Take a look in the mirror for me. What do you see? Do you like what you see? I most certainly enjoy the spectacular view of my face though puberty has beaten it up a bit. I find my style to be somewhat acceptable; I do not care for new fashion but still look good in all my old shirts. I am not going to blatantly lie and say I take the absolute care of my body but over the past couple of months, my grooming skills have improved quite nicely if I do say so myself. Overall, I am confident in my looks and believe I am indeed a healthy young African male. But how am I so sure that I am 100% squeaky clean? I don’t, and I am not. A lot of people care so much about their exterior, spending 30 minutes choosing clothing or hours searching for a dress they will only wear once when really, the inside is what dictates whether or not you’re healthy.

A lot of people spend a lot of time buying make-up or clothing to stay in style and in-touch with the latest trends, all in hopes of making friends, staying relevant, and impressing the onlookers. You will also have those people who spend a bundle of their limited hours on skin care products and lotions and hundred-dollar massages and facials. Both are obsessed with the desire to look good; both are not me. I will not be seen in Forever 21 or The Bay looking for the perfect skinny jeans or the right sweater, and you will not see me resting in a by the way expensive spa with cucumbers on my eyes and some hideous brown goop all over my face, supposedly drawing out all the filthiness in my pores. I just do not roll like that.

Yes, I value my body for it is a holy sanctuary given to me by the God above and I know I must keep it fresh and pure. That is why I have my mother to pester me all day about showering thoroughly and applying the right amount of lotion here, there, and every which-way. But seriously, you might not know it now young watotos, but you WANT to keep your inner-body healthy, as Venus wrote in her article, “What About Cholesterol?”

There are many things that can harm our internal organs and our overall health.

  • Drugs can cause mental health issues
  • Too much consumption of sweets/candies can cause cavities
  • Smoking can harm our teeth, throat, and lungs
  • Too much consumption of alcohol can harm your kidneys and liver
  • Too much consumption of red meat can cause gout
  • Too much consumption of unhealthy foods can lead to obesity and other associated unhealthy conditions
  • Overall, most of the unhealthy choices we make in our lives like Venus said in her article can lead to many harmful outcomes within our bodies.

Remember I asked you to take a quick glance in the mirror to study your beautiful self?

  • Are you addicted to some kind of drugs?
  • Do you smoke?
  • Are you addicted to alcohol?
  • How are your eating habits? Any concerns?
  • Do you exercise regularly?
  • Do you have healthy relationships?

Having any of these problems is not something to be ashamed about without a doubt. Not acting to change your lifestyle on the other hand is not applauded. When you look into the mirror, the mirror will show you exactly how you look, nothing else. The mirror will never lie to you, and you should never lie to yourself. If you know you have a problem, act towards fixing it.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall… here in Canada, we are blessed with an outstanding healthcare system that will only help us if we help ourselves. There is a ton of information about how to live a healthy lifestyle as well as understand when to take action whenever the problem starts building up. The choice is ours. As said in computing world, “Garbage-In-Garbage-Out”, we are what we consume. Life, like a mirror, never gives back more than we put into it. If we desire the simple healthy life, we must put in the work.

Boyson-Angelous.