Busy Gals Get Healthy!

On Saturday I was invited to speak to the Professional Women's Group at Dress for Success South Central PA. The topic I was given? Staying well as a woman on the go. 

I immediately started wondering if I should be the one to give this presentation... I work too much, I sleep too little, I skip workouts with my trainer (sorry Derek), and I pick birthday cake over brussel sprouts every single time. But I think that's why I'm perfect for this presentation - because I imagine I'm a lot like most of you. I know how hard it can be, and I struggle right along with you!

Here are a few tips, ideas, and suggestions that I've been trying to work on. Perhaps they will be helpful to you as well.

FOOD

• Take Inventory - What temptations are hiding in your cabinets? It's easier to make healthy choices when you don't have Halloween candy eyeing you up from your kitchen counter. Could you start fresh by donating to your local food bank? 
• Clean Food - The idea is to increase natural, whole foods and decrease overly-processed foods or foods with added sugar. The fewer the ingredients, the better! Check out the ingredients listed on your favorite items - What did you find? Any surprises? 
• The “U” - Ready to fill up your kitchen with clean, healthy foods? Try to shop in the "U" (or the outer perimeter of the grocery story). This is where you'll find the fresh fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, etc. 
• Meal Prep - Sunday night take time to plan and cook your meals for the week. Load up your Tupperware and fill your fridge with grilled chicken, steamed veggies, and salads. When dinner time rolls around, you are less tempted to grab that box of Kraft Mac & Cheese because you already have something healthy ready to go. 
• Progress, Not Perfection -  Our meals will never be "perfect," but what can we do better this week? Can we start using whole rolled oats instead of flavored instant oatmeal? What about trying my new fave peanut butter, Crazy Richard's?! Start by making small changes and build from there. 

FITNESS

• Find What You LOVE! - Exercise is not one size fits all. Try different things until you find something that moves you physically and mentally! For me, that's ZUMBA! I love it, and I can't get enough! 
• Sleep In Your Gym Clothes - It's not easy to exercise at 6am (some mornings it's tough just to get to the coffee pot at that time!) But morning workouts are sometimes all that fit into my crazy schedule. Sleeping in my gym clothes (sports bra, socks, and all) seems to make it easier to roll out of bed when my alarm goes off. 
• Find A Buddy - Everything is better with good company - including your workout! But who you pick is important. Look for someone who is already committed to reaching their fitness goals. They can help to motivate you when things get tough!
• Take The Stairs - Pretend the elevator is always broken. Oh, and the parking spots closest to the building? They are always full! 
• Just 5 Minutes - Don't feel like working out? Tell yourself you'll do it for just five minutes. That's it! At the end of five minutes, you can stop if you choose to (but it's likely that you won't want to anymore!)

CREATE YOUR OWN RED SOLO CUP WORKOUT!
Supplies: 1 red Solo cup, 2 sheets of card stock (or any heavy grade of paper), scissors

Download the template: CLICK HERE.
Cut out all 25 exercise strips. 
Each morning, randomly select ten strips and do those exercises throughout the day!

STRESS RELIEF

• Get Psyched Playlist - Create an iTunes playlist with all of the songs that get you pumped up! Listen to it any time you need a little extra motivation!
• Clear Out Clutter - Whether it's in your house, on your desk, or in your computer files - clutter can be stressful! We regularly keep a bag handy for items that can be donated to Goodwill. 
• Give A Compliment - An easy way to make yourself feel better? Say something nice to someone else! Whether it's their awesome new 'do or their insightful comments at the committee meeting, it feels nice to be nice! 
• Call A Friend - Haven't talked to your bestie in awhile? Or perhaps a long-time friend that is no longer in the area? Call them! 
• Attitude of Gratitude - What are you thankful for? When life gets stressful, it's easy to forget the many things we have to be thankful for in our lives. Can you list five things right now?

What are your faves from the list above? Do you have tips to add to this list? Share them in the comments below!

Emerging Philanthropist Program

In March I was accepted into the inaugural class of Harrisburg's new Emerging Philanthropist Program (EPP) - a collaboration between Harrisburg Young Professionals and The Foundation For Enhancing Communities (TFEC).

The program is designed to "engage Harrisburg's emerging business and community leaders with the great possibilities that lie within philanthropic endeavors in Harrisburg." As a group, we will engage in those possibilities by awarding a $5,000 grant to a local non-profit organization.

To prepare ourselves to select the grant recipient, we attended a series of panel discussions featuring  philanthropic leaders in our community (One speaker had "Civic Leader" listed as a title on their nameplate. Impressive, right?! That's a title I want to hold someday!). At the panels we learned about:

• Assessing the needs of the community
• Fundraising
• Grantmaking
• Engaging the next generation in service

On Tuesday night, we met for another powerful session. We heard from three area non-profits. They are lesser know, but they are doing INCREDIBLE things! If you are looking for a group to get involved in, these three might be worth checking out:

Neighborhood Center of the United Methodist Church - Through their Young Mothers Together program, The Neighborhood Center provides support for pregnant and parenting teens through "counseling, advocacy, group support, emergency pantry, and apprenticeships." The staff and volunteers mentor the girls, teach them skills to support their child, and help them to begin to set goals for their lives. One easy was to support this program is by collecting Campbell's Soup labels - LEARN MORE

Samara - Samara takes a multigenerational approach to interrupting the cycle of abuse. They run small group sessions for both parents and children that focus on "healing families through nurture, education and self-discovery." This program, founded in 2008, is absolutely inspiring to me. They are giving parents (who may not have grown up in a supportive family environment) a vision of what a positive family environment could look like. And they do that without judgement. Everyone is welcome as they are. Support this program with your donation of time or treasure - LEARN MORE

The Joshua Group - Working in the heart of Allison Hill, where the high school dropout rate is almost 50%, The Joshua Group works to, "provide hope and support for at-risk youth particularly through educational and vocational opportunities." They run a strong after school program that focuses on tutoring and mentoring local youth, and are seeing awesome results - Joshua Group students have better attendance rates, higher GPA's and a 97% promotion/graduation rate! Support this program by volunteering your time to tutor or by donating items on their wish list (school supplies, cleaning supplies, etc.) - LEARN MORE

#bethechange 

Buying Land, Building a Legacy

"Do not let a Just Cause go unassisted by you. Do what you can. Never think that what you can do is not enough. Every little bit helps. To do nothing is what hurts."      Neale Donald Walsch.

Washington D.C. 

A few weeks ago I traveled with our College President, our Director of Marketing, and our College Diversity Coordinator to Washington DC to meet with Education USA, a federal advising center for international students. As Central Penn's International Admissions Counselor, it was a great opportunity to learn about the program and how it can match potential students from all over the world to our school.

But my biggest takeaway didn't come from the walls of a DC office building. It came from the four doors of our Chevy Explorer.

A long drive has a way of inspiring conversation, and our trip was a great opportunity for me to get to know our college leadership team. As we drove, our new Cultural Diversity Coordinator, Romeo Azondekon, shared glimpses of his past as well as a very profound glimpse of his future.

Romeo was originally born in Benin, but moved to the United States with his family as a child. A few years ago he traveled back to his native country to purchase a plot of land. Why? Because he eventually wants to be in a position to build a school for the children there.

Ok - let's break this down...

Many of us say that we want to make a difference. Many of us dream of doing big things for the greater good. Yet here is Romeo who has actually PURCHASED THE LAND TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. Wow!! He may not be building his school yet, but he has managed to take a huge and tangible step toward creating his legacy.

Now check out this video...

Did you take the time to watch it? Powerful, right? Narayanan Krishnan is creating his legacy by feeding those starving in his hometown. His empathy and love for others is palpable. And again I am inspired.

Listening to both stories made me start to think about what I say I want to do versus what I've actually done. It's time to get busy, and start thinking about my own legacy. In a symbolic sense, it's time for me to "buy my plot of land."

I'm not quite sure what that will look like, but I do know it's something I will be thinking about this week. Will you do the same? What will your legacy be? How will we get started?

#bethechange