Hello from the Wellness Fast Lane

Aug 30th, 2007

Hello esteemed members of The Ville!  It’s Lena - your new guest blogger.

I’ll be guest blogging here on a frequent, yet infrequent, basis. That’s fancy talk for – I don’t have a schedule and I’ll be posting about my journey whenever I feel like it.  I believe in flexible structure (more on that in another post) so, this arrangement works for me.

So, here’s why I’ll be guest blogging on The Ville Blog:

Lately, I’ve been feeling really stifled. Stifled because I’ve wanted to write/share/vent about my wellness journey and what I’ve learned about personal development.

But, I am a social media consultant and strategist for high-strung high-growth businesses (you know, blogging, podcasting and all that ‘stuff’) and the kinds of things I want to write about don’t really fit too well on my guest blogging spot at Lipsticking, or my Entrepreneur.com blog.

So, Cheryl and I decided that it would be a good thing for me to do here – on the The Ville blog.

As I mentioned, I’m an entrepreneur and about a year ago, I contacted Cheryl for coaching. She was warm, welcoming, funny, real and totally non-judgemental. I liked her immediately. What’s not to like??? That was a year ago. At the time, I committed intellectually to wellness.  Now, I’m prepared to commit emotionally and spiritually. Yes, it took me that long. As Cheryl so lovingly says, “There’s work to do there.”

In order for me to build the caliber of business I wanted to build and live the life I want to live, I need to be healthy so I could ‘go the distance’ – literally and figuratively. And, let’s face it, when someone is at the front of the room giving you advice on how to grow your business, you want them to look the part. It’s not always a nice fact of life to face but, as I always say: It is what it is.

I’m not perfect, but I’m committed. The whole point of me blogging here is to share my challenges, ideas, thoughts and wins with you. Some thoughts will be nice – some not so nice. This is really a bit of therapy of sorts for me.  And, as I heal myself and move toward a wellness lifestyle, I hope you learn something along the way as well.

So, this is me – warts and all - groping my way toward a happy, healthy wellness lifestyle all while heading up a growing business and living in NY (for the time being…more on that later). Let’s see what happens. 

Hopefully I’ll get a warm welcome from all The Ville residents. A girl needs all the support she can get

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Bicycles for Commuting to Work!

Aug 30th, 2007

Are you a cyclist?  Ever thought it might be fun to ride your bike instead of drive everywhere?  Here’s what’s up at the Kansas Department of Transportation–an entire issue of their newsletter devoted to bicycling as a form of transportation.  See it here:  September_2007.pdf

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No Hot Dogs Please!

Jul 24th, 2007

Don’t leave your dog in the car when it’s hot!

Normally I’m really nice and rarely do I tell people what to do….unless it’s about this topic…leaving dogs in a hot car.  Then I can get very directive.

I can’t tell you how many time I’ve been out on a hot day and have seen a poor, hot dog panting inside a car.  I tell you it freaks me out!  I’m totally unreasonable about this topic.  Don’t do this!

Imagine wearing a fur coat on a hot day sitting in a car with the sun beating down.  You have no way to open the car door to get out.  How do you feel?  You have no idea how long you’ll be in that hot car.  Your driver (the one who supposedly adores you) got sidetracked by an old friend, stopped for a soda, and remembered another errand s/he had to run. 

Oh my 45 minutes … no, an hour has gone by.  They only meant to run in and out.  Funny how time flies when you’ve left your dog in the hot car unattended and you’re in the air conditioning! 

Depending on the temperature, the situation can get serious in a hurry.  Hey I’ve gotta stop writing about this, the visual is freaking me out.

Leave your dog at home!  If you MUST take your dog in the car on a hot day, do not leave him or her in the car – even in the shade, even with the windows partly rolled down – remember the fur coat!  And forget about parking in the sun – even with the windows rolled down. 

And all of this is doubly true for kids – do not leave them in a hot car!  I wouldn’t think I’d even have to say this….but unfortunately it happens.

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28 Small Changes Make a Big Difference

Jul 12th, 2007

One of the reasons we hesitate to make lifestyle changes is that we think it will be really complex and hard.  But it doesn’t have to be.  You can get great results from making small changes. 

This article from Weight Watchers gives you 28 ideas for making small changes in your eating and exercising habits.  There are probably a couple of tips that would be easy for you to do. 

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Chakra Panties

Jun 20th, 2007

My technology and business strategist Lena West sent me this email today…..

I’m from NY. Born and raised. I thought I’d seen it all.

She was referring to this post about the commercialization of yoga.  I’m very interested in this topic and got wrapped up in watching ALL the video clips at youtube.com from the documentary ‘Yoga, Inc.’ directed by John Philp.  The following clip features comments by Trisha Lamb including the reference to chakra panties. After you watch this little clip, you’ll have the option to watch several additional clips from the movie.  Do you think yoga is being inappropriately used to market products?

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FDA: Throw away toothpaste made in China

Jun 4th, 2007

Yesterday I read another story (below) about the dangers of specific products imported from China – last month it was pet food, this month it’s toothpaste. 

Last week National Public Radio (NPR) did a story on the challenges the FDA has monitoring for safety the huge number of imported products.  One example NPR highlighted was related to imports from China.  As shocking as this seems, it was reported that in order to dry tea leaves more quickly, the manufacturing plant personnel drive trucks across them so that the exhaust speeds up the drying process.  Of course, the lead in the exhaust (let alone the dirt from the truck tires), makes this tea product dangerous to drink.

Anybody besides me wondering what’s next regarding products from China? 

Story Highlights from CNN Article about Toothpaste from China

•Consumers warned of potentially tainted toothpaste from China
•Suspect products may contain diethylene glycol, or DEG, used in antifreeze
• DEG found in Cooldent Fluoride, Cooldent Spearmint , Cooldent ICE
• FDA unaware of any poisoning from toothpaste in the United States

Read the article

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Quote for the Day

May 29th, 2007

“No matter how good you get, you can always get better, and that’s the exciting part.”
- Tiger Woods

Comments Please

Have you got any favorite inspirational quotes to share?  Share them at the comment link below. 

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Who is Hungry Girl?

May 29th, 2007

I just discovered a weight loss, “healthy eating” website:  Hungry-Girl.com.  Here’s my evaluation of it.

What I love about Hungry-Girl.com

• I love the bio of the owner – see it here  She is truly hungry.
• I love her articles about herbs and whole foods – fabulous!
• I love it that she has fun and makes learning interesting and easy.
• I love it that she provides great tools – completely free!
• She’s tried all the weight loss diets so has the inside track on fad diets.  She can expose their soft under bellies!
• I just discovered this site today, so I’m sure there are more cool things about this site.

What I do NOT love about Hungry-Girl.com

• A lot of her recommended foods and recipes rely on nonfoods – artificial sweeteners, fake butters, chemicalized cuisine – yucky pooh!
• I guess that’s all I don’t like about it.

If you sign up to receive the daily newsletter, this is what you get:

Hey, Hungry Chicks…Sign up now for your DAILY Tips & Tricks… Each day you’ll receive tasty tidbits from the world of food and dieting. Monday is the day for all the latest NEWS HEADLINES, Tuesday get our picks ‘n’ pans in CHEW THE RIGHT THING, Wednesday is ASK HUNGRY GIRL day with advice straight from HG, Thursday’s WEEKLY WEIGH IN offers a revolving door of diet content and Friday’s GIRLS BITE OUT serves up survival strategies for the weekend ahead.

Thumbs Up

On the whole I give Hungry-Girl a thumbs up – just don’t get sucked into eating all the fake foods – unless you don’t mind your body saying, “Hey wassup?  What am I supposed to do with these chemicals?  Do I turn them into blood, bones, muscle tissue, or do I just stash them in your joints so you can’t bend over to tie your shoes?” 

Comments Please

What do you think about artificial foods? At the link below, tell us what you think.

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Inspiration for Fathers and Families

May 24th, 2007

Have you seen the video about a father who had the courage and insight to know that his disabled son could have a better life . . . through his actions?   I always well up with tears of amazement and inspiration when I watch this video.   It makes me want to be a better person.

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Did You Know that Being Nice is a Movement?

May 24th, 2007

Today was the day I learned that being nice is a Movement.  How could I have missed it?  Haven’t I seen people all around me being nicer?  Nope, I haven’t seen that but would love to. 

Here’s how the nice movement describes itself:

ImaNicePerson.com is a Movement.  Together we are going to change the World!!!  We have an interactive web community where you can share your Nice Stories about the nice people you know, the nice people you meet, and the nice things you see or have seen during your life.  Basically we’re tired of all the crime, violence, and politics we see and hear in the news, and we want to offer a positive alternative.  Those who join our site profess to being nicer and being more aware of the Nice things that happen around them during their daily lives. 

And there’s a book about being nice in the world of business:  The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness. 

Think of something nice you can say or do right now…and do it…or say it! 

Comments Please

Are you nice?  Do you work with nice people?  Do you have advice for being nice or nicer?  Comment at the link below.

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