The Makings of Being Healthy in the Hood

This blog started as a result of living below the national poverty level for years and struggling with weight throughout that period.  It's easy for people who have access to healthy foods and gyms to make recommendations on how you should lose weight. But what happens when your monthly income is $160 in child support, $188 in food stamps, along with receiving $1500 in student loan grants that has to last you to the next disbursement which is usually 4 to 5 months away? 

I lived that way for two years and throughout that time I made the decision that I'd write about how to get healthy in the hood.  No, I'm not out the hood but I'm not where I use to be when this journey began.  I was living in a rat, roach, termite, and wasp infected rent house in South Dallas.  Hood folk know if it was like that on the inside, the outside was just as infested.

I had to figure out a way to be healthy off of Family Dollar, Save-a-lot, and Minyard brand products on what I was receiving monthly.  You do the math.  Food is higher in the hood than anywhere else.  Now factor in the experts want a ninja to eat fruit, vegetables, protein shakes and what not plus I'm on the bus?  How is this supposed to work?