

“With diabetes a couple of different things occur and the most common we see is peripheral neuropathy where someone may have a numbness or tingling sensation that won’t go away,” said Dr. Rondrick Williamson, an African-American podiatrist who has been featured on television and in major U.S. magazines for his work. “Out of the 21 million Americans with diabetes, 60 percent will present with that type of symptom, which includes cold feet or numbness. It’s dangerous too because you could walk over a bucket of hot coals or a bed of nails and not know how bad it is.”

These injuries can become infected and can lead to amputation.

“Every 20 seconds, somewhere in the world a limb is lost as a result of diabetes,” said APMA President Phillip E. Ward.

“A daily foot self-exam, along with regular visits to a podiatrist, is the best way to prevent foot complications and amputation. If you have trouble reaching your feet to inspect them, prop up a mirror on the floor or ask a friend or family member to help.”

Podiatrists are physicians who are specially trained to treat foot conditions that can be caused by diabetes, such as neuropathy, infection, and ulcers. Studies have proven that podiatric medical care can reduce amputation rates by 45 to 85 percent, officials noted in a news release.

The “Reflect on Your Feet” campaign, occurring during November’s Diabetes Awareness Month, offers information about the specific risks associated with the disease, how to conduct a foot self-exam, when to see a podiatrist, and more.

For African-Americans, it’s especially important to get screened for diabetes, Williamson said.

“In the population the first thing is that it could be hereditary because of a lot of African-Americans have parents or grandparents who are diabetic,” he said. “In light of that, we need to think about our diet because we also tend to have hyper cholesterol and if there’s a lot of obesity in our family lineage it adds to all of those things being contributing factors.”

It’s vital to receive a diabetes screening if there is a family history, he said.

“Get screened periodically. Regardless of your age, as young as you are when you find out that your parents or family members have been diagnosed you should immediately be tested,” Williamson said.

It’s also important to conduct a foot self-exam, according to American Podiatric Medical Association officials.

A self-exam consists of checking for swelling, discoloration, excessive dry skin and looking between the toes for scrapes and cuts. This can be done using a mirror or having a family member or loved one perform the check.

“Make sure you follow up with a doctor at least twice a year and properly protect your feet,” Williamson said, noting that a diabetic patient shouldn’t expose their feet to the elements.

“If they are wearing flip-flops or something like that, they can easily get a rock in their shoe and walk on it for hours and not appreciate that it’s there,” Williamson said.

“Diabetics should avoid pedicures and manicures because they don’t want to risk bacteria, fungus or infection and they shouldn’t soak their feet in warm water because sometimes they can’t appreciate how hot the water is and they can get burned.”

Finally, Williamson said, everyone should be screened and those with diabetes should remain in contact with their podiatrist.

“Diabetes is a manageable condition,” he said. “I try to treat my patients like family and you have to be educated and know what looks normal and what doesn’t. You also have to be comfortable calling your doctor and telling the doctor if you think something is wrong.”

For more on the “Reflect on Your Feet” campaign and information about diabetes, visit www.apma.org/diabetes.

More and more Baltimore area residents are increasingly feeling the effects of diabetes as thousands suffer from the disease, and a significant number of others have the life-threatening illness but don’t know it.

Health officials estimate that one out of every three children born after the year 2000 in the United States will be affected by diabetes, a long-term condition that causes high blood sugar levels.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month and The American Diabetes Association is launching their “America Gets Cooking to Stop Diabetes” campaign that aims to challenge Americans to live a healthier lifestyle through through diet and exercise.

The campaign, which will use social media and other forums to share healthy cooking tips and recipes has been designed to educate the public in cooking and preparing nutritious and tasty food while encouraging everyone to become more active.

“The [campaign] will provide people with healthy ideas they can put into action so we can move closer to stopping diabetes,” said Marjorie Cypress, the president of Health Care & Education at the American Diabetes Association.

The “America Gets Cooking to Stop Diabetes” program has already served to invigorate some individuals like Thelma Hicks, 51, an African-American with the illness.

“When you talk about the need for eating properly, exercising and finding out what you can do to stay well and not jeopardize your life, you listen.” Hicks said.

Nearly 30 million adults and children in the United States have diabetes, based on information from by the American Diabetes Association and another 86 million Americans have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to association officials.

Health care providers define pre-diabetes as having a blood sugar— or glucose— level higher than it should be, but less than diabetics have.

With type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the illness, the body does not use insulin properly. Children and young adults are usually diagnosed with type 1diabetes, a condition where the body fails to produce insulin.

“It’s not fun at all,” said Arleta Wilkins, who is among a growing number of African-Americans living with the disease.

American Diabetes Association officials noted that 13.2 percent of all African-Americans 20 years of age and older have been diagnosed with the disease. Further, blacks are 1.7 times more likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans are significantly more likely to suffer from blindness, kidney disease and amputations.

Afrezza, a new drug to treat the disease, is an insulin powder designed to be inhaled at the start of a meal. Executives from the drug’s maker, MannKind, have said that patients using the drug can achieve peak insulin levels within 12 to 15 minutes. That compares to a wait time of an hour and a half or more after patients inject insulin.

However, FDA officials caution that Afrezza is not a substitute for long-acting insulin, but it’s a new option for controlling insulin levels during meals.

The agency approved Afrezza with a boxed warning— the strongest type— indicating that the drug should not be used in patients with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and smoker’s cough, due to reports of breathing spasms.