August 26, 2004, Vol. II Issue 18
Can it be? Summer’s light is fading. Unusually, we’re having rain here in a normally dry and sunny August, foretelling the whims and wet of winter in the Northwest.
In spite of the damp weather, I was blessed to have my friend Jane Handy, from Michigan visit this past week. We hiked into a natural mineral springs in the mountains and enjoyed a free soak in hollowed out log tubs. It was an amazing experience, especially feeling totally lightheaded and airborne on the way out. And then off to the Coast for a couple of days to hear, smell and soak in the wonders of nature (along with three square meals a day and shopping, of course!) We went without a plan and were rewarded regularly with the gifts that come from being in the moment.
Meantime, it’s back to school, back to the headlines. Obesity concerns continue to dominate my pile of clippings.
As we move back into the meetings season, I look forward to bringing you more stories, your stories, from the meeting front.
Yours truly,
Barbara
More from NWI: Dr. Deb, Dancing Through Life
Dr. Deborah Kern amazes me every time she puts a presentation together. She’s the consummate researcher, thrilled when she finds something really cool (on the web, or wherever) to illustrate her point(s). Right alongside the research, she shares the challenges, frustrations and rewards she faces as a wife, mom, step-mom, executive and practitioner of healing arts (she is a Black Belt Nia Teacher, certified Integral Hatha Yoga Instructor, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and Mindful Life Coach).
As Executive Lifestyle Director for the Lake Austin Spa and Resort, Deb has ample opportunity to practice “Dancing through Life,” a topic she addressed at the National Wellness Conference in July.
“Dancing through life is a way to be in the body, sensing pleasure while being connected to life. You learn to be actively involved and connected to life via your senses, to maintain center, peace and harmony, and to perceive your world and its surroundings as artful, inspiring and stimulating for the soul and spirit,” the program description reads.
Sounds good, right? Does it work? Can it be? I can tell you from being with Deb, and from clients who have been moved by her presentations, that it is not just a bunch of words, it’s true. That’s where we find the difference between brochure rhetoric and experience. It means that when I talk with her in the midst of major life transitions, she’s laughing (yet not in denial) with the situation and she’s in the moment.
“In my session, I shared some of the realities of my job at the spa, something all managers in the fields of health and wellness can relate to,” she said. “There is an inherent tension in the challenge of running a business while tending to the wellness of the employees. I addressed not only ways to help others dance through life, but also how to use these very principles as a manager in challenging economic times.”
Call on Deb if you’re looking for an insightful way to relate to employees who are overloaded and stressed or to bring enlightening, believable perspectives and laughter to your audiences, especially women’s audiences. They can relate. Deb is an expert in application, not just theory and she’s unabashedly real.
Dr. Kern studied Nursing at Vanderbilt University and received a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. She received a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX. She is the author of Everyday Wellness for Women and co-author of Create the Body Your Soul Desires: The Friendship Solution to Weight, Energy and Sexuality.
10 Tips for Healthy Families
Perhaps you’ve seen the news in your local media. My clipping stash is full of obesity headlines. “Nearly one-third of school-aged children are obese or at risk of becoming overweight,” Dr. Karen Wolfe observes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics are calling childhood obesity an epidemic.
“It is easy to blame the issue on giant bags of greasy French fries, parents or even the children themselves,” she said. “Most experts agree that the problem is as complex as it is preventable. In order for lifestyles, attitudes and scales to change, there needs to be a concerted effort between government, communities, schools, healthcare facilities, families and even pop culture at large.”
And, in the beginning, change starts (and ends) at home. Here are Dr. Wolfe’s “10 Tips for Healthy Families.”
1. Abandon high-sugar drinks. A 44 oz. soda contains 550 calories and 37 teaspoons of sugar. Wean them off of it, and go for water, water, water, everywhere. Try lemon wedges for flavor.
2. Slow down on fast food. When you do have to go through the drive-up window, learn to make better choices by educating yourself with a tool like Zonya Foco’s Fast Food Guide.
3. Always eat breakfast. Missing this important meal tampers with your metabolism, and can leave you hungry, tired and craving junk food.
4.Make meal planning a family event. When the kids have input into snacks and meals, they tend to be more interested in trying them.
5.Pack your pantry with healthy choices, such as nuts, raisins, rice cakes and lots of fruit and fresh vegetables.
6.Energize for an hour each day with movement that you enjoy such as walking, dancing, biking or swimming.
7.Play together as a family by arranging active family outings, such as hiking or biking,
8.Try out a pedometer. The national goal is 10,000 steps per day for adults (about 5 miles).
9.Go lean on the screen. Set limits for children when it comes to computer and TV time.
10.Keep the lines of communication open by asking questions rather than always giving advice. Talk with your kids about food, exercise, and explain healthier choices.
Dr. Karen Wolfe graduated from Sydney University Medical School and completed her residency at Royal North Shore Hospital. She also went to National University in Irvine, California to complete her Masters Degree in Psychology and she has a special interest in health care reform, disease state management and mind-body medicine. Dr. Karen Wolfe is co-author of Create the Body Your Soul Desires: The Friendship Solution to Weight, Energy and Sexuality, and she is a Mindful Life Coach and Trainer of Mindful Coaching.
Thank You Very Much
No recipes, or toe painting tips this time, just sending you gratitude for reading these issues and encouragement to get out there and enjoy nature’s gifts and summertime gatherings with family and friends, as we prepare to move into the busy autumn season. Go make hay while the sun shines!
Until next time, be good to yourself, for your well being and those
you love.
Yours truly,
Barbara
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABOUT OUR SERVICES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My vision for The Speak Well Being Group is to be a connector for speakers I know, love and believe in, with the audiences who will be inspired, motivated, and transformed by their perspectives, knowledge, empathy, compassion, information and, most importantly, capacity to enjoy the process, laughing at themselves and with you along the way.
You’ll find many of our speakers on our website.
http://www.SpeakWellBeing.com
Or please call anytime and let us assist you: 503-699-5031
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
