Keep Your Man Healthy Campaign is a campaign aimed to equip women with information that can help them get their men to the doctor’s office more often for preventative measures. This campaign was created by Dr. Eva Beaulieu, an experienced medical doctor. Dr. Eva explains, she created this campaign, due to an overwhelming number of men who would come to the hospital after developing some type of disease that could have been prevented. Many of them felt it would pass or they had time, only to come to the hospital and get diagnosed with heart failure, kidney failure, etc. These are not just older men, she explains, these are younger men as well. In many cases, these illnesses would have been prevented if they would have come in when they first noticed something was wrong.
Dr. Eva, mother, doctor, business owner, and friend as she describes herself, shares there was not a significant event that made her want to develop a campaign to help men. She set out to help patients and people like them, to get up and go get checked. It is her goal to educate them that it is ok to get checked and that early detection is key in preventative care.
Personally, my first thought was, oh great, another responsibility for women. However, Dr. Eva has been asked this question many times and the answer is a resounding, “yesâ€. The doctors feel that men actually listen to women more than we know. They will listen or either get tired of hearing us talk about the same thing over and over. She wants women to know and understand that we have many men in our lives that we care about, and if we want them to be healthy, we should push them to take their medicine. We have to take on some responsibility. Although it does seem like being responsible for a grown man, Dr. Eva rather we look at it more as a push.
The “Keep Your Man Healthy†Campaign, uses the acronym B.O.D.Y. as a guide to help women encourage their men to create healthy habits.
B – Blood Pressure. Blood Pressure is called the silent killer for a good reason. It destroys your organs over time and leads to heart failure, etc. If you have control of your blood pressure, you can catch other more severe illnesses, before they start. In the US, 77.9 million adults have high blood pressure. That’s 1 out of every 3 adults! A startling 75% of black people in the United States develop high blood pressure by the age of 55. Stress can take a toll on emotional and physical health. Help your man de-stress by scheduling couples massages, going out on date nights more, meditating together, etc. Most importantly, make sure you consult your doctor.
O – Obesity. Obesity can cause heart disease and other illnesses. Going to the doctor regularly can help with steps to combat your obesity. Among African-American adults, nearly 48% are clinically obese (including 37.1 percent of men and 56.6 percent of women), compared to 32.6% of whites (including 32.4 percent of men and 32.8% of women). Exercise regularly together; exercise can help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colon cancer. Try to get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity completed on most days of the week.
D – Diabetes. Many men don’t know they have diabetes until they are experiencing kidney failure or going blind. Compared to the general population, African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes: 13.2% of all African Americans aged 20 years or older have diagnosed diabetes. Eat healthier by cooking at home more rather than eating out: saturated fats are bad for arteries and heart health, and they can also have a negative effect on concentration and memory. Cut back on the red meat, butter, and other such foods. Add more fish, plants, vegetables, fruits, flaxseed, nuts, etc.Â
Y- Yearly check-ups. If a man gets yearly check-ups, all these things can be prevented. Dr. Eva wants to make it clear, those yearly checkups help to prevent other illnesses as well. Try and schedule your appointments for the same day: scheduling yearly checkups are important in preventing and also diagnosing issues earlier on before they become a problem. Don’t let your man skip his yearly checkups.
As an added bonus, she states S. S – Sleep. Dr. Eva, herself prioritizes rest. She states that a person should sleep 7 to 8 hours a night to just function. Rest helps with weight management, focus, blood pressure, and stress levels. It is very important. Sleep hygiene is important; getting enough sleep (at least 7 hours each night) helps lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease, helps with staying at a healthy weight, helps with lowering blood pressure, helps with improving mood and thinking more clearly.
When asked her SwagHer, Dr. Eva simply states, “don’t place her in a boxâ€. Although she is a doctor, the Port-Au-Prince native is true to who she is. She is the same way, in and out of the hospital. She is really into fashion, so she may be rocking her white coat with cute heels. Dr. Eva believes in being relatable to her patients. Being relatable helps her patients open up to her and she can better serve them when they are open and feel comfortable.
Dr. Eva is also the co-founder and co-owner of Dramatically Real, Specialty Lipsticks. To learn more about Dr. Eva the Keep Your Man Healthy campaign visit below.
A Personal Note:
Before we published this interview I received a call that my mom’s first cousin had passed away from cancer. When I spoke with his sister, she told me that he was diagnosed two months ago. She explained that he kept waiting to go to the doctor and when he went they diagnosed him with lung cancer and then bone cancer. The cancer was already in Stage 4. My cousin passed away on Thanksgiving this year. Rest on Cousin Gary. It is very important that we are persistent about the men in our lives health. Prevention is key because if he would have gone sooner, maybe he would still be around.
Website: www.dramaticallyreal.com
IG: Dr.EvaB
FB: Dr. Eva Bonsu
About Arnya T.M. Davis
Arnya T.M. Davis has been in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex for 20 years from New Orleans. She is a creative mixed with a nerd and loves helping push people to their goals. She is SwagHer Magazine’s manager and co-hostess of Theories & Thoughts podcast.Â
