Cardio Swag Week Seven - The Fried Chicken Edition

I have been gone for a couple weeks grinding on a few projects.  My CardioSwag has fallen off a bit, but you keep me motivated, and I will be back on track in a minute.  For those of you that have made it through this week maintaining and growing in your swag, I salute you, and thank you for keeping it moving!

Tonight I am giving a talk to a group that routinely meets over steak dinner and drinks.  They asked me to talk to them about men’s health, and I agreed because I know how hard this health thing can be.  I was thinking about what would be a good jump-off point when this “Fried Chicken” track by Nas came to mind.  Here are some of the lyrics:

“ Hmm... Fried chicken, fly vixen

Give me heart disease but need you in my kitchen…

Created by southern black women to serve massa' guest

You gonna be a nigga death
Mrs. Fried Chicken you was my addiction

Dripping with hot cholest-…

Trapping me; You and your friend mac' and cheese

Candy yams collard greens but you knocking me to my knees

It's killing me when I'm inside...”

Excerpts from “Fried Chicken” by Nas.

Nas and Busta Rhymes pretty much nail it, but like so many lyrically-sound, message-heavy hip-hop cuts, this track did not get much play. Truth be told, it should be a health anthem.


So why am I talking about fried chicken as we hit CardioSwag Week #8? Simply put, it’s about resisting temptations and keeping your goals in mind.  Fried chicken, excessive alcohol, overloading on carbs, etc. all lead to us falling off the wagon.

Superbowl, Valentine’s Day, even it just being the weekend gives us the excuses to slack off our game.  I know because I do it sometimes too.   We don’t have to.  Stay the course, maintain your focus. You can do this.