When the shotgun went off, runners sprinted into action at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School as a crowd of onlookers cheered them on.
They were taking part in Christ Deliverance Ministry’s third annual Mind and Body 5K health and fitness event held Memorial Day weekend. The event is the brainchild of Christ Deliverance Ministry pastor Cynthia Ringo, who said the grassroots church is “dedicated to fighting obesity.”
“If we simply just do what Jesus did, we would be much healthier,” Ringo said.
Briant K. Mitchell of BKM Boot Camp led the 5K race through Midtown, and after the race he conducted a boot camp inside Cardinal Ritter’s gymnasium.
This year, Mind and Body welcomed the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a mobile vision clinic, which provided free, on-the-spot eye exams for children. Representatives from DePaul Hospital, a sponsor of Mind and Body, were also on hand offering free health screenings.
Six women, including Jashonda Dupree, of the Mind and Body’s 100-plus club, were recognized for losing a total of more than 600 pounds.
Dupree chose to take control of her weight. At her heaviest, she weighed nearly 300 pounds. Her doctor prescribed three different blood pressure medications, and she grew “tired” of taking pills, she said. Dupree lost a total of 113 pounds within a year. Dupree encouraged women who need that extra push to get healthy.
“You have to pray about it,” Dupree said.
The Bible is one go-to source for your health-related needs, Ringo said.
“What would Jesus eat?” Ringo asked rhetorically.
The answer, she said, is simple: food as God prepared it, fresh out of the earth and into our bodies. She said the Bible mentions that Jesus ate “whole foods” and walked everywhere He went. The body is meant to be in motion, she said.
Ringo gained momentum in her health care routine after a visit with her doctor. In 2010, Ringo became the primary caregiver for her husband after he suffered a stroke. Her doctor warned her to take better care of herself to prevent an onslaught of illnesses that might prevent her from taking care of her husband, Ringo said.
That same year, members of the Christ Deliverance Ministry congregation, led by Ringo, made it their mission to help one another achieve their goals of losing weight and getting healthy. To accomplish this, Ringo held seminars and workshops, and the group participated in boot camp classes led by Mitchell.
“Encourage yourself every day about what you can do,” Ringo said. “All things are possible to him that believes.”
KSDK NewsChannel 5’s Nichole Berlie hosted a Healthy Living seminar at the Mind and Body event featuring keynote speaker Dr. Edgar Everett III, a St. Louis-area chiropractor and Logan University graduate. Dr. Everett presented “Creating a Reality of Oneness in the Hearts and Souls of the Black Community.”
The African-American community is full of excuses when it comes to taking care of their health, he said.
“I don’t have the money to buy organic or fresh,” he gave as an example of an excuse. “I don’t have the money to spend for a work out class. I don’t have the money to go see a nutritionist to learn more about my health.”
He asked if others noticed the vast number of dialysis centers popping up each year in urban communities. The audience murmured in agreement.
“Guess where there aren’t dialysis centers?” he said. “West County. They don’t need them.”
Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil.
