I love Summer Sports the best. But during the heat of the summer athletes may be at greater risk for heat-related illness and need to know the ways to prevent it. When you are watching your favorite sports teams, have you ever noticed that the first thing the athletes do when they get to the sideline or dugout is get a drink, which most of the time is Gatorade?

We often remind our kids to remember their water bottles, but water does not replace electrolytes and sodium lost in sweat, so it isn’t enough to protect kids against the summer heat and humidity. The right sports nutrition and hydration, including Gatorade, can play a vital role in helping young athletes get the hydration and fuel they need to stay safe and perform their best. Proper hydration is just as important to athletic performance as the food your child eats, and more important to their safety
To help keep athletes safe and performing their best during the hot summer months, Gatorade and the NFL created “Beat the Heat,” an educational program focusing on the dangers of heat-related illness and the importance of taking the proper steps to reduce the chance of illness and injuries. This information is especially important for Parents because children have an increased risk of dehydration and exertional heat illness due to their size and other factors.

Parents , To learn more about The importance of proper hydration and Gatorade’s “Beat the Heat” program.  Head on over and download the Heat safety kit. For every unique download of the Heat Safety Kit, Gatorade will donate $1, up to $20,000, to beat the Heat charities.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Dad Central on behalf of Gatorade’s “Beat the Heat” campaign and received Gatorade samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

Ok Men I know how much we hate to go to the doctor. I would rather hear my wife bitching all day instead of taking a trip to the Dr’s office.  What most of us men don’t know that There are seven recommended health screenings that all of us men should consider having for our own good health and long life.  All seven tests might not apply to everyone.   Only four of the tests, however, apply to all men so go get your health screenings and start preventing any health issues that you can now before they get out of control and require you more office visits then you like.

Testing Your Blood Pressure

You should have your Blood Pressure checked at least every 2 years. You need to see your Dr. for this. Blood pressure machines at the drug stores are not going to cut it..High blood pressure does not have any symptoms and you won’t even know you have a problem until it is too late and a stroke cuts you off at the knees.

Health Screening Tests for Cholesterol

Most men just don’t believe they have High Cholesterol and don’t take the time to have it checked.For most men, you should have your cholesterol checked every 5 years starting at 35. However, if you smoke, have diabetes, or if heart disease runs in your family, you need to start testing at the early age of 20.

If you are overweight – you need to get that check up now no matter what your age.

Diabetes Screening

If you have high blood pressure and or high cholesterol, your physician is going to test for Diabetes. If you are overweight, your physician is probably going to run this screen at the same time as the cholesterol screening.

Colorectal Cancer Health Screening Tests

Regular Colorectal Cancer testing should begin at 50. There is more than one kind of test available, so don’t chicken out. Just get it done.

Prostate Cancer Screening

Talk to your doctor about the possible benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening if you are considering having a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or digital rectal examination (DRE).

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

You need to be up front with your physician on this subject. You also need to consider an HIV problem if you have ever had a blood transfusion. Hiding your head in the sands of denial will not change the reality of the situation.

Depression Screening

This is probably the most controversial subject after sexually transmitted diseases. Many men were brought up to “bite the bullet” and keep quiet about any problems they are having. Generations of women have complained that their men just don’t share. Everyone goes through periods of depression occasionally and for most people those periods only last for a few days and it is easy to say the reason why you are depressed. There are certain “acceptable” reasons for depression – losing a job, illness or death of a loved-one, or work stress just to name a few. However, if you’ve felt sad, or hopeless, or have little interest or pleasure in doing things or if you just want to sleep all the time for a period of 2 weeks straight, talk to your doctor. You might find that with just a little help you can get back to your normal happy self.

Do not allow your physician to just put you on anti-depressants. Taking pills without doing something to change the situation or your attitude will only make it worse in the long run.

Remember, Real Men Take Care of Themselves in order to take care of others. Real Men Ask for Help and Directions when necessary. Real Men take steps to insure they will be around to  walk their daughters down the aisle when she says “ I do and to bounce their grandchildren on their knee and spoil them and send them home!

It came as quite a shock to me 12 years ago when my girlfriend told me that she was pregnant. We had in truth been trying for a baby after she had her first miscarriage, but I never thought it would happen so soon. I am not really sure why it’s crazy, I know. I have to admit that I was quite scared at first but now feel very lucky and he has truly changed my life in a positive way.

A couple weeks before my son was born, The Boys and I decided to get together and have a guy’s night and chill out like old time sake. It was like one last night out of freedom before being thrust into parenthood.  This whole night I remember thinking, I will miss this. For some reason I actually thought that becoming a father would end any social life that I had.

The feeling of emotion and happiness when I first set eyes on and held my son is very hard to describe. He was so small and light.  He was perfect. I wouldn’t let him out of my sight. I even went back to the nursery when the nurses took him out to give him his first bath. My girlfriend was catching up on her rest so I was left in the room on my own, holding my little man. I could not stop staring at him, he was so perfect.  Right then I knew I was the luckiest man alive.

My whole attitude to life has now changed; in the past socializing with my friends was a big part of my life.  Now I would rather be home with my kids any day! You might think I am crazy or boring but when I am out I miss my kids so much, I can’t really enjoy myself.

Now that he is getting older he is the first one to wake up and walks into our room and says, Good morning dad! I wake up and there in front of me is my son with a beaming smile on his face.  Then soon to follow are my 2 little girls. Who are truly “daddy’s Girls”.

I feel very sorry for people who are unable to have children and find it very hard to understand people who choose not to have any. I am a very proud parent and would do anything for my Kids. Even when they are naughty I find it hard to be angry at then for more than about two minutes. I have recently spent a few weeks out of state due to my job. It’s been hell!  The whole time I am away all can think about is getting back to my 3 great kids.

I now have something to really live for and the future is really exciting. For any Man out there who is unsure about whether they want or should become a parent, I can honestly say that from a personal experience it has been amazing and is truly a blessing.

This is an old school track from when I was a youngster I remember seeing this video and some older people listening to it alot it’s called Only You from Kwame.

I’m back after a long absence, been working alot but my Music Monday track is Ghetto Gospel by 2Pac, listen to the lyrics on this track.

Just a pic taken at Stone Mountain Park

I want to say Happy Birthday to my baby Jada who turned 5 this past week. Well we went out and I promised her for her birthday that the 2 of us would go and get her a new outfit. Okay guys who have daughters know that it’s hard to tell your baby no which is something I couldn’t do so an outfit turned into

I know I’ve been told that I got played by my now 5 year old daughter which to add to it she had her own money which she didn’t spend a dime of it. But it’s all good but her birthday was on Monday but we celebrated it this past Saturday cause it’s the weekend and it was actually beautiful weather. So on Saturday we got up early so we can get party items for Jada and she’s a big fan of the Princess and the Frog and we went to http://www.partycity.com/ to get supplies but when we got there we looked everywhere for some supplies and couldn’t find them no where. Well on the aisle where all the Princess items we looked everywhere they had buttons, pencils, cups and you name it

Now we’re getting upset because we’re thinking the Princess and the Frog was a major motion pictures in the theater and what the hell they don’t have it so we happen to look all the way down damn near behind a pole is a few items of hers . Maybe I’m looking to much into this then we get like the 3 items and get to the checkout where we asked the cashier about why they don’t carry her stuff and she was like cause we just don’t, now we’re pissed and just say forget we’re not giving business to a store who could care less.

Now my question to people why is Princess Tiana not given a chance to succeed like the previous Princesses Disney has always had? I mean is it because she’s black and the perception of a princess is not a black girl? I mean is it the businesses who carry it don’t want to carry it or is Disney like well we tried but she isn’t in demand as other characters but not marketing her at the same time? I mean I can’t go to local stores like a Target, Wal-Mart or any other store and purchase things for my daughters room. I mostly have to resort to ebay or some other online store and it’s priced so high because there’s not alot of the items around. Okay I’m finished with my rant but it’s something to think about. Take care and be blessed.

My 2 oldest when they were babies when momma sent this to me saying Happy Fathers Day

Wow so today is March 1st my little princess turns 5, time flies by so fast, hard to believe her year in pre-k is almost over. I’m not gonna lie I got emotional when she started, yeah I can admit I cried because she’s always stayed home with me, alot of times after I got off work it was me and her. When everyone was off to work or to school it was us and I remember alot of times I would take her to the mall or maybe to Walmart to not only spend time with her but it would get her sleepy also. I must admit I had alot of mornings where I didn’t sleep and if I did it was very little but as I look back I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But today is her day and I will make today special for her along with her mom, brother and sister. We all love you and wishing her a Happy Birthday.

This is another song by none other than my favorite artist 2Pac it’s called Unconditional Love