Inside the Fighters Community: September 2026 Edition
September Is a Month to Fight for Your Health
Prostate Cancer • Cholesterol • Sickle Cell • Alzheimer’s • Healthy Aging
September gives us several opportunities to learn about our health, understand our risks, support one another, and make choices that can help us live healthier lives.
This month, The Fighters Community is putting the spotlight on five important health observances:
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
National Cholesterol Education Month
National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
World Alzheimer’s Month
Healthy Aging Month
At The Fighters, we believe that your health is worth fighting for—and every meal is an opportunity to fight for your future.
QUICK JUMP
💙 Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Fighters, It’s Time to Fight for Your Health!
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month—a time to encourage men to learn about prostate cancer, understand their risk, and take action to protect their health.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men. But here’s the good news: knowledge, early detection, and healthy lifestyle choices can make a difference.
Men, Don’t Wait Until Something Is Wrong!
One of the biggest challenges with prostate cancer is that it may not cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages. That’s why having a conversation with your healthcare provider about your personal risk and whether screening is appropriate for you is so important.
Your age, family history, and other risk factors can affect your prostate cancer risk. If prostate cancer runs in your family, don’t keep it a secret—talk about it and talk to your doctor.
🥦 Fight With Your Fork
At The Fighters, we believe that your health is worth fighting for—and every meal is an opportunity to fight for your future.
A healthy lifestyle can support overall health and may help lower the risk of several chronic diseases. Fill your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, while reducing highly processed foods and foods high in saturated fat.
And don't forget to move! Regular physical activity is another powerful part of the fight.
🍽️ Fighter Food Preview
Looking for a few plant-forward recipes to add to your routine?
Try these Fighter favorites:
These recipes support a healthy eating pattern associated with lower cancer risk.
🥦 Broccoli and Wild Rice Bowl
🍅 Tomato and Bean Chili
🍝 Lentil and Tomato Pasta
These recipes support a healthy eating pattern associated with lower cancer risk.
💙 A Message to the Men of The Fighters Community
Fellas, we take care of everybody else. We take care of our families, our churches, our communities and our businesses.
But who is taking care of you?
Make this the month you stop putting your health on the back burner. Schedule that doctor's appointment. Ask questions. Know your family history. Get moving. Eat better. And don't be afraid to talk about prostate health.
You don't have to wait for a diagnosis to start fighting for your health.
Your life matters.
Your family needs you.
Your community needs you.
And your health is worth fighting for!
❤️ National Cholesterol Education Month
Know Your Numbers. Know Your Food. Fight for Your Heart!
September is National Cholesterol Education Month, making it the perfect time for The Fighters Community to talk about something that can affect our heart health long before we ever feel a symptom.
What Exactly Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance your body needs. Your body makes cholesterol, and it also comes from foods.
The concern is that too much LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol, can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
🥊 You Can't Fight What You Don't Know
High cholesterol usually doesn’t cause symptoms.
The only way to know your cholesterol levels is to have them checked. Talk with your healthcare provider about your numbers and what they mean for you.
Knowing your numbers is part of knowing your health.
🌱 FIGHT WITH YOUR FORK
A healthy, heart-healthy, plant-forward eating pattern can include:
🫘 Beans and lentils
🥦 Vegetables
🍎 Fruits
🌾 Whole grains
🌰 Nuts and seeds
Soluble-fiber foods such as oats, beans, lentils, apples, and barley can help reduce LDL when regularly included as part of a healthy diet.
At the same time, consider limiting foods high in saturated fat, particularly fatty meats, processed meats, full-fat dairy, and many highly processed foods.
🍽️ Fighter Food Preview
This month, try adding more fiber-rich, plant-forward meals to your routine:
Fighter’s Berry-Oat Power Bowl
Fighter’s Three-Bean & Veggie Bowl
Fighter’s Heart-Healthy Lentil & Vegetable Soup
🚶🏾♂️ DON'T FORGET TO MOVE!
Food is important, but movement matters too.
Walking, dancing, gardening, cycling, strength training, or any activity you enjoy can support heart health.
You don't have to become an athlete overnight.
Start where you are. Move more. Keep going.
🥊 THE FIGHTER’S CHOLESTEROL CHALLENGE
For the next 7 days, let's fight for our heart health!
❤️ Know your numbers — Ask when your cholesterol was last checked.
🌱 Eat more plants — Add vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains.
🫘 Make beans regular — Find a way to include them in your meals.
🥣 Choose a fiber-rich breakfast — Try oatmeal with fruit and ground flaxseed.
🚶🏾♂️ Move every day — Find an activity you enjoy.
💧 Choose water more often.
🥊 Make one healthier choice every meal.
You don't have to change everything overnight.
Change one meal. Make one better choice. Take one more step. Then do it again tomorrow.
Your heart has been fighting for you every day of your life. Now it's your turn to fight for your heart. ❤️
Your health is worth fighting for!
One meal. One choice. One victory at a time.
🩸 National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Understanding Sickle Cell. Supporting Our Fighters.
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time to bring greater attention to sickle cell disease (SCD), support the people and families living with it, and encourage greater understanding of this inherited blood disorder.
What is Sickle Cell Disease?
Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited blood disorders that affect hemoglobin.
In people with SCD, red blood cells can become hard, sticky, and shaped like a crescent or “sickle.” These cells can have difficulty moving through small blood vessels, which can lead to severe pain and serious complications.
Sickle cell disease is real. Sickle cell pain is real. And the people living with it deserve our understanding, compassion, and support.
🥊 The Fighters' Message
Being a Fighter doesn't mean pretending everything is easy.
It means knowing your body, taking your health seriously, working with your healthcare team, and making choices that support your wellbeing.
Nutrition is one piece of the picture.
Hydration, a variety of nutrient-rich foods, appropriate activity, rest, and following your treatment plan are also important.
Food is not a cure for sickle cell disease—but nourishing your body matters.
💧 Don't Forget Your Water
Hydration is especially important for people living with sickle cell disease.
Dehydration can contribute to complications and may trigger pain episodes in some people. Don't wait until you're extremely thirsty to drink water.
Keep water with you, sip throughout the day, and follow your healthcare provider's recommendations.
🥊 THE SICKLE CELL FIGHTER CHECKLIST
💧 Hydrate
🌱 Eat more plants
🫘 Choose beans and whole grains
🥗 Eat a variety of colors
🚶🏾♂️ Move appropriately — Follow healthcare recommendations.
😴 Get adequate rest
👨🏾⚕️ Stay connected to your healthcare team — Follow your treatment plan and discuss symptoms.
🍽️ Fighter Food Preview
Try these nourishing, plant-forward recipes:
Fighter’s Berry-Banana Smoothie
Fighter’s Lentil & Sweet Potato Power Soup
Fighter’s Quinoa and Black Bean Bowl
If you or someone you love is living with sickle cell disease, you are not alone.
Your pain deserves to be heard.
Your health deserves attention.
Your life has value.
And your story matters.
🥊 WE STAND WITH THE FIGHTERS!
Let's educate.
Let's support.
Let's encourage.
Let's fight for healthier communities.
Your health is worth fighting for—one meal, one choice, one victory at a time.
🧠 World Alzheimer’s Month
Fight for your Brain. Fight for your Future.
September is World Alzheimer’s Month, a time to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and to remind our families and communities that brain health matters at every age.
Alzheimer’s disease can affect memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday activities.
And its impact reaches beyond the person diagnosed. It can affect families, caregivers, friends, and entire communities.
🥊 Don't Wait Until There's a Problem
Don't wait until you have a memory problem to start taking care of your brain.
Many of the things that affect our overall health also affect our brain health.
That means the choices we make today matter.
🧠 FEED YOUR BRAIN
Think color. Think variety. Think whole foods.
Build your meals around foods such as:
🥦 Colorful vegetables
🫐 Berries and other fruits
🫘 Beans and lentils
🌾 Whole grains
🌰 Nuts and seeds
🥬 Leafy greens
A healthy whole-plant-food pattern provides fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds that support overall health.
But food isn't the only part of the fight.
🧠 OTHER BRAIN-HEALTH FIGHTERS
🚶🏾♂️ Move your body
😴 Get quality sleep
❤️ Take care of your heart
💧 Stay hydrated
👥 Stay socially connected
🧩 Keep your mind engaged and continue learning
❤️ What's Good for Your Heart Can Be Good for Your Brain
High blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular risk factors can affect brain health.
Caring for your whole body is also caring for your brain.
Talk with your healthcare provider about your personal risk factors and what you can do to support your health.
🍽️ Fighter Food Preview
Add these colorful, nourishing options to your meal rotation:
Fighter’s Brain-Boosting Berry Oatmeal
Fighter’s Green Brain Power Salad
Brain-Healthy Lentil & Vegetable Bowl
7 DAYS TO A STRONGER, HEALTHIER YOU!
🧠 Feed your brain — Choose whole plant foods every day.
🥦 Add color — Eat several fruits and vegetables.
🫘 Eat beans.
🚶🏾♂️ Move.
💧 Drink water.
😴 Get enough sleep.
❤️ Know your numbers — Blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
👥 Stay connected — Family, friends, church, and community all matter.
We spend a lot of time thinking about our heart, our weight, our blood pressure, and our physical strength.
But don't forget the organ that helps you remember the people you love, the places you've been, the lessons you've learned, and the dreams you still have.
Take care of your brain.
One meal. One choice. One victory at a time.
Your brain is worth fighting for.
Your future is worth fighting for.
Your health is worth fighting for.
🌿 Healthy Aging Month
Healthy Aging Starts Today.
Healthy aging isn't something we start thinking about when we reach a certain age.
It starts with the choices we make today.
September's health awareness topics remind us that taking care of ourselves means looking at the whole picture.
Our heart.
Our brain.
Our blood.
Our nutrition.
Our movement.
Our overall wellbeing.
Healthy aging means staying engaged with your health and continuing to make choices that support the life you want to live.
🥊 THE FIGHTER'S GUIDE TO HEALTHY AGING
Know Your Health
Stay aware of your health numbers and talk with your healthcare provider about your personal risks.
Nourish Your Body
Make whole, plant-forward foods a regular part of your meals.
Keep Moving
Find activities that you enjoy and keep your body active in ways that are appropriate for you.
Take Care of Your Whole Self
Rest. Stay connected. Keep learning. Listen to your body. Ask for help when you need it.
Healthy aging isn't about being perfect.
It's about continuing to fight for yourself—today, tomorrow, and every day after.
🥊 September Fighter Challenge
Know It. Check It. Change It.
This September, let's turn awareness into action.
☑️ Know your family history
☑️ Talk with your healthcare provider about your health risks
☑️ Know your numbers
☑️ Eat more whole plant foods
☑️ Make beans and whole grains part of your routine
☑️ Eat more fruits and vegetables
☑️ Drink more water
☑️ Move your body regularly
☑️ Get enough rest
☑️ Stay connected to your family and community
☑️ Don't ignore changes in your health
You don't have to do everything at once.
Start with one choice.
Then another.
Then another.
That's how we fight.
💙 A Final Message to Our Fighters
Fellas, we take care of everybody else.
We take care of our families, our churches, our communities and our businesses.
But who is taking care of you?
This September, don't put your health on the back burner.
Learn something new.
Ask questions.
Know your numbers.
Know your family history.
Eat better.
Move your body.
Drink your water.
Get your rest.
Stay connected.
And most importantly, take responsibility for your health.
You don't have to wait for a diagnosis to start fighting for your health.
Your life matters.
Your family needs you.
Your community needs you.
And your health is worth fighting for!
🥊 Be a Fighter.
Fight for your health—one meal, one choice, and one victory at a time.
Future In Great Health Today Everyday Responsible Self
— Chef Charles & The Fighters Community
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