Green Wave Smoothie Visits Fit Club
We’d like to thank Dee Ann Bauer of Green Wave Smoothies for sharing recipes with our Fit Club members last week. Our kids had a great time learning fun ways to combine flavors & create a healthy, tasty drink with fruits/vegetables.
Dee Ann sets up shop at the Charleston Farmer’s Market every other Saturday & shares her creative concoctions with the community. If you’re in the area, you can catch her this Saturday, May 25th.
Take a look below! They are making “Kalicious” – a combination of orange, banana, mango, grapes, kale, water, and ice.
What’s your favorite smoothie recipe? We’d love to share it.
Ask Dr. Rachel: Changes…..They Happen
Change happens, just as I say Life Happens (which a patient of mine recently made shirts that say this!). Changes can be good or bad, but they happen and the key is to stay positive and remember there are some things in your control, like your thoughts, attitude, and behaviors. We can plan for change, but of course we can’t plan for everything as Life Happens, but any change can be overwhelming and scary at times, so why not prepare as much as you can.
Since Life Happens, of course changes also happen. We may have major life events as we get older and that means we have more responsibilities, we may change jobs, move, leave relationships and enter new relationships, to name a few. Now remember these can both be good and bad, scary, and exciting, but nonetheless, they can be overwhelming. With change, we can become stressed and when we have increased stress what happens to us and our health? Unfortunately several people automatically, without thinking, start to put themselves and their health last. This is not good, because of course during increased stress, and change, it is best to keep your routine and stay healthy. Once you are out of your routine you may start feeling “off.” Perhaps you become irritable or your mood changes. Maybe you don’t make the time to eat healthy or to do your regular exercise routine. Now, that feeling of being “off” becomes worse because you are also not taking care of yourself and giving your body and mind what it needs most during this time, which is some sort of normalcy, a routine, and good food to fuel your body and mind.
The key is to plan and be prepared, but another important part is to be flexible and stay positive. Another one of my favorite mottos is something is better than nothing. Maybe you have increased stress and more responsibilities at work so you don’t have time to do your usual workout. It is not all OR nothing, instead be flexible and put a positive spin on it. How about do something, instead of nothing— maybe a short walk or run, or even a home workout? Better yet, maybe you haven’t had time to see friends and plan a walking catch up session—be active and social at the same time. (I personally love walking talking sessions and do them quite often). Further, when we are stressed, we don’t think clearly and if we haven’t planned our meals we may be stuck in a situation when we are outside in this “toxic food environment” (thank you once again to Kelly Brownell, Ph.D. for this term) and the first thing we see is NOT healthy food and boom before you even realize it you are eating it. Now you start to blame the stress for these “slips,” or unhealthy behaviors you are participating in (skipping your workouts and/or unhealthy, quick, go-to meals), but at the end of the day it is just a slip, so don’t let it turn into a relapse. Take responsibility for your behaviors and come up with a plan for next time. Remember when you are stressed or overwhelmed, YOU still have a choice to make and in order to realize you have that choice you need to take a step back from the situation to think clearly, examine it, and then make a decision. If you can think clearly, it is much easier to make the healthier choice.
Of course this may not apply to all of you, as each person deals with change, stress, etc. in different ways, but if nothing else, remember Life Happens and something truly IS better than nothing. Now get working on making a change to make YOU healthier!
What will YOU change TODAY to make YOU more prepared for life or healthier?
SC Federal Credit Union Wellness Fair
Last week I joined Louis and Laura for the South Carolina Federal Credit Union’s Employee Wellness Fair in Charleston, SC. It was a great turnout as many of the employees came to get the information from the different vendors. The booths ranged from personal training companies to local colleges to the fun crowd at Wonder Works – who we previously teamed up with for the Kid’s Bridge Run. The Fresh Produce from Gruber Farms and the complimentary massages were also very popular spots.
At our booth we got to talk about all of the ways Louie’s Kids is currently reaching out to the community, and addressing topics such as healthy eating habits, exercise and overall wellness. Laura also got a chance to share her message of “Rethink your Drink” with a group of Credit Union employees. It prompted some great discussions on how much sugar people consume just from their drinks without even realizing it.
It was great to see a company take such a proactive approach with the health and wellness of their employees.
Volunteering with Louie’s Kids
A few months ago, I was looking for a local volunteer opportunity. In a city as great as Charleston, there are plenty of things to get involved in. I had a friend who participated in the Slim Down the South Celebrity Softball Game last year, so I had heard of Louie’s Kids before. After looking into the organization a little more, I was excited about what I was seeing, because a year and a half ago I started making some healthy changes in my own life. I have now lost 30 lbs. and I’m feeling great about the process. Needless to say, the Mission of Louie’s Kids was an easy thing for me to get behind. It’s exciting to be in any way a part of helping someone else see the wonderful benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Little changes can make a big difference.
Two of the things I am now a part of are the Saturday Family Workouts and The Kid’s Run and Wonderfest.
The Saturday Family Workouts are every Saturday morning in Hampton Park. I went to my first Saturday Family Workout just to take some pictures for the website, but before I knew it, I had joined the workout too. It was fun to see the kids who had come out to participate. A few of them had brought their parents along for the workout, too. Aside from having a fun workout in a beautiful place, I also saw a great connection between the kids and the other volunteers.
The Kid’s Run and Wonderfest took place the day before the Cooper River Bridge Run. Other Louie’s Kids volunteers and I were on hand to help with the registration and packet pick-up. I can’t describe the level of excitement that was in Hampton Park that day, and I’m not sure these pictures can do it justice either!
I am happy that I have joined in with such a great group. It’s exciting to continue to learn about all of the other ways that Louie’s Kids is making a difference in the lives of children and families all over our community. Some other events coming up are Little Chef Big Chef, Run Buddies, and of course the Saturday Family Workouts in Hampton Park (at the fountain, 9 am -10:30 am). Plus, I’m sure it will be time for another Slim Down the South Celebrity Softball Game before we know it!
If you want to get involved too, here’s how.
Little Chef Big Chef
Join us for the fifth Little Chef Big Chef Fundraiser at the SC Aquarium in downtown Charleston, SC. June 13, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00pm.
