Rapper and actor Ice-T teams up with Cheerios to get America moving. The duo encourages Americans to prioritize heart-healthy eating and creative activities in honor of American Heart Month. They are calling it a “change of heart.”
Ice-T and Cheerios Hit Us With the Facts
Unfortunately, African-Americans are three to four times higher than whites to pass away from heart disease and hypertension. Therefore, the “SVU” actor wants African-Americans to take their heart health seriously. “I’m a player from the streets,” he said. “They told me the two most important things are your health and your freedom.”
“When Cheerios called and said they wanted to work together, I said ‘why?’ said Ice-T. However, he understood how important it is for African-Americans to take control of their heart health. Ice-T mentioned how many of us are traditionally taught to eat everything on our plate but implores that we “push away.” And what does that mean exactly? “When you get older, you can’t eat everything on that plate. You’ve got to push it away.”
Another reason health is so important to the rapper is that he has a young daughter he wants to be around in the future. In addition, if he practices healthy-heart habits, he can teach his daughter to do so as well. “The people we’ve lost are gone,” he said. “But we’ve been given a chance to see what’s important and make better decisions, knowing how fragile life is.”
Cheerios’ Heart
To help with the heart-healthy movement, Cheerios are switching from their iconic o-shapes to heart shapes. Every flavor will receive new heart shapes. Furthermore, Ice-T and the Cheerios mascot, BuzzBee, have teamed up for a new workout series. It is called “Pour Your Heart Into It,” and customers can access the workouts by scanning the QR codes located on the box. Each workout will be narrated by Ice-T and consist of dance, walking, stretching, and core strengthening.
“You know what’s pretty dope about it is they got the anti-hero to lead the campaign, and they didn’t ask me to change,” he said. Ice-T also thinks this campaign is a beautiful way to highlight the impact of hip-hop culture. “Hip hop has gray hair, but we’re still active.”
He also states that this campaign allows him to stress three points of advice: staying in motion, keeping it moving, and doing things in moderation. “My marching orders are simple,” he said. “March. Find a way to make up for all the energy you had in your youth.” Lastly, he stresses the importance of taking care of their health to Black men. Black men often skip out on their routine check-ups, while Black women are the opposite. “It’s not soft to go to the doctor,” Ice-T points out. “Women have their OBGYN on speed dial. We [often] don’t even have a doctor.” Ice-T said the most important thing men can be is an example. “You want to show your kids the world and all they can be, but you’ve got to be around for that.”
Check Out Ice-T’s Heart-Healthy Message Below
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