David Fugate is the founder, chairman, and former executive director of Youth Empowerment America, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop sustainable organizing models for creating positive community change through the effective utilization of netroots and grassroots approaches. Youth Empowerment America provides skills training, consultation, planning and implementation services for community organizations, schools and civic groups whose programs directly engage young people in leadership, skill building, civic education and decision making capacities.

In light of my newly discovered high blood pressure condition, I've decided to cut back on the candy and over-consumption of fried foods. 

I've already given up eating beef [generally speaking] as of the beginning of last year, so I'm not going to have much trouble there.

For lunch today I had a garden salad with shrimp - and I didn't use the dressing.

I work on the seventh floor of  a high-rise in Augusta during the week, so I've decided to give up on elevators for the time being as well.

I checked my blood pressure last night on one of those machines that can be found in the pharmacy section of many grocery and drug stores.

I'm 28 years old, over six feet tall and weight 160 pounds.  I've been in pretty good health for most of my adult life.  But according to the reading on the machine, I've got high blood pressure.  Stage 1 Hypertension.