Hip Hop Legend Rev. Run Takes A Swing At Diabetes

Shaq, another friend of mine, is in awesome shape and he’s a Diabetic. So it’s not just a disease that only affects over-weight people or those who are not in shape.

[Living Healthy]

REV. RUN has teamed up with ASK.SCREEN.KNOW  to raise Diabetes Awareness in the African-American Community. Rev. Run’s new calling on his life these days is to educate us on the importance of taking better care of our health and raising awareness about Diabetes. With the help of Jeannette Jordan, a certified Diabetes educator, he is reaching out to our African-American communities urging us to get screened and find out what the risk factors are for Diabetes.

BSN: Good afternoon to you Rev Run and Ms Jeannette Jordan!  It’s great to be able to speak with you guys.  Rev Run I’m a huge fan.
REVRUN: Good afternoon, I’m great! How are you?
JJORDAN: Hello!  How are you?

BSN: I’m very well thank you. Rev. Run please tell our readers what initially prompted you to get involved with  ASK.SCREEN.KNOW?
REVRUN: Well, my manager knew about ASK.SCREEN.KNOW  because his father suffers from Diabetes. And it made me think, my father has Diabetes too, so I need to check my health and get involved.  I’m a very spiritual person.  I write thousands of ‘WORDS OF WISDOM’ on Twitter every day.  I try to inspire people with my words and messages. GOD dropped it in my spirit to speak about Diabetes and help this cause.

BSN: You’re older brother, Russell, lives a very healthy vegan lifestyle and practices Yoga.  How much of an inspiration and support system is he?
REVRUN: Yes, Russ is extremely healthy.  He eats right, exercises regularly and that doesn’t even guarantee that he won’t develop Diabetes.  I was speaking to my good friend Anthony Anderson, who’s a Diabetic. He recently lost a lot of weight and is trying to become healthier.  [Rev. Run notes that Diabetes is “not just a disease that only affects over-weight people or those who are not in shape.”]  Jeannette is an expert at identifying the different risk factors.
JJORDAN:  I’ve been a Diabetes educator for over 20 years and I’m here to tell you that we, as African-Americans, are twice as likely to develop this disease. 1 out of 6 African-Americans have it and 1 in 4 are at risk to develop it.  If you have a family member with it, you’re over 45 years old or you’re a woman who gave birth to a baby over 9 lbs, you are at risk.  We have to get serious about being healthy and getting screened.  Some people say, “Oh, I don’t even want to know!”  But early detection is so important.  It reduces the risk of the Diabetes causing other health complications.  It can be managed, it doesn’t have to stop you from living your life.

BSN: In doing research for this interview I discovered that a few Rappers and other Celebrities suffer from  Diabetes, such as Phife Dawg of a Tribe Called Quest, Ghost Face Killah of the WuTang Clan, Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams and  NBA Player Adam Morrison. You would never think any of them had a health ailment. Further proof that with the right care & management you can still  live out your dreams.  Have you reached out to any of them for support?
REVRUN:  No, not as yet.  This is new.  I just got involved recently so we’re in the early stages. I will be doing various PSAs, visiting churches to speak with congregations, just going around spreading the message. You’ll probably see me on the side of some buses too!  I was on Sirius Radio this morning with Sway speaking about it.   I am so honored that GOD had chosen me to raise awareness in our community.  I am very happy that I’m able to be helpful and contribute to this cause.   I’m blessed to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.

BSN:  How much of a difference has your new eating habits and exercise regimen made in your life?
REVRUN: I feel much better!  I recently lost 22 pounds and it feels great.  I watch my sugar in-take. I’ve cut down on how much juice I drink and I’ve been walking around my neighborhood.  Now it’s getting cold, so I’m walking on my treadmill (laughing!).  Me and DMC did a concert recently for the first time in about 13 years.  I felt so prepared.  I had lots of energy and I didn’t get tired.   I enjoyed myself and the fans took notice.  No one talked about how we were tired and out of shape.  That was cool.   I’ve trained my body to say, “NO!” to late-night snacking!  (Laughing!). If you tell your body no enough times, it stops asking.

JJORDAN: We’re not telling you to give up all of the foods you love completely.   Just to eat them in moderation. Do we have to have a whole plate of rice or macaroni?  Can’t we just eat a 1/2 cup or 1 cup of it? We also need to drink more water and cut down on the juices and sweet teas! These small changes will make a huge difference. You have to change your lifestyle along with your eating habits,  become more disciplined.  Don’t stop eating everything just watch your portion sizes and make sure you exercise regularly.   Take a walk, go for a swim or a jog.  Whatever it is you like to do, just stay active.

BSN:  Rev. Run we commend you for bringing this very important issue to our community’s attention and for leading by example at the same time. And thank you Jeannette for educating us on the risk factors.  I had no idea that I was at risk for giving birth to a 10 pound baby.  Wow.
JJORDAN:  See, you have to get screened. We are urging everyone to visit this website ASK.SCREEN.KNOW  and take the Diabetes factor assessment test.  Learn about the risk factors and take advantage of the resources provided on the site.

BSN: It was a pleasure speaking with you both. Thank you for educating our readers. We’ll be looking out for those PSAs and advertisements, have a blessed day.
REVRUN/JJORDAN:  You’re very welcome. Thank you for having us. Take care.

Note: With the support of his family, friends and fans Rev Run has changed his lifestyle and become an example of good health.  He’s teamed up with Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, and is the face of this national campaign.  November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so please visit  ASK.SCREEN.KNOW

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