BDO: How can our readers open the dialogue to have those important conversations with your family about diabetes?
Rev: I think what I did with my family was tell them to get screened and go to AskScreenkKnow.com to see if you have any of those risk factors. From there go to the doctor but let them know there’s help out there and you can make it better for yourself in the long run. My father passed and he didn’t know the wisdom that they have now. We cooked different and we ate different, but there’s wisdom out there.
Justine: Education is a form of medicine. Just knowing. Also men don’t like to get screened.
Rev: Especially African American men. They don’t like going to the doctor period. I tell them to do it for your family. A lot of my decisions are based on me not hurting my family. When it comes to your children, your wife, your mother or anybody else—for some reason we like doing things for other people. When you do it for your family it changes everything.
Justine: And do it afraid.
Rev: Yeah, sometimes we’re afraid. And I tell them afraid is not going to leave. You just gotta do it afraid.
BDO: Was it easy to get the whole family on board with those changes?
Yes. Well Diggy kinda started it. Russy does what his other brother does.
Justine: Miley has no choice. Poor thing. She’s so happy if she sees a soda.
BDO: How do you guys maintain this lifestyle while you’re traveling?
Rev: It’s not easy, but if you really take your time at an airport, you’ll find something. You’ll find a salad. There’s so many restaurant choices at the airport and there’s so much health consciousness going around these days.
Justine: People are selling more healthy items right now.
Rev: Yeah, they’re getting better. If you’re focused you can find some healthy stuff.
BDO: What are your go-to meals or snacks that keep you healthy?
Rev: A go-to snack for me is popcorn, pretzels, a Twizzler sometimes. Mainly watermelon makes me so happy. Pineapple makes me really happy. I have these unsweetened drinks or sugar free drinks.There’s quite a few things I can do to make myself feel like I had some kind of happy sugar that works for me.
Justine: We can count how many calories we had in a day. So if there’s some goodies that we want, we count and see how many cookies we can have.
Rev: Yeah, we don’t deprive ourselves because that doesn’t work. Its not an all or nothing thing. It’s gradual, its balance and it works out.
BDO: Outside of food choices, what else are you doing to lower your risks?
Rev: Exercise. Last week, me and wife we were walking together and people were enjoying that because I like to put up what I’m doing [on social media]. I like to keep myself accountable by playing music and putting up myself walking. I’ll put up a story of my day and I’m proud to look at it later and see that people see that I’m walking. Miley has a scooter that she like to ride around the house, which is nerve wrecking, so we take her to the park and we’ll walk with her. Its Russy’s birthday today and we’ll probably go bowling or something like that.
Me and Diggy will go to the track. He doesn’t like to ride with me which is crazy because I’m walking and he’s running. He’s like, “Dad, I’m going to take my own car is that ok?” I’m like, “Fine I’ll see you at the park.” He’s running past me like for or six times. I’m walking and I’m like, “I’ll see you at home.” We’re like two ships passing in the night. So we’re sharing these things but we’re not as focused as the food police Daniel “Diggy” Simmons. But it good because the refrigerator is filled with stuff we can all eat.
Go to AskScreenKnow.com for more information.