Impact Magazine, January 2012

Never in a million years would you have been able to tell me that I would have the opportunity to interview one of the greatest men of our generation! NEVER!! With this medium, I have been afforded such opportunities, I could not fathom! I know it has absolutely nothing to do with me, but it is the result of the medium I am responsible for and the assignment I have been destined to walk out! Dr. Umar Johnson is one of the prolific, most brilliant men I have ever met and interviewed. His drive and passion for our children and us as a people, is phenomenal! Dr. Umar is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist! He lectures throughout the country regarding the psycho-academic war against our black boys. He specializes in working with at-risk, violent, suicidal and depressed black boys. For five years, he served as the youngest of five black male school psychologists in the fifth largest school district in America; the Philadelphia School District! Oh yeah...I am honored!!! Journey with IMPACT with this two part interview with Dr. Umar! He speaks on the problems our boys face in schools, how to identify certain issues the child is having in the school because of the ramifications of a fatherless home, and so much more! There are gulfstream's of information that is flowing within these pages! If you are not ready to see, accept, and move forward in truth...this may not be for you but I suggest you read through it and get corrected within yourself in order to begin to move forward to give your children what they need in order to build a great nation! You may find IMPACT Magazine on Facebook at IMPACTMAG1, on Twitter @impact_magazine, and on our website at www.impact-magazine.org! This year will mark five years for us…we have begun with brilliance.....I am so psyched to see what is coming next! Let‟s Go! Tunisha C. Brown Editor-In Chief Dr Umar Johnson is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who practices privately throughout Pennsylvania and lectures throughout the country. Umar is a blood relative of Fredrick Douglass, the great Black abolitionist and orator. As a school psychologist, Umar evaluates children ages 3-21 in an effort to determine if they have educational disabilities and a need for special education services. Umar is considered a national expert on learning disabilities and their effect on Black children, as well s an expert on helping schools and parents modify challenging behaviors that can ultimately lead to disruptive behavior disorder diagnosis in Black boys. IMPACT: When did you realize you had a passion to help our children? DR. UMAR JOHNSON: It was in North Carolina, my father was a drill instructor for the United States Marine Core, and he was a pretty strict dad. Since I was the oldest boy, I never had an older brother to go and talk to. I had decided, I guess around second and fourth grade that I wanted to be a Psychologist and I wanted to be a big brother to all children who needed a big brother to talk to. So, it was actually very early in life that I wanted to spend the rest of my life helping children Now, school Psychology, came into my like as an accident. When I graduated from Millersville University in 1997, I double majored in Psychology and Political Science at Hahnemann University Masters Program in Philadelphia (which is a Hospital University). I had gone to orientation, but something about the program didn‟t sit too well for me; not to mention, I was probably the only African-American, I believe, in the entire program. Something told me that it will be best to return to Millersville University (an undergraduate institution) to pursue my degree in Psychology for two reasons. On the surface, school Psychology would give me an extra credential that I may use to stay marketable, but on top of that, having being a popular student leader, I could probably bank on getting a Graduate Assistantship Award; which I did! The Director of the Clinical Hospital at Hahnemann tried to keep me and even found me scholarship money, but I had already decided to go back to Millersville and even though they had found and were going to give me money, it does not compete with a free education. I thought to go back to school Psychology because since I like children, I said, maybe this will be a nice blend of education and mental health. And he (the school‟s Director at Hahnemann University) told me himself, that I should get my school Psychology Certification if I was going to go back to Millersville. He said, “If you get a Doctorate Degree, you will not be able to test children in school without that certification.” Going through the program, I had no idea that Special Education was being used, and had been used, since its conception in 1975 to marginalize black children. I had no idea that black boys were being over diagnosed with mental retardation; I had no idea black children who were being mis-eduated, were being punished again by being classified as having a learning disability that they didn‟t have. It was when I came back to Philadelphia for my internship during the 2000-2001 school year, which I would considered to have been my baptismal by fire! This is where I saw, the same schools I grew up in, but behind the scenes, I saw firsthand how Special Education was being used as a weapon of mass destruction against black boys. IMPACT: How is that weapon used? DR UMAR JOHNSON: They use that weapon primarily because of the ignorance of the parents. One of the most effective things we can do to reduce or control the amount of black children, and boys in particular, who are being prematurely, illegally and inaccurately referred for Special Education, is to make sure the parents understand what Special Education is and what they can do to prevent the child being specially educated when it may not be necessary. (Pictured Above: Dr . Umar Johnson pictured w/Dr. Garvey (Marcus Garvey) Now clearly, you will have children DUJ: There‟s very few long term studies who will need Special Education! A on the impact of Special Education; par- child who has moderate or severe Au- ticularly on African-American children! tism, mild to severe mental retardation! That‟s done on purpose because if there If a child is deaf or blind, some children were really good outcome studies on actually do have learning disabilities, Special Ed most people would question, neurologically learning why do we have this program because it disabilities, which in my opinion, is the based doesn‟t seem to be working. I think of the only learning disability. If it is not children I personally know that had went neurologically based, then there is through Special Education, and have nothing really wrong with these kids. graduated. Maybe we need to teach them better! continue to struggle, a lot of the young Our parents need to know the men in prison were Special Educated. definition, they need to know the law, Special Education is almost like an aca- they need to know that these people demic trash can where you throw children cannot force you to put your child in you really don‟t want to be bothered with. Special Education. They need to know A lot of our boys are being put in there for that a sizable proportion of black behavior challenges; exclusively! Not children tend to drop out of school learning, not mental retardation, not Au- because of the social stigma, the tism; behavioral problems! I don‟t want to inferiority complex, and the low self be bothered with him, so I am going to esteem that having the label breeds. have them mis-diagnose him with some- They also need to recognize that a lot of thing him with something he doesn‟t have! our children who graduate as Special Have him spend the rest of his educational Ed children, although they graduate on career in a program that provides him with time, (because legally you can‟t an inferior education, that I know is not discriminate against somebody who is going to make him functional for college, believed to have a disability) many of trade school, or life after high school. But, them don‟t graduate functionally. They I am going to do it because I am are functionally illiterate and are being concerned about having a smoother work crippled for life as a result of being put day and I will subject that child to a life of through a crippling program; Special poverty, and disadvantages, because I am Ed! not allowed to control him! IMPACT: The children are being put IMPACT: I can give you an example of through the Special this very issue. My son attended an Ed programs, my independent school in the area named question is, what are African People Action School. This school the success rates? was disciplined and taught the kids Many exceptionally! of them struggle, When they closed, I relo- IMPACT: That is so amazing and true cated to North Carolina. because when I went back to the Parent/ While a month in, his Teacher Conference she said that she teacher called me to her didn‟t believe that he had A.D.D., he was class to say that she be- just turning into a social butterfly! I told lieves my son had ADD! I her that I knew that! I told her that she has asked her where was her to assess how she looks at the children in degree in clinical Psychol- her class and how she relays information ogy? I asked her did she ever think that the to a parent because I did not feed into what transition from private to public was very she was saying…what if another parent different for him and to not allow the children would have? The fact of the matter is that to just get up out of there seats whenever they parents are allowing this misdiagnosis that would like to; you have to add some disci- is given about their children. They have to pline to your class before you try to say he really know about their children! Tell me has ADD. what a parent can do in order to know that DUJ: What you just described is the most this is a misdiagnosis! common example of a parent who has total DUJ: If the parents are getting calls the faith in what the teacher says in their unpro- first week or month of school from a fessional opinion on mental health who takes teacher, that is a clear indication that this their lead. Most of our boys who are being teacher has no tolerance for that child. I diagnosed with the destructive behavior get phone calls everyday from parents all disorders: ADHD 1, Conduct Disorder 2, across the country, even in the Caribbean Opposition and Defiant Disorder 3, Destruc- where the psycho academic war is tive Behavior Disorder 4 is prevalent in its beginning to take root as well, where the diagnosis is directly related to black parents parents are saying the teachers are faith in the teachers opinion. Most parents, complaining about my child‟s behavior; whose children are diagnosed with a disrup- what should I do? The first thing is you tive behavior disorder, were diagnosed EX- never assume that the teacher‟s description CLUSIVELY, because a teacher told the of parent, “I think your child has this…” The accurate. One of the things I do is I go into parent takes the child to the Psychologist or the classroom to observe children to give the Psychologist and simply tells them that parents a second opinion as to whether or the teacher feels that his level of inattention not the teachers complaints are legitimate. or hyperactivity supersedes what he should I can tell you, when you are dealing with a be doing at his age. The Psychiatrist will also white female teacher and a black boy, the take the word of the teacher; so you have behaviors are often exaggerated. white middle class public school teachers who are basically fueling this mass misdiagnosing war and mass psychiatric drug experiment against black boys. the problem behavior is fully Only in about five percent of the cases, The Principal will ask, “What recommenda- where parents have hired me to go in to tions do you have?” My answer will be that see whether or not what he/she is saying is I don‟t have any because I saw no problem. accurate; only in five percent of the cases Another thing you have to recognize is was I able to agree with the teacher on this racism in an academic setting; it‟s real! is what‟s happening and it is as significant Racism an issue as she has been making it. Most of especially in the schools. What I find from a the time, I see NO evidence that the be- lot of black parents is that we tend not to havior that has been reported (now the believe that an adult person could mistreat a behavior may be correct), but the impact child in respective of race, but, it happens all the behavior is having on the child‟s the time. I see it daily because I am in learning or the classroom, has been schools all over the place; racism is there exaggerated by the teacher. So, number and they will mistreat that black boy as if he one, we have to stop assuming that they was a black man because when they look at are correct! A lot of parents will call me to him all they see is a black man that he is say that they don‟t want to put my child on becoming every day. It is because of our medicine, what are some herbal alterna- faith in the system that it will not deliber- tives? I say, I have some herbal alterna- ately set out to destroy our children; we then tives, but before we go there running off give it permission to destroy the children. spending money on herbal remedies, we The number two biggest myths and lies that have to make sure that what you being told are being told is that you need medicine to from the school is the truth! If you put correct challenging behavior!!! your child on an herbal alternative, or if you put them on a sugar diet, or a caffeine diet, or a high fructose corn syrup diet, the problem will not go away if the problem never existed in the first place! So, first you have to legitimize and find to be true, the teachers complaint. If we are focused on more of if we are told the truth about our children, you will eliminate it right there because once I come in and observe, then we meet with the principal and the teacher, and I report what I saw; the teacher already knows what I am going to report because they know I have not seen nothing; so now they are upset because now they have a Psychologist reporting that what you have been saying is not the truth…and then it dies there! permeates every institution, All Psychologists know, every Psychologist A lot of children don‟t get enough lap time knows, that any problem behavior can be modified at home! They are not getting enough of through strict application of discipline and reward! masculine or feminine love at home, so If it couldn‟t, there will be no need for mental they go to school looking for what they hospitals! If it couldn‟t, there will be no need for don‟t get enough of at home! When chil- juvenile detention centers! If you could not control dren‟s psycho-emotional needs are not their behavior, why institutionalize the child? It‟s adhered to at home, they go to the next because you know you could change that behavior closest place to get them fulfilled; and that and you can change it without medicine! In fact, is the school. It‟s not a psychiatric issue, it medicine doesn‟t change the behavior, the medi- is a child‟s attempt to fulfill a natural need cine causes a dysfunction at the level of the brain but because a lot of schools and educators to prevent the behavior from manifesting itself but could care less on whether the black boys once the drug wears off or when the child stops needs are being met or not emotionally taking the drug, the dysfunction that the chemical met, they don‟t care! They only care about created goes away and the problem returns. So, one thing, and that thing is what? The only you are not eliminating the problem, you are sup- thing American society cares about and pressing them! That is why in Psychology, we that is the black man‟s ability to be able to have a term called the „Rebound Effect‟ when you control his aggression. Because the black deal with psychiatric drugs! Once you stop giving man has always been considered to be the child the substance, the problem behavior for public enemy number one! The whole which was originally prescribed the medication purpose of public education for black boys for in the first place, comes back, but this time it is to do what – Teach them how to be non- comes back twenty times stronger because all you threatening, teach them how to control were doing was suppressing it. So whenever you their behavior! We don‟t care if you could are suppressing, what you are doing, you are read, we don‟t care if you can write, we building up that energy! Actually, you are making don‟t care if you can do math, we only things worse, because the problem behavior now want to make sure that you know how to is going to be much stronger than it originally was act! Whether you learn or not is irrelevant! because your suppressing symptoms and not treat- That is why you see a lot of black boys ing causes! For example, in behavior, there are who are extremely intelligent, sitting in the five functions of behavior! Whenever a child is emotional support class. Extremely intelli- misbehaving, there are going to be five reasons gent, in juvenile hall! Extremely intelligent why they are doing it:. They get attention! This is in a discipline school! Extremely intelli- particularly true for preschool children up until the gent, third grade. When someone tells me, “They think paired for ADHD, my child has ADHD in kindergarten, they think Conduct Disorder or my son has ADHD in third grade, my daughter Oppositional Defiant has ADHD in second grade” - when they are Disorder and sitting babies, and I mean when they are from kindergar- in Special Ed! ten to third, I am almost certain that the behavior is the need for attention. diagnosed with other health im- When I go into classes and I‟m asking the IEP (Inferior Education Plan) team, why is this young man sitting in Special Ed? Not only is he smarter than anyone in his class, which means he is not learning anything, he‟s also as smart as any kid in his grade; “Well, he has a behavior problem!” Because he has a behavior problem, which I have judged as a school Psychologist to not even be severe enough to necessitate a full day of Special Ed, but because he has a behavior problem, you decided to play GOD in this school! They decided that his learning was totally IRRELEVANT and that his behavior was the only concern of the school! How dare you decide that a child‟s right to learn is negated once YOU believe that the behavior is the big issue! If anything you should be programming for the behavior and the learning, but that‟s not what they are doing. They are saying, to hell with the learning, we are only concerned about doing what, trying to make sure this boy and the safety of white educators is far more important than the education of our children. And since all black men, historically and stereotypically, has been viewed as threats to the American It is because they are either made effeminate by the school system or because they were effeminate they were deemed non threatening and allowed to pass through. You have to remember, we‟re talking grade school, whether we‟re talking high school or college; it doesn‟t matter how smart you are as a black man, if you do not bow down and accept the rule of white supremacy, no matter how smart you are, they will make it a point to destroy you. There are black men and boys sitting around this country in jails, in prisons, in juvenile halls, or walking the streets… those who have dropped out of schools, never gotten their Doctorate degrees or their Masters degree, why? Because they were deemed to be a threat to the American society and social order! We have to recognize that! That every institution in society in particularly in the schools, their job is to uphold the American social order and the best way to do that is to prevent threats by black men who could possibly destroy or reverse the long term consequences of what happens to them at the hands of the American social order! society and social order, they begin IMPACT: So, as parents… screening our sons at a very young age to DUJ: As parents, we have to become determine who will be allowed to partici- educated! Pull back your faith in the edu- pate in that social order based on the de- cational system! What do I mean by that? gree of threat. It is perceived that is dem- Stop signing everything the school ask you onstrated. So, that is to say that school is a to sign. Parents are signing permission for triad center. It is a screening institution, the school to evaluate and transfer their whose job is to filter out, the threatening kids to other schools that are discipline in black boy from the non threatening black nature. Parents are agreeing to all types of boy. When you look at it, a lot of the boys programs that are coming into the school that are allowed to succeed in our society. that are detrimental to the children. Many of them have an effeminate quality about them. IMPACT: I love your definition of ADHD! Will you explain it to the readers? DUJ: I refer to ADHD as Absence of Daddy from the Home Disorder. I chose that acronym because there‟s been several studies that I reviewed that show, and even in my own personal experience I see, most of our black boys who are diagnosed with ADHD are really not deficient in their ability to pay attention or control themselves. Their deficiencies lie in the fact that they don‟t stay at home with their fathers. It is the absence of their father from their home! Which is leaving them with a need for that masculine paternal attention that they are not getting; and because many of them are upset, sadden, depressed, or angry at the fact that they don‟t get to see their fathers they come into school and exercise that anger, frustration, and disappointment during class time. In some others, they are simply looking for surrogate in the school! So, they are constantly jumping up, cracking jokes, being the class clown, so they can get the approval of their peers and get the approval of their teacher as a substitute for the real approval they want; which is from their fathers. If we provided these boys with mentors; meaningful adult male role models or if we simply allow their fathers to come back home instead of mass incarcerating them, then you will probably see the incidences of ADHD begin to diminish and decrease. ADHD, in my opinion, is one of the greatest hoaxes that have ever been played on the black community. We‟re being led to believe that this behavior has some type of brain based neurological cause. That may be true in certain cases, but in the average case of a black boy diagnosed with ADHD, he is not impaired in his ability to control himself or function, his impairment is normally psycho-social and results from the absence of the father from his life. IMPACT: What advice would you give a man who is out of his son‟s life and is seeking to gain a relationship with the child? DUJ: The men would have to get a hold onto their own guilt and pain! The reason why it is so difficult for non-custodial parents to get reconnected with their children is because of shame that has accompanied the extended absence. It normally leads to them disappearing again. It‟s not so much of the child‟s rejection of the parent, but the parent‟s rejection their own selves. If you don‟t get a hold of your shame or your guilt, it‟s going to be difficult for you to participate because at times your child will make angry comments towards the noncustodial parent as a result of them not being there; you know that is going to come so you simply roll with that resistance. The reason why children tend to reject non-custodial parents after so many years of absence is because they are afraid that you may disappoint them again and so you have to earn their trust. When they push you away that is only a test to see how much you really want to be involved. If you walk away because they pushed you away, then that simply reconfirms their belief that you never wanted to be involved in the first place. Children has a natural desire to have They don‟t see that this is an individual, who‟s going to relationships with both parents; both, end up becoming an adult. Who is going to be afflicted on a unconscious and a conscious with certain types of personal internal psychological level. They need it and they want it, conflicts because you prevented them from being with but because of their fear and com- their father. Many women because of the pain they have plexes that has come about as a result suffered at the hands of many of these fathers, use the of your extended absence, they are children as weapons, as a way to get revenge upon the not likely to let you in easily; nor man. Failing to realize that at the end of the day, the should they! If they let you in easily, only person who suffers is the child. Stop using the you may hurt them again. They have children as collateral in a never ending war against the to protect themselves because obvi- parent. What I see a lot on the high school level, is girls ously they believe you are not capa- or boys, who are angry at the custodial parent; which is ble of doing that. You have to roll normally the mother, but doesn‟t always have to be with the resistance, have a lot of because they have come to learn that they have kept tolerance, patience, and do not put a them out of their father‟s life. You told me he wanted timeline on yourself. Don‟t put pre- nothing to do with me. You have told me you had no conditions on establishing that rela- way of contacting him. The next thing you know, they tionship with your child and simply have run into some relatives who reconnect them to commit to being there. Just by being their father and they sit down with their father only to there you will slowly wear down find out that their mother has been lying all of these your child‟s defenses. Sooner or years! Now they hate their mother! But still worse, they later, you will be right back into their feel totally alienated from both parents because even life! though they just reconnected with their father, they don‟t really know that man. The person they are con- IMPACT: What advice would you have for the women, or the custodial parent who is present in the child‟s life? I know what I would tell them! I would tell them from experience to move to the side and allow the child and the non-custodial parent develop a relationship without their input. nected to is their mother, but she has been lying! Now they feel hopeless, and that breeds the circumstances for premature teenage pregnancy! Many of our girls, who get pregnant as teenagers, are getting pregnant because they are looking for the love of their father that they never got! That baby daddy is only a surrogate! Someone who‟s only job was to replace the absentee love of their father! So teenage pregnancy, seventy five percent DUJ: One of the biggest problems of the time, is nothing more than a girls desire to receive with custodial mothers is the fact that masculine love. If she can‟t get it from her dad, so she many of them have not yet differenti- will settle to get it from her boyfriend! So mothers step ated themselves from their children. back, and allow the relationships and don‟t decide for They see the children as their per- the child whether or not they should have a relationship sonal property. with their father. I run into a lot of custodial parents, who are deciding for the child, that it‟s not good for you to have a relationship with the father. Unless the non-custodial parent is putting the child at risk for sex abuse, physical abuse, or emotional abuse, you have no right under the sun to keep them from having a relationship with that other parent. You have women who say, “I was a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of their father”; that was wrong! He had no right putting his hands on you but is your daughter at risk of the domestic abuse! “No she isn‟t he loves her to death and he loves her to death”. Well guess what, you are going to have to separate yourself from the child because she is not you and you cannot treat her as personal luggage. You have to let her have the relationship with her father because he is her father; if for no other reason! You look at every psycho-social index of healthy development, children from single parent homes tend to struggle the most. That is what‟s been called the „Generation Recidivisms Theory‟. The problems that existed in your mom and dad‟s relationship, tends to surface in yours. The reason they surface is not because of the reason of something that is genetic is taking place. It is whatever you see take place, automatically sows a seed in your mind that that is the way things should be. Even if you know it is not right, because you are used to seeing it, it is easier to accept it. Now, if you have never seen domestic violence, it is easy to reject it. If your mother was beaten by her lover, and if grandma was beaten by her lover, then maybe if your lover beats you, you might not see it! Inter-generationally, the women in my family have been beat on, so maybe this is the way things are supposed to be; which is why women who are in domestically abusive situations have to end the relationship for the sake of the children. Once a boy sees his mother get abused or sees his father abuse any woman, they already sow the seed! The model has been given and the seed has been sown. What we want to do is starve that seed so that it won‟t grow! The only way to do that is to cut off the root! That means separate yourself from that man! You cannot withhold the This concludes the first edition of the interview with Dr. child as punishment for the father Umar Johnson, look for the conclusion in next month‟s because you‟re not punishing the issue of IMPACT Magazine! father, you are punishing the child. Children, who are reared in exclusively single parented homes, tend to suffer from depression more. Tend to suffer from alcoholism more. Cigarette addiction more! Chemical dependence more! They are less likely to get or stay married and more likely to accept domestic violence when it occurs. More likely to get exploited and abused by their partner. wellness connoisseurs Chef Skai is a Vegan and Raw food Chef, a Nutritional Consultant, Doula, and Natural Lifestyle Coach. She has over 15 years experience in the holistic health care field including nutritional and herbal consulting, natural birthing and parenting, managing a vegan café, juice bar and catering business, and a host of other healing services. She is considered by many to be one of the most passionate of our younger generation. In addition, Chef Skai who is highly intuitive is mother to 5 busy vegetarian children, …all delivered naturally, breastfed and unvaccinated. Skai and her husband have created Paradise Wellness which offers wellness retreats and cultural tours on the island of Puerto Rico. She has traveled to the world‟s premiere wellness centers: Hippocrates Health Institute, Tree of Life, Ann Wigmore Institute… and continues to study in the areas of detoxification, nutrition and self-empowerment. These rich life experiences, combined with her background in holistic health, make her an abundant source of powerful guidance and healing to assist others in adopting a natural healthy lifestyle. The Universe Rewards Action! I tried to install a shower head and knob for my girlfriend at her house a few weeks ago. Me being a college grad, I thought how hard could it be I‟ve done more with less, so I figured I‟d just go along with the directions and “kazaam” the shower would be finished; looking brand new. The pipes and initial setup were already there so all I really needed to do was to connect the new knob, screw on the new shower head, and we‟d be bathing in hot water or so I thought! Never mind the fact that my knowledge in plumbing is about as solid as my knowledge in Calculus II! After about an hour of trial and tribulation, while trying to tighten some sort of bolt something snapped and cold water came rushing into the bath tub. Thirty minutes later a plumber was standing in her bathroom looking at the mess I created. He shook his head and said, “Maybe next time you‟ll just call me first.” I wanted to shrivel up and climb into a hole! The main point I‟m trying to make in my little anecdote is life is a lot easier when you know what you‟re doing. While this is definitely true for home improvement projects, it can also apply to our nutritional routines. It‟s very common that we as people don‟t give food a lot of thought. We constantly think we can workout, do cardio and no matter what we eat, we expect to look great. So many times have I trained someone who trained like their life depended on it, I‟m talking no holds barred! Only to go straight to McDonalds or the closest fast rood restaurant to grab a quick bite! They either can‟t cook, don‟t know what to cook, or don‟t have the time to cook. This, my people, is totally wrong and contradictory to how hard that person just went in at the gym. Everyone has a misconception about their diet and training in order to obtain that look you have been dying for; that‟s where I come into play. I‟m here to tell you now that lifting weights and cardio are just 20% of the big picture, the most important concept in achieving that south beach body is nutrition. What you put in your body contributes to 80% of your results. A common bodybuilding analogy compares building the body to painting a picture. The analogy stated that the body itself is the canvass and your mind is the artist. In order to make this masterpiece one needs first the image to which they want to paint. Think deeply of how you want to look and set that as a goal. Think about what it is going take in order to get the desired result. How are you going to accomplish the task? Here are some ideas….Piece together a collage of your favorite entertainers; nail it to your door so u can see it every day! Do anything you have to do in order to give yourself the extra edge to want too push yourself. After you find your image or vision, the next item you will need is your paint. The paint is the main part of the picture cause without the paint there is nothing there to look at…but a canvass. This is the role nutrients plays in achieving your physical goals. Nutrition is the main part of the big picture. Now don‟t get me wrong, you will definitely need a paint brush to mold and draw out what it is you are trying to depict; that is where the weights and cardio come into play. Weights and cardio bring out the beauty of the body just like the paintbrush would create a beautiful painting. Remember this analogy, without paint there is nothing to see, just as, without nutrition you will see exactly no changes in the body despite how much hard work you put in. This is the importance of having a balanced nutritious diet. We will be highlighting great exercise techniques and Skai Juice will be bringing you valuable nutritious meal recipes and tips. Prepared by MagCloud for IMPACT Magazine. Get more at impact-magazine.magcloud.com.