July 31, 2014, Vol. 12, Issue 13

I hear from some of our hospital clients that they are looking for ways to attract younger women through their doors — an event designed just for new moms is one way to do that. And we have just the speaker to help attract that crowd and deliver a message that will support their venture into motherhood.

A young mother of three, Erin Cox is the author of One Hot Mama, and she knows what she’s talking about.

“Why?” she said, “Because after I had my first baby, I searched for a book to help me pull myself back together — physically, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. But I was unable to find any resource that addressed my specific struggles, which so many other women I knew were also experiencing.

“Every mom I know wants to feel healthy, energetic, fulfilled, and beautiful. Raising needy little ones can make this more challenging. I believe new moms need encouragement, empathy, and supportive information to guide them on the course back to ‘themselves.’”

 

Erin Cox

One Hot Mama!

Capitol Regional Medical Center (CRMC), in Tallahassee, Florida, calls their annual event, ‘Oh Baby!’ They appeal to young moms and to women who are already pregnant or are thinking about having a baby.

They market the day to young women as a day to get out of the house and have fun, while at the same time, learning about CRMC’s healthcare services, said Luke Thomas, Marketing & Outreach Manager at CRMC. “Women have lots of choices, and we want them to know that we can serve their family’s healthcare needs through pregnancy, labor & delivery, and into early childhood,” he said.

Their free Saturday morning event, held in late June, featured information about pregnancy health and wellness, breastfeeding, life balance and other topics of interest to new moms. Attendees heard from CRMC’s women’s health physicians and mingled with community vendors. They enjoyed a healthy breakfast and lunch, and keynote speaker, Erin Cox.

What does it take to be one hot mama? Well, as Erin sees it, it requires four elements: “Patience, self-care, self-love, and a lot of healthy eating and exercise.” She is also quick to emphasize that while getting your body back is a big part of the journey, her approach is about the total person – mind, body and spirit.

“Most new moms can’t starve themselves like Hollywood actresses or follow standard dieting books,” she says. “I definitely didn’t find any books that discussed how to be present and enjoy the experience of motherhood — or how to deal with mommy guilt or that feeling of wanting more. I was searching for inspiration. I wanted a realistic and sustainable way to lose the baby weight while being motivated to keep moving forward in my life. Since I couldn’t find a book or program that addressed all of these imperative topics, I decided I would have to inspire myself.”

When her first child was born, she was living at an extremely isolated Army post  — Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert — on a dead-end road, 40 miles from the nearest town. Her husband, Steve, who is an Air force F-15 pilot, was posted there to work as an air liaison officer with the Army for a few years.

“Fort Irwin was like a fishbowl, where I could witness how women coped with motherhood while being cooped up in the middle of the desert. They were often raising children alone, with their husbands deployed for up to 15 months at a time. The entire neighborhood was developed around a park, where all the mothers hung out with their children every day. Even with a newborn, I sat there at the park with my stroller to get out of the house and make new friends.”

She observed mothers who were happy, kept themselves looking attractive, and seemed to thrive despite their circumstances. She also met many moms who were frumpy, overweight, overwhelmed, and uninspired. Their appearance reflected how they felt inside and what they thought about themselves.

“There seemed to be two distinct groups of women, and I could identify with both. I could see myself in every woman in that park. I realized that I was at a pivotal point in my life, having just had a baby. I could let myself go — or I could thrive, take really good care of myself, and still carry out my life’s purpose. I knew which group of moms I strived to be like. I immediately began taking mental notes, developing a process for myself, and writing a guidebook in my head. I was then able to use the process with my second daughter three years later, and then my third child, a baby boy.”

As a military spouse, Erin moved frequently – four times while she was writing her book. She met women from all over the world, who amazed her with the way they handled the demands of their daily lives while raising children.

“These women are incredibly independent and resilient and they have inspired me and taught me so much,” she said. “It is especially hard for military moms to carve out time for themselves and their careers, and many have sacrificed careers to follow their men — moving around the country and even across the world every two to three years. These women are thrust into new places and new climates, where they know no one, and have to nurture their children as the same time that they are adjusting.”

Having had this experience — one that is both isolating and nourishing at the same time — Erin wants all women to know they are not alone and that there is someone out there who truly cares about them and wants them to succeed in their post-baby weight loss and in living a more joyful life. Her mantra is that happy moms are the best moms.

Her appearance at ‘Oh Baby!’ was a huge hit. Thomas said that she was awesome to work with and the crowd loved her. “That was most obvious by the way the women interacted with her after the presentation,” he said.  The audience loved her and loved talking with her as she came down off the stage and spent time answering questions – and asking audience members about their experiences. To find out more about bringing Erin to your community to attract moms and moms-to-be to your programs and give them well-founded inspiration, give me a call at 503-699-5031 or email me, barbara@speakwellbeing.com.

 

One Hot Barbecue!

7-Minute Chicken

I haven’t shared a recipe in awhile, so before the summer is over, here’s one for your barbecuing pleasure. We’ve been enjoying dinners on the veranda this summer, and the main dish is often my barbecued chicken. While men are often heralded for their barbecuing acumen, my husband is much handier with a wok, and I really enjoy grilling outside. So I’m the grilling expert in our family. In fact when it’s hot outside, I see no reason to heat up the kitchen. I’d much rather turn on the gas grill.

We like to buy whole chickens when they’re on sale, cut them up and take the skin off. The sauce I use is one I discovered a long time ago in a wildlife cookbook. Simply mix together 1/3 cup catsup, 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup soy sauce.

I call this 7 Minute Chicken because I’ve found that 7 minutes per side, in 4 rotations, pretty much guarantees tender, juicy chicken. After heating the grill, I turn it down to low, and put the chicken on (no sauce yet). I set my iPhone timer for 7 minutes. When it goes off, I turn the chicken pieces, brush them with the sauce, and re-set the timer. I repeat the process two more times for a total of four 7-minute cooking segments. You may have to vary this a bit, based on the intensity of the heat of your grill and the size of the chicken pieces. I usually cut the breasts in half, but grill the leg quarters in one piece.

I also like to grill veggies, like quartered red peppers, sliced eggplant (1/2 inch rounds), and zucchini (sliced lengthwise, about 3/8 inch). I just brush each slice with olive oil and sprinkle it with either fresh or dried herbs — Italian herbs work well. I put them on the grill about halfway through the third turn of the chicken. Turn the vegetables just once. You can over-cook them, but you can hardly undercook them. However you do it: Yummy!

Until next time, I hope you enjoy summer’s bounty at parks or at home on warm outdoor evenings.  Take care of yourself for your well being and those you love.

Yours truly,

Barbara

For Your Well Being is published bi-weekly. We bring you insider speaker reports, exclusive stories about special events around the country, meeting planner tips, and fun stuff from the worlds of health and well being. Be well and be in the know!

The Speak Well Being Group is a specialized speakers bureau, focusing on speakers for hospital-sponsored community events, healthcare organizations, nurses, conferences and women’s groups. Our speakers are hand-selected. They are not only experts in their fields, they connect with their audiences while bringing them life-changing information, smiles of recognition and ultimately a sense of well being and hope.

Finding the perfect keynote speaker for your special event or conference is my personal passion, not just once, but year after year. It brings me great joy to know that your audience was delighted and moved by the speaker we selected together. I’m committed to making the process easy, pleasant and fun.