Weekly Tip #2: The Smarter You Find Yourself

You've heard the saying, "Work smarter...not harder." Well, use this tip to find a better way to get to where you want to be.

State Health Care Innovation Initiative

***HHS Announces State Health Care Innovation Initiative - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on July 19, 2012, a new opportunity made possible by the Affordable Care Act to help states design and test improvements to their health care systems that would bolster health care quality and decrease costs. For more information, visit http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/07/20120719a.html

Weekly Tip #1: Warm Up to Cool Down

Be sure to warm up before exercising and to stretch when cooling down from it.

Revamping

As you may have noticed, we have not posted to the blog in a while. We are taking a break to reassess and revamp the various sites: Facebook, Twitter, and the websites. Instead of the lengthy blogs. We will post short weekly tips until September 9th 10th when our regularly schedule blogging will continue. Have a great summer, but remember to take care of yourselves...your life may depend on it.

Personal Chef

The movie stars flaunt their weight loss and sometimes make it look effortless. They may also suggest products or services and we try them without the same results. The difference, after some research, we find is that they have an entire team to help them stick to their plan. At the very least, they employ personal trainers and personal chefs.  These helpful assistants may be unaffordable for you. But that doesn't mean that you don't deserve to live healthier. Just like the "stars," you must make the commitment.

It is more affordable to consult with these professionals AFTER you have made the commitment to live your best life. Just like with exercise, you know yourself best.  You know what do you like and dislike. Consulting with a nutritionist or dietitian can be extremely helpful. Ask your physician for a referral or consult with a local healthy initiative program, like an agricultural extension or community garden program. In the meantime, identify your eating patterns. In your journal, you have kept track of what and when you eat. This information becomes incredibly important when planning your meals.

We often want convenience and taste over everything else. However, these things need to be consistent as well. To make sure you are living this way instead of short-term dieting, planning is imperative. Try planning meals for the week or month. When meal planning is coupled with couponing and precooking preparations, you will save significant amounts of money and time all the while reducing waste. You can also control what you and your family are putting into your bodies.

Be your own chef…your life may depend on it.

Personal Trainer

In keeping with our monthly challenge, we suggest that you become more to yourself than you allow others to be. In this first post-challenge note, it is all about becoming your own personal trainer. After all, it is personal, right?! Who are you with all the time?  Who knows you best? YOURSELF! So, instead of investing in others to hold you accountable. Hire yourself. You can keep an eye on yourself all the time!

Start by identifying, from your journal, what activities you most enjoy. Then plan activities accordingly. Remember, you are aiming for 30-45 minutes of heart-pumping cardio and 20-30 minutes of strength training three to five times a week.

Once you gain a rhythm, seek advice from fitness professionals and websites that can help you in achieving your goals. Have a chat with your physician regarding your health needs to better identify a plan of action.

To some, consulting yourself prior to hiring a fitness professional may seem backwards. However, we understand that you must commit to a healthier lifestyle and exercise before spending and subsequently wasting money in fancy gyms and expensive trainers. Oftentimes, we get geared up, buy exercise clothes, get a gym membership, and hire a personal trainer in a great attempt to get fit. Well, when set backs happen or we do not achieve the great results immediately, we feel like failures and are contracted in these expenditures. Moreover, healthy living is about living, not about temporary solutions and part-time engagements. We must accept our role and wholly commit to living our best lives…our lives may depend on it.

Media Advisory - 5th Annual Mother-Daughter Health Forum & Luncheon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Angela Douglas (803) 917-6360 Email: adouglas@rmdsf.org Website: www.rmdsf.org

MEDIA ADVISORY:

THE ROSA M. DOUGLAS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION

Celebrates National Women’s Health Week

with the 5^th Annual Mother-Daughter Health Forum & Luncheon

CHESTER, SC – The Rosa M Douglas Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was established in the honor of Mrs. Rosa M. Douglas to assist in community awareness and promotion of women’s health and nutrition. 

Mother-Daughter Health Forum & Luncheon

The Chester War Memorial Building, 154 Main Street, Chester, SC 29706

Saturday, May 12, 2012, Doors open at 11am

Tickets - $10 donation per person, $5 for children ages 7 or younger

In Collaboration with U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Women’s Health

We kick off National Women’s Health Week – May 13-19.

FEATURES:

Keynote Speaker – “Affordable Care Act & Women’s Health”

Natalia Cales, Regional Outreach Specialist, US HHS

Fun Interactive Play - ZUMBA® Fitness Demonstration

Stacey Dobbins & Cherise Johnson

Wonderful Entertainment – BAG Lady Skit

Healthy Lunch

Lots of Health Information & Screenings

Fabulous Door Prizes

Surprises & more
 

"Funding for this activity was made possible in part by the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Office on Women's Health. The views expressed in written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators at HHS-sponsored conferences, do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.”