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BDO: Celebrities seem to have a lot of health challenges and health perks. How does being successful and busy both help and hurt your health?

MS: The main thing is the lack of time. I will say that I’m very active, especially when I’m touring. I’m busy, and I don’t always have the time to eat when I should. And being busy doesn’t exactly take away your need to eat. There’s no time to eat throughout the day at all. I have a problem with acid reflux, so I like to take my time when I eat – if I can’t, I rather just be hungry. But when you’re up at 5am and not done until it’s super late, you don’t have a lot of options, other than fast food, a hot dog at 7-11, a TV dinner from the grocery store. That said, being a celebrity means you do have the privilege of hiring a caterer, of choosing healthy food. You can have your dressing room stocked with water and vegetables, just to have something there. Being a celebrity, you get things in abundance, so you really do have to make the right choices.

BDO: And what about exercise?

MS: If you’re always on the go, you can always find a gym at the hotel…there’s really no excuse to not at least jump on the treadmill and run for a little bit, or something like that. I’ll admit that I don’t really workout all that much, especially when I’m on tour. But being on stage is a workout all on its own. I leave the stage soaking wet with sweat. I give so much on stage, forget P90X, forget Insanity…that level of activity, plus not eating as much as you’d like, I always lose weight on tour.

BDO: How does your routine change when you’re at home?

MS: When I’m on the road, it’s not about me, it’s about my fans. I’m 100% engaged, and I’m engaging with sometimes hundreds of people a day. People don’t tend to take into account that being a creative person means always being exposed, always being vulnerable. Celebrities have limits and need breaks! So, when I’m home, I walk or run a little, but more than anything else, I focus on resting, both physically and mentally.

BDO: How long does it take you to recharge?

MS: Recharge is a very good way to put it. Everybody’s different, of course, but I need at least a couple weeks of recharge time.

BDO: You’ve mentioned it a few times, now, so would you say running is your favorite type of exercise, if you had to choose?

MS: I do prefer running. It’s an all-inclusive exercise that the entire body has to get involved in. It’s a one-stop exercise shop. I also prefer to run outside instead of on the treadmill, because there are more variations you can work with.

BDO: What’s the best piece of health advice you’ve ever received?

MS: Drink water. Get lots of rest. And whatever you do, keep moving.

BDO: Who told you that?

MS: I did! I mean, I don’t mean to sound egotistical – I received it from myself through years of information from others. Water cleans your body. No matter how much healthy food or exercise you’re getting in, if you don’t sleep enough, all that other stuff doesn’t mean as much – sleep is what gives your body the chance it needs to do what it needs to do. And activity…activity reminds your body that it has a job to do.

BDO: Okay, last question…what words of inspiration would you like to offer our users and your fans, particularly the people who are either battling breast cancer or are survivors?

MS: I would say that, even though I’ve never really had to deal with breast cancer personally, I empathize with the struggle, and I can imagine how much of a trying time this must be. The fact you’re still alive, still dealing, means you still have options. Don’t allow negativity to play a part in your life. You need to be positive, because positivity is what allows good things to happen. Positivity is a superpower that helps you achieve what you need to achieve. No one’s life is easy, my life hasn’t been easy – so many things could have been a great big x, but I thought, “What if this could be a great big green check?” I’m so grateful for that. Just because you can’t conceive of something doesn’t mean it’s not possible. There’s lots of proven information out there, so you need to encourage yourself and do everything that’s necessary to help yourself. You have to be willing to help yourself – all the doctors, all the celebrities…it’s all irrelevant without  you caring enough about yourself and accepting the possibilities and making yourself more receptive to them.

For Musiq, please visit his website. To learn more about Circle of Promise, please click here.

Musiq Soulchild: Breast Cancer Ambassador  was originally published on blackdoctor.org

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