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Exclusive: Dr. Ian Smith of “Celebrity Fit Club” Helps Hip-Hop Take the High Road to Wellness

By: seandrasimsCategory: Lifestyle

“Celebrity Fit Club” introduced America to the fact that even celebrities struggle with weight loss challenges. It also introduced us to Dr. Ian Smith, the handsome, intelligent doctor who served as the show’s dietician and encouraged them, and we the viewers, to be more selective about the food we put into our mouths and bodies. On that first season, Hip-Hop was well-represented by the legendary Biz Markie, who eventually lost 40 pounds and was the season’s winner.

Through “Celebrity Fit Club”, Dr. Ian became a nearly household name, especially in the Black community with his “50 Million Pound Challenge” and his books, Dr. Ian Smith’s Guide to Medical Websites, The Take-Control Diet, and The Fat Smash Diet, and The EXTREME Fat Smash Diet. Smith is also the author of a novel, The Blackbird Papers.

AllHipHop.com spoke with Dr. Ian recently to have him answer some of our burning questions about weight loss, fitness, and how the Hip-Hop generation can make health more of a priority:

AllHipHop.com: In your opinion, why is America so overweight?

Dr. Ian: For a multitude of reasons. Our meal portion sizes have grown out of control. We overindulge in high-calorie, low nutritional value foods, and we have become too sedentary. We need to eat smaller meals more frequently and exercise more.

AllHipHop.com: What are the top three dieting mistakes that people make?

Dr. Ian:
(1) People set too many unrealistic expectations. Too many dieters want to lose too much weight too fast.
(2) People think that because they lose significant weight early in a program that that rate of weight loss will continue indefinitely. Not so. Losing weight steady is always best.
(3) People think that it’s either just the dieting that’s working or just the exercising. The truth is that it’s the combination of the two that makes the real difference.

AllHipHop.com: On “Celebrity Fit Club”, you worked with Bizarre, and at one point he went back to Detroit (my hometown) and ate at a Coney Island restaurant with The Fat Killahz. One of the rappers in that group, Marvwon, is on a quest to lose 100 pounds this year. What advice would you give him?

Dr. Ian: Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Do it the right way by changing bad habits, but don’t try to change everything at once. Work on one thing at a time and that way you will develop new habits that are healthy and sustainable. Don’t skip meals and make sure you eat 4 small-moderate sized meals a day.

AllHipHop.com: The Fat Smash Diet focuses on “smashing” bad eating and exercise habits. In a summary, how can young people do this?

Dr. Ian: The book takes you through a terrific detox that cleans out your system and really jumpstarts your weight loss. People typically lose about 7 pounds in 9 days on the detox. Then for the other three phases of the program, it teaches you how to enjoy the foods you like, but how to do so in a healthier manner. I have never preached or believed in perfection when it comes to dieting and exercise. Food is wonderful and should be enjoyed–all types. But there’s a way to do it so that it doesn’t kill you or bring about disease. The Fat Smash Diet is a program that works with people to give them the advantage they need to be smarter eaters and exercisers and thus improve the quality and length of their life.

AllHipHop.com: In a similar question, how can a person like me, who lives a fast-paced lifestyle as a journalist and often attends events with lots of free food and alcohol, make some easy changes and lose 35 pounds this year?

Dr. Ian: That’s easy. Follow the Fat Smash Diet. The key is to make sure you are planning your meals and snacks and not leaving those choices to the last minute when what you have to choose from is not that great. Packing your lunch or snacks ahead of time and bringing them with you will not only save money, but it will save you from making bad choices under duress. Also, find someone or a group to go with on this journey. All of the studies show that those who are most successful at weight loss have a support system.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of urban youth have no health coverage. What are some things they can do to avoid costly visits to a doctor’s office or emergency room?

Dr. Ian: Your parents and grandmother were right. Eating fruits and vegetables every day (at least 5 servings) can do a lot to keep your energy levels up and give you the vitamins and nutrients and anti-oxidants you need to fight disease. Half of your plate should be comprised of fruits and vegetables. Also, 30-45 minus of moderate intensity physical activity 4-5 days a week is some of the best medicine there is.

AllHipHop.com: Hip-hop is almost synonymous with marijuana smoking. What effects do marijuana really have on the body, and how does it affect health and physical appearance? Is it possible to smoke weed and still be healthy?

Dr. Ian: With all due respect, I disagree with the premise of this question. There are plenty of people, myself included, who truly enjoy hip-hop and have enjoyed it for a very long time all the way back to the days of the Sugar Hill Gang when we called it rap. Marijuana is a choice, not a style of living or an automatic musical genre affiliation. It has medicinal qualities and it has dangerous qualities. Abusing anything is not good for you, especially when dealing with something that leads to an altered state. Most people know the pluses and minuses of marijuana. Just like anything else that can be good and bad, they have to weigh the consequences and make their own decision. It’s just not my style. Never has been.

AllHipHop.com: You were recently appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition and you have the 50 Million Pound Challenge. Why are these large-scale initiatives important to you?

Dr. Ian: The country is at a perilous crossroads. We need to make some major changes in the way we live or we will be facing tremendous amounts of premature disease and death. This young generation might not outlive its parents and this is the first time in the history of this country that such a tragic prediction has been made. There are all kinds of things we can do to make a difference in being healthier and happier. My initiatives are typically grassroots in nature because I like to work directly with people and help them see that they have more control of their health destiny than they think they do.

AllHipHop.com: What do you ultimately hope your legacy will be?

Dr. Ian: That I lived life to the fullest. That I tried my best to be a thoughtful and caring human being. That I worked to leave the world a better place for the generations that come after me. That I loved life deeply and worked to be selfless in the enjoyment of such and sharing with others so that they could achieve their dreams on a small and big scale.

AllHipHop.com: Last year, the Hip-Hop world lost Heavy D due to a blood clot in his lung. How does this condition develop, and how can it be detected/prevented?

Dr. Ian: This question deserves a big answer. Let me just say that obesity and diabetes together can be quite a deadly combination. Add to that long periods of time being sedentary (long flight, sitting down for a long time) and that can only make matters worse. His lung clot likely developed in his legs, which is called a DVT or deep venous thrombosis. Once this happens and the clot gets dislodged from your leg blood vessels, it travels up the blood vessel tree to your heart, then into your lung(s) where it can get stuck. Once stuck in your lung, it can cause severe respiratory distress and even death.

AllHipHop.com: Black men still often die before the age of 40, and not always from violence. Can you share some insight into how and why healthy habits are still not an important part of the black community? How can we incorporate healthy living into our daily lives?

Dr. Ian: African Americans have a tremendous history of strength and resilience. We also have a sad history of neglect and self-denial. We have to pay greater attention to those things that will improve the quality of our lives and not only focus on things that improve the materialistic quantity part of our lives. We have to love and respect each other and realize that regardless of how great or rich or famous we want to be or actually become, we are still temporary custodians of this great earth, and one day we will pass and be swallowed by history.

For more good info from Dr. Ian Smith, or to purchase one of his books, visit www.50millionpounds.com.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Drake Says Common Was After Publicity, Backtracks on Vanessa Bryant Line!

By: ginatorres27Category: Rumors

It looks like Drake has taken another dig at Common in an interview he recently did from the set of his video for “The Zone” with The Weeknd. Drake said that he will not be responding to Common because he feels like Common targeted him as a  “a ploy for attention” around the release of his new album, The Dreamer, The Believer.  Check out what he said below:

“No (he will not respond to Common). Because despite how it’s been worded by him that situation is not a “hip hop moment” or a “battle for the sake of musical integrity”…it’s a ploy for attention around the release of an album. More than anything it was just disappointing cause what kid isn’t a fan of what Common has done for our genre. A guy who made such an incredible career for himself based off expressing genuine feelings about life and love is now targeting me for sharing my story.”

Drake also addressed the line from the “Stay Schemin” verse about Kobe’s soon to be ex-wife, Vanessa. Check out Drake’s comment on that:

“That line came from a conversation about being this young and making this much money and the fear of losing it all. I just used his potential situation to address my own life. I never intended to offend Vanessa or anyone else. That line had everything to do with me and what goes on in my head as a 25 year old man with this much income flowing in. Kobe is and always will be a friend and an icon to me.”

Drake is straight copping pleas on that Vanessa line. He knows darn well that was aimed at homegirl!  Anyway, I’m not so sure this Common and Drake beef is completely over with, and I really don’t want it to be. The lyrical back and forth between these two has been very entertaining, even if it is over a chick.

Source: NahRight.com

Bass From Hip-Hop Music Used For Medical Implant

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

(AllHipHop News) Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new miniature medical sensor that uses the bass of Hip-Hop music to power and recharge itself.

The researchers at Birck Nanotechnology Center at the Discovery Park in West Lafayette created the device that is known as a microelectromechanical system (MEMS).

A study found that acoustic waves for music, especially rap, effectively recharge the device’s pressure sensor.

The professors used a number of genres of music to test the sensor, including Jazz, Blues, and Rock.

“Rap is best because it contains a lot of low frequency sound, notably the bass,” said Babak Ziaie, a Purdue University professor of electrical/computer engineering and biomedical engineering.
The acoustic waves from music or plain tones drive a vibrating device called a cantilever, which sends a charge to power the sensor.

Ziaie, who has applied for a patent for the new technology, further explained how the device actually works.

“Music within a certain range of frequencies, from 200-500 hertz, causes the cantilever to vibrate, generating electricity and storing a charge in a capacitor,” Ziaie explained.

“The music reaches the correct frequency only at certain times, for example, when there is a strong bass component,” he said. “The acoustic energy from the music can pass through body tissue, causing the cantilever to vibrate.”

Perdue hopes the device might help to treat people stricken with aneurisms or incontinence due to paralysis.

The researchers are positioning the new technology to replace existing sensors, which typically rely on batteries or inductance through coils, to send their electrical charge.

The findings are being detailed in a paper that is being presented during the IEEE MEMS conference that is taking place until February 2.

Daily Word: Do It Better!!!

By: seandrasimsCategory: Lifestyle

Happy Tuesday, my overachievers!

Welcome to the last day of January, but the first day of the rest of your life! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to getting better! What makes life worth living is the ability everyday to do it better than you did yesterday. No matter how good or bad you have it, each moment that you have breath in your body, you can use it to improve on what you are doing!

Life isn’t about doing just enough, life is about maximizing your full potential and taking advantage of all the unique gifts that you have in your possession. Caution to those who are complacent and are not actively working towards bettering themselves everyday!

As Harold Wilson said, “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” Be alive and be the usher of change!! You can do it as great as you can imagine! This is not only your right but also your obligation! Take it to the next level and never stop growing!
-Ash’Cash

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” -Jim Rohn

“The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path.” -Jim Rohn

“You are doing your best only when you are trying to improve what you are doing.” -Unknown

“Every success is built on the ability to do better than good enough.” -Unknown

“Success is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back.” -Chinese Proverb

“Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer.” -Rick Pitino

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” -Ralph Marston

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Pitbull To Receive BMI Presidents Award

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Pitbull will receive top honors at the 19th Annual BMI Awards, which takes place this March, in Las Vegas.

BMI president Del Bryant and VP Delia Orjuela will bestow the rapper with the BMI President Award during the ceremony, which is taking place at Encore Wynn Theater on March 30.

Organizers for the event said that Pitbull’s genre bending style of music has allowed him to appeal to numerous fan bases, including Hip-Hop, Urban, Latin, Pop and European.

Hit singles like “Hey Baby,” “Krazy,” “Hotel Room Service” “I Like It” (with Enrique Iglesias), “Rain Over Me” (featuring Marc Anthony) and “Bon Bon,” “International Love” and the double-platinum smash “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho),” have kept Pitbull on the charts over the years.

Pitbull joins luminaries like Juanes, K### Santander, Taylor Swift, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, and Willie Nelson, who have all been honored for their influence on the entertainment industry.

She Is Guyana: Reggae’s Rapping Princess

By: seandrasimsCategory: Features

Queens rapper Guyana wants you to know that there are plenty of great female MCs to go around. In this mostly mannish medium, the pretty but rugged American-Guyanese lady has found a way to command the attention of onlookers with her singing/rapping style. One of those onlookers happens to be an NFL player with a love for Hip-Hop who discovered her talents and took her under his fold.

AllHipHop.com spent some time with newcomer Guyana recently to see what sets her apart from the field, and find out why we should look for her upcoming DJ Drama-hosted mixtape:

AllHipHop.com: Hi, Guyana. Thanks for taking a few moments to introduce yourself to the AllHipHop.com readers who don’t know you yet.

Guyana: Hi, Seandra! Thanks!

AllHipHop.com: So, your name – Guyana – says to me that you have a West Indian background – where are you from and how did you come about your unique sound?

Guyana: I mean, I’m originally from New York originally. I was born in Queens, and my entire family is Guyanese actually, so I’m considered to be American-Guyanese. I lived [in Guyana] for three years, from 10 to 13, and so yeah, the culture has definitely influenced me – enough for me to name myself after the country, for sure! [laughter]

AllHipHop.com: Well, one thing I noticed, especially out of New York – there are a lot of New York rappers who have that West Indian/Caribbean background, either in their family or somewhere in their music. Why do you think that the West Indian sound and rap go so well hand-in-hand?

Guyana: I mean, it’s just…wow, I don’t know how to answer that one for you. It’s good music, and reggae and soca are like forms of rapping, you know? And they have the accents, so it gives their flow a little extra spice. It’s like, it’s like rapping with a few extra things – just a good vibe to bring something fresh to Hip-Hop.

AllHipHop.com: I definitely would say the beats – beats are just as important in reggae and soca…

Guyana: Definitely! We gotta make you move! Make you feel something.

AllHipHop.com: Exactly. So, I wanted to ask you about your affiliation with B Major Music Group headed up by Bryan McKinnie, but who the audience may know as a player for the Baltimore Ravens. Tell me how you got affiliated with him.

Guyana: You know, I actually knew Bryan from past experiences, and at the time, he had a few other artists – Freddy P and Jordan Hollywood – and I would come by and do some vocals for them, some hooks and stuff like that. And, working in the studio with them is when he realized I do more than singing, ‘cause I was in Pretty Money so he was kind of aware of some things.

He was interested in whatever I could bring to the table, and he asked me to be the First Lady of B Major Music, so of course I joined on immediately. Good look, you know? He’s a very good boss. Most people or companies pick you, and they try to mold you into something that they want to make. But here at B Major, you get to be you and do you, you know what I’m saying? I’m blessed.

AllHipHop.com: Do you see any of the work ethic and the discipline that he has in sports sort of trickle over into how he deals with his artists?

Guyana: Definitely. We, as artists, see how hard he works out, being on the field, and then he’s so dedicated to us. It makes us motivated to be on ourselves even better, because he handles everything so well. He’s dedicated to football, but then he’s dedicated to the music. It’s like, when do you sleep? [laughter] And now, actually, we don’t sleep, you know? That’s what it is.

AllHipHop.com: So, I know as far as females in the industry, a lot of people act like there are two, maybe three female rappers that exist. But, as we know, there are a lot more out there.

Guyana: There’s way more!

AllHipHop.com: Yeah! And I know you’ve gotten some co-signs and have also had some good things to say about some of the other female rappers out there. Tell me your thoughts on Lil Kim, Trina…

Guyana: Kim? Wow, I love Kim! Just watching her growing up, she’s one of the people who inspired me to do what I’m doing right now. My family didn’t really approve of rap music and the way they speak and what they’re talking about; it wasn’t really accepted in my family. So I used to go in the bathroom with the hairbrush, and pretend to be her. [laughter]

And to meet her, she’s such a beautiful person on the inside and out. And then she blessed me on one of my tracks called “Money Hungry” we got together coming out soon. I love her so much. And Trina, you know, Trina is a BEAST in the studio! She’s beautiful and fly and all these things, but she’s takes the studio seriously. It’s about the relentless grind; she’s in there for as long as she’s gotta be in there for it to be tight.

I’m blessed to be around people and see these females who work hard and strive and grind.

AllHipHop.com: And that’s good to see you building good relationships with some of the legends. And what do you think about this beef that has been going on between some of the ladies in the past few years?

Guyana: I really don’t like jumping in people’s sh*t, you know? It ain’t mine to do that, but I wish it wasn’t like that. As females, it’s already hard being out here dealing with the men, so it’s dumb for us to be finding amongst ourselves. It’s just like, ‘Why?’ If we could join together and just be positive and be a force, we’d bulldoze over everything, you know what I’m saying? So it’s sad to see, but it’s just the reality of the situation.

AllHipHop.com: Right.. So tell me about this new mixtape of yours. I heard that DJ Drama hosted it, so that’s pretty big.

Guyana: Yes! How lucky am I for that? [laughter] I’m still thinking of a title right now, but I think I’m going with I Am Guyana: Vol. 1. I have my first mixtape out – it’s called Princess Guyana, and that was moreso me introducing myself like, ‘Hey, I’m a rapper; let me in the game, I does this, too. You know what I’m saying?

On this mixtape, you’re gonna get it all from me, my singing, my rapping, my flavor, and you know, the streets of course. So you get a lot more of me in this mixtape – should be by the end of January or by the middle of February.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, and I know you’re one of those double threats we keep seeing in the industry – both the singer and the rapper. But which one did you start doing first and you feel that it’s your real skill?

Guyana: Ummm, I’d say my real skill out of everything is my writing. Before anything, there was that. That’s how I express myself, through my writing, and then I started with the singing. I think both, you know? I just love music so much, and I wanna say even my reggae, I want to say all of it. My favorite out of all would probably be my singing.

AllHipHop.com: OK, so I remember I listened to a few tracks of yours, and then I actually looked at a picture of you. It was kind of interesting because the picture didn’t really match what I heard at first. You have a sexy vibe going, but then it’s kinda hardcore, too. How do you match what we see with what we hear?

Guyana: You know when I match it? I match it when you see me in a show. It all comes together. You know, that hard side of me, that street side of me is there. It’s New York, it’s my roots. You can’t get rid of that. [laughter] My sexy, I guess it depends on who’s looking at me to determine if I’m sexy or not [laughter], but it pretty much comes together when you see the show. You see it all together, and it sums it all up.

AllHipHop.com: So, last question…as a relative newcomer, why are you the MC people need to watch out for this year?

Guyana: They need to watch out for me because I have a lot to say. You know, I have a lot of style. I’m here to relate to the people, to say what the people want to say who don’t have a chance to. And, I’m bringing versatility, you know what I’m saying? Something fresh to their ears – that’s why they need to check me out.

AllHipHop.com: Well, if they want to check out more, you want to shout out a Twitter handle or webpage?

Guyana: Yes, on Twitter it’s @ImGuyana, and I have a YouTube page as well – it’s www.youtube.com/imguyana, and on www.Facebook.com/BMajorGuyana.

AllHipHop.com: Thanks for taking a few minutes with us, Guyana. Best of luck ‘cause I want to see some women do big things this year!

Guyana: Thank you, Seandra! I want to see that, too!