COCOA THE CHOCOLATIER CHEF
TONY'S
SPECIALTY Â IS
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You Don't Have to Save the World
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Women's Travel: 10 Tips for a Safe Trip
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Women and Their Finances: CFO's of the Household
22
Making Healthy Habits Stick for Professional Women
JAN/FEB 2019
WOMEN WALKING BY FAITH
Editor in Chief Cheryl Lacey Donovan Publisher Elissa Gabrielle Contributors Donna H, Nicole Dennison, Deanna Keahey, Gina DeNicola, Katie Banks, Waller Jamison
Designer Cheryl Lacey Donovan
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If you could do one thing better what would it be?
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THE CHOCOLATIER CHEF
TONY'S
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YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD
At some point, you have probably imagined yourself fighting for freedom; desperate to rail against injustice and inequality, wondered what you could do to bring an end to poverty. Those are noble desires, and why not throw climate change in there while you're at it. You are but one person and while you can make plenty of changes in your own life that will effect change, you don't have to save the world to make your life one that is worth living. There is meaning in every day life and in every day things and actions. Small things can go a long way to making you feel that your life has meaning, and many little things add up to a whole lot. Find Meaning In Small Actions Trying to save the world is exhausting, especially if you don't practice self-care. Part of finding meaning in life is by doing the things that you love doing and feeling good about it. Not everyone can be an activist, but we can all make a difference in our own ways. However, that begs the question – how can you find meaning elsewhere, meaning in small actions that don't have anything to do with saving the world? It's not as difficult as you think! It all begins with a question – what do you value? What are your strengths? When you allow these two things to align with your actions then you are living a life of purpose of meaning. Of course, it can be difficult to recognize these things within ourselves, so you may need to speak to those who are closest to you to find out when you thrive.
You can also use the steps above as a way to take meaningful action and boost your self-confidence and happiness levels. We often feel at our best when we make a difference. Not everyone can live their dream through their job and if you aren't lucky enough to be able to pursue your passion in a career, you should strive to include the activities you love in your spare time. It's vital to create spare time. It's time to put your phone down and start truly living your best life. Every Day Action Believe it or not, you can make a difference without leaving your couch. Just look at these meaningful actions that can make a difference to your life and happiness. You can practice these without putting yourself under too much pressure. • Money is a source of frustration for all of us, but by using a power strip to plug your electrical appliances into you can easily turn everything off with one flick of a switch. Not only is this going to help the environment, but it's going to reduce your energy bill, too. • Move all of your bills online. • Do your research and choose to buy from companies that have green practices. You don't have to stop there, though, there are still things you can do from your home that will help save the planet. • Shorter showers. • Go meat-free three days a week. • Recycle and compost. • Buy energy efficient appliances
You can continue once you leave the home and it's easier than you might think. • Plan your meals in advance and shop smart to avoid waste. • Buy reduced fruit – there's nothing wrong with it, it just isn't attractive enough for display. • Buy sustainable seafood. • Leave the car at home. • Take your own shopping bags. • Hybrid vehicle. What about finding meaning that is about you? • Start practicing yoga and meditation. • Make time for your loved ones. • Indulge your hobbies and favorite activities.
• Invest in your health and happiness.
Women's Travel: 10 Tips For a Safe Trip Deanna Keahey When it comes to women's travel, there are many
¡other types of jewelry. This is not a good time to
different safety tips that can make the difference
flash the big diamonds. If you elect to wear jewelry,
between a great trip and a disaster. While women
be certain to keep it simple. It's a lot safer (both for
do travel successfully every single day without
you and those big diamonds) if you leave them safe
incident, it is important to understand that problem
at home, and take the cheap costume jewelry on
situations have come up before, and are sure to
your trip.
again. If you are a woman who has to travel for your career, or if you're headed off on a vacation,
3. You always need some cash with you, but don't
it's wise to learn as much as you can about how to
carry big wads of cash around. It's better to have the
stay safe on your travels. Here are 10 quick tips to
cash you need, and then use credit cards for most of
help you have a safe trip.
the big purchases along the way. Most places, you can replenish your cash supply at the ATM as
1. One of the first things to consider when traveling
needed. Cash is more of a target for thieves than
is the clothing you wear while traveling, as well as
credit cards -- especially if it looks like you've got a
the clothes that you wear once you reach your
lot of it.
destination. While you're traveling is not the time to dress to the nines, or wear your designer duds. If
4. If you must carry valuables with you when you
you dress like a person with a lot of money, it can
travel, then consider purchasing luggage with hidden
make you a target for crimes such as robbery. It is
compartments, money belts, or pouches where you
better to dress casually, and not look like a good
can hide money and valuables under your clothing.
target. Once you reach your destination, check out
There are a variety of options available that are safer
what the locals are wearing and try to fit in as well
than leaving everything valuable in your purse (so
as you can.
that it could all get stolen together!)
2. In addition to considering your travel clothing as
5. If you are a woman traveling to an area that
above, it's also important to consider the accessories
requires a passport, it is a good idea to bring your
that you wear while traveling. You should avoid
main passport along with a photocopy of the main
flaunting expensive necklaces, rings, pendants, and
information page. Keep these in separate places. If your real passport is lost or stolen, this can make it
Real Life Real Faith | 16
easier to get replaced. 6. On the inside of your luggage, it is important to include information about who you are and how to contact you. Include your name, address, and a contact number. If your bags were recovered by airline, hotel, or police officials after an incident, they could see who you are and find out how to contact you. 7. Clean out your purse before traveling, or use a different travel purse when you're on the road. You don't need to bring along your extra bank card, library card, social security card, supermarket club card, etc. when you're traveling. If your wallet is stolen, the less items you have to replace, the easier it will be, so there's no sense bringing things you don't need. 8. You should let one to two people know what you plan to do while you are away, where you are staying, and reach an agreement on contacting each other. This way, should you miss a contact or if foul play is suspected, someone may inform the authorities of where you are supposed to be and when. Likewise, if there was an emergency back home, they would have a way to get in touch with you during your travels.
BOUNCING BACK FROM SETBACK
9. When traveling with important documentation, such as your driver's license, legal papers, and similar items - always be sure to keep a copy somewhere safe (separate from the original). As an added measure of security, provide someone you trust with a copy of each. 10. Lastly, don't make yourself look like an easy target. Figure out where you're going before you leave the hotel, or ask the hotel staff for directions. Standing on the street corner peering confusedly at a map will make you look like easy pickings. Walk confidently, be aware of your surroundings, and keep a secure grasp on your purse. Women's travel can be risky, but the more you know, the safer you'll be. If you follow these 10 tips for a safe trip, you'll be more likely to enjoy that vacation or business trip without any dangerous complications. A good idea when traveling is to take a money belt or money pouch, that lets you hide cash and credit cards out of sight, and out of reach of pickpockets. Security wallets [http://best-travelaccessories.com/security-wallets.htm] also provide protection many of them block RFID tags that can let electronic thieves steal your personal information. Deanna Keahey writes for Best-Travel-Accessories.com [http://best-travel-accessories.com/], a site where you will find these and many other travel accessories designed to make your text trip safer, smoother, and more fun.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2257015
Crock Pot Shrimp Veggies and Rice Donna H What you need:Â 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups pre-cooked baby shrimp, cleaned and deveined 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained 1 3/4 cups long grain rice, uncooked 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
In your slow cooker, stir together red bell pepper, garlic, chicken broth, baby shrimp, mixed vegetables, long grain rice and soy sauce. Cover and cook for 2 hours on high. When ready, pour lightly beaten eggs over the fried rice
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9806262
mixture then cook for another 45 minutes.
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TAKING OVER THE WORLD ONE WOMAN AT A TIME RLRF
Lifestyle feature
Menopause is No Joke GINA DENICOLA and my husband snoring and I Let me paint a picture for you.
FFast forward to a few hours later to
Yesterday Nashville got its first "snow
where I woke up from a dream. In this
storm" of the year, it went from 65
dream, I was 30 something, and
degrees to 23 degrees in just 24
someone was asking me out to
hours. The icy winter day turned into
dinner. I was so excited in this dream,
an ice and snow filled night. It was
and as I wake up a little more I
windy and cold.
realize that not only is it just a dream,
I was getting ready for bed, and the
but I am laying on top of the all the
last thing, anymore, that I do is walk
blankets, wind howling outside, icicles
over to the thermostat and turn it on.
on my window INSIDE. My husband is
I don't turn the heat on as one would
fast asleep in sweatpants and a long
expect on a night where you looked
sleeve shirt on the couch!
out the window, and it is as if
It was now 2 am and I was wide
everything looked like glass. Nope, I
awake, like make the coffee wide
turn the air conditioner on, like I do
awake and I just laid in bed and
every. single. night. I turn it down to
thought for a moment. Up until right
60 degrees because... menopause.
that very moment, I was good with
wondered to myself if this was what a mid-life crisis felt like. Realizing that I was almost 51 and not 30 was unexpectedly sad for me. The only thought I had was that I had lived most of my years and I was on the downward slope of life. I crawled back under the covers, flipped my pillow to the cold side and as a small icicle tear frozen to my cheek I thought to myself, everything is going to be just fine.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9865657
being a few days away from 51. I was
But last night I decided to give the
good with having raised two
reins to Old Man Winter and let him
reasonably well-adjusted kids. I was
cool down my bedroom, so I opened
settling into my "Golden Years" just
the window by the head of my bed. I
fine. That was until that stupid dream,
didn't open it like it was 65 degree,
and I was 30 again. I sat and thought
sunny, spring day, I opened it like it
about that dream and determined,
was 23 degrees and instantly hit in the
there was no way that was actually
face with the most glorious cold air.
30-year-old, Gina. In this dream, this
As I crawled into bed the wind was
Gina had her life together when the
howling through the window, I had just
real life 30-year-old Gina was a bit
opened, my husband walked into the
of a train wreck. 30-year-old Gina
bedroom. He just looked at me and
was a single mom with a 3-year-old
before he got into bed, he put on
and a 4-year-old, two jobs, barely
some sweatpants and a long sleeved
making ends meet and a love life that
shirt and crawled into bed. I smiled at
was questionable at best.
him, kissed him on the head, and both apologized and thanked him for being
As the hot flash passed, I walked to
so understanding. As I rolled over to
the living room and grabbed my
turn out the light and grab my
husband, my husband who if he
earplugs, I was once again hit in the
owned a hat and gloves I'm confident
face with that icy air, and as I
he would be wearing them and
grabbed my earplugs, I noticed they
brought him back to bed. I laid there
were a bit frozen. I was worried this
on top of the blankets and listened to
wasn't going to be a good idea.
the combination of the wind howling
14
WOMEN AND THEIR FINANCE CFO'S OF THE HOUSEHOLD
Katie Banks Women Emerge to the Forefront of Household Finance In days gone by, women were in the dark about their household finances. Money was something that men talked about in dark-paneled rooms, while the women minded the children in the yard. The men bought the cars, paid the bills, decided how much to spend on a house, and if and how much to save for the boys' college education. All that has changed. In more and more American households, it is the women sorting the mail as it comes in, separating the bills and ensuring they get paid on time via their online bill pay system. And when it's time to buy a car, women are buying 60% of all new cars and 53% of all used cars, according to a December 2009 poll by NBC Universal. Women also typically continue to make day-to-day purchasing decisions that have lasting impact on a family's finances, such as where to make grocery and clothing purchases, and whether to use club cards or clip coupons. In addition, many women have taken on increasingly complex financial tasks, such as eliminating credit card debt, investing for retirement, saving for their children's education, and engaging in family estate planning. The Household CFO: A New Term is Coined This phenomenon of women completely emerging from financial darkness to take the reins has resulted in a new term: the Household Chief Financial Officer, or CFO for short. And established businesspeople and entrepreneurs are catching on. Businesses that provide financial services are beginning to cater to women and to give them the respect they deserve.
Women and Finance: Doing it Their Way As marketers, web designers, sales people, financial advisors and other business professionals learn to target women more effectively, they are realizing that women think differently about finance than men do. Here are some strategies that these professionals should keep in mind as they target women in finance. Women are voracious information gatherers. And they like to get their information in community settings. Note the success of websites like Babycenter.com, ivillage.com, and the like. Women will certainly carry this appetite for information-gathering into their finance habits. Many, but not all women, lack confidence in their financial skills. This lack of confidence is somewhat ironic, because many of these women are actually quite competent and so their lack of skill is often perceived, rather than real. Financial service providers can bridge this confidence gap by speaking in plain English, rather than attempting to impress their female clients with their intricate finance vocabulary. Women tend to thrive in networks. Rather than coldly refer female clients to an unknown professional, it will pay off to build a warmer sense of community by hosting local events. Be true to who and what you are, and consistently build your brand around it. If you try to brand yourself or your product or service line as something it is not, women will sense it immediately and reject it. There are certainly companies and whole industries that have not gotten the memo. For example, I was in a used car lot recently with my husband and was summarily ignored by the salesman. But then, I shouldn't expect a used car salesman to be at the forefront of evolution, now should I? Katie Banks is a freelance writer who contributes to FinancialRx.com, a website targeting savvy women who are the CFOs of their households. You can read more on this and the topic of women and finance on the FinancialRx.com CEO Blog. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5674274
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
PAGE 17
2019
WOMEN AND WEIGHT GAIN Waller Jamison Magazines supply us with endless accounts of women and weight gain and every month sees a
In their 20s and 30s, many young women put on excess weight during pregnancy, especially if they
new diet in the bestseller lists, but why do so
have several children. With the stress of coping with
many women struggle with weight gain?
babies and toddlers, they find it hard to cook and then sit down to eat properly. So they end up eating the
There are many reasons for this and these can
kids' leftovers as well as their own convenience and
vary during a woman's lifetime. Comfort eating
often high fat meals. Running around after the kids
is common during periods of stress which can happen at any age, from teenage angst at being unable to find a boyfriend, through the hectic lifestyle of motherhood and then empty nest
may keep young mothers on the move, but with the close proximity of food, this isn't enough to compensate. And by the time the children are ready to fly the nest, mothers are often long out of the habit of taking exercise.
syndrome, menopause and old age. Â
What are the triggers which are specific to women at these different stages of their lives? Teenage girls are dealing with a lot of changes, not only in the shape of their bodies but also in their position in life, as they finish school, start university or work, start dating, drinking alcohol and learn to drive. As more children lead sedentary lives, more girls are overweight when they reach puberty and the typical teenage diet does not encourage healthy eating and weight loss. Adolescence is a turbulent time and coping with new and often difficult emotions, many young girls will eat for comfort. This can be due to many things, including bullying at school, pressure to do well academically or feeling they don't fit in.
And of course, this is when menopause hits, bringing with it a tendency to put on weight. If she hasn't taken enough exercise as a younger woman, it's possible that this will make finding a suitable exercise routine more difficult as old approaches. So, faced with so many situations in which weight gain is likely, what is a woman to do? Whatever her age, the best first step any woman can take is to educate herself about healthy eating and apply the principles. And the second step is to increase the amount of exercise she takes. These two steps should be enough if she is only slightly overweight. However, if seriously overweight or obese, she should seek medical advice.
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
2019
Overweight can also be helped by techniques such as EFT and NLP, which address the emotional causes of overeating. Irrespective of the size of the problem, there are plenty of different approaches to tackling weight gain and women can find a way that suits them, whatever their age and lifestyle. Women and weight gain do not necessarily have to go together. © Waller Jamison 2007 Kick start your weight loss with a New Weight Loss Strategy every week No time for exercise? Here are some Fat Burning Moves You Can Do at Your Desk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/532073.
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TELL ME WHAT YOU EAT, AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU ARE. ANTHELME BRILLAT-SAVARIN
Making Healthy Habits Stick for Professional Women Nicole Dennison
Two separate parts of the brain.
"Already, I'm off my diet, skipped exercise class, snacked on chips, and picked up dinner at a fast food restaurant," she groaned.
The basal ganglia, near the center of your skull, are where emotions, memories, and pattern recognition
How can the best intentions, the stoutest resolutions, and the firmest convictions fall so quickly by the wayside? Are we simply weak and self-sabotaging? Why is it so hard to form healthy habits especially when we know as busy professional women that a successful health plan depends on adopting healthy habits and good intentions.
develop. From an evolutionary perspective, it is one of the oldest parts of our brain. The prefrontal cortex, the area right behind your forehead, is where thought originates. From an evolutionary perspective, it is one of the newest parts of our brain.
Is there anything we can do to make the healthy changes and develop the healthy habits we so desire? Yes!
Neurologically what happens is that most behavior originates in the prefrontal cortex as thought. Then, as
By understanding what a habit is and how it forms. What is a habit? A habit is something that you do often or regularly. What you may not know is how these habits form in the brain.
a behavior becomes a habit, it moves into the basal ganglia where it is automated. Now that you know what's happening in the brain, it's time to introduce you to the 'habit loop.'
How are habits formed? In 2012, Charles Duhigg published The Power of
Introducing the habit loop. The habit loop is a neurological loop that governs any habit. It consists of three components: · Cue · Routine · Reward
Habit. In it, he explores the neuroscience behind why we do what we do. What Neuroscientists have discovered is: · Our habit-making behaviors trace to a part of the
Understanding these components is what helps busy professional women change unhealthy habits into healthy ones.
brain called the basal ganglia. · Our decision-making process traces to the prefrontal cortex.
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Let's examine each part of the habit loop: 1. Cue. There's a cue or trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and let a behavior unfold. It is the stimulus or experience that starts the habit loop. Example from The Power of Habit: There's a woman who can't stop biting her nails even though it causes her much pain and embarrassment. When asked by a therapist when or why she starts biting she describes a tingling sensation in her fingertips. This sensation is the cue. The first step in changing a habit is to become aware of the cue. 2. Routine. This is the behavior itself that we think of as the habit. Example from The Power of Habit: When the woman who bites her nails gets bored and feels a tingling in her fingertips her old behavior was to start rubbing her fingertips feeling for bumps or edges. When she found one, she would chew on it and then, on autopilot, proceed to chew every nail on her hand until her nails were completely smooth or completely removed. The second step in changing a habit is to reprogram the unhealthy habit to do something that is healthier. When the woman felt the tingling sensation come on (cue), she replaced nail-biting with rubbing her fingers on her arm or table. This simple change from biting her nails to rubbing her fingertips on another surface was all it took to create a new neural pathway in her brain. 3. Reward This is something that your brain likes that helps it remember and encode the new habit loop in the future. Example from The Power of Habit: After a week of not biting her nails, she rewarded herself with a manicure. The third step in changing a habit is to reward your new healthy habit.
It seems ridiculously simple, but once you're aware of how your habit works, once you recognize the cues and rewards, you're halfway to changing it. It seems like it should be more complex. The truth is the brain can be reprogrammed. You just have to be deliberate about it." According to behavioral modification researcher Dr. Nathan Azrin. Still, a nagging question remains, why do people return to their unhealthy habits? It's because of the basal ganglia. It stores memories. Therefore, the neural pathways don't get erased. They remain. That's why you hear people say, "Whoops, I forgot and slipped back into my old habits." 5 Tips for Success The best way for busy professional women to change an unhealthy habit is to replace it with a new one. That way your brain creates new neural pathways allowing you to use those habits. Here are five success factors that will help your new habits stick. 1. If you want to make healthy habits stick, you have to love your habits. And you do that by first loving yourself. 2. When you decide to change a habit, make sure you choose your daily thoughts and activities from a place of love, not self-criticism. It's so easy to get down on yourself for slipping back into neurological pathways that are unhealthy. Remember, change is a process. Take it one step at a time. Nurture yourself along the way, and healthy habits will soon be automatic. 3. Keep focused on the positive results you want. Changing a habit requires replacing the old routine with a new one. Sometimes this feels awkward because there are uncomfortable steps to take when choosing new actions that develop into habits that serve you better. Stay focused. 4. You will experience a delightful sensation when you reward yourself each time you make a healthy choice. This is how your neurology learns to encode a new pattern for the future. This rush of joy will entice you to choose the health habits again and again. And you'll start to see healthy results.
5. When you love your habits, your new habits will bring your desired results. Your desired results will, therefore, come from your place of love. Audrey Hepburn said it best: "The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides." When it comes to making healthy habits stick, it takes more than stout resolutions and firm convictions. To create a new habit that leads to a successful health plan, you'll need to know how habits form in the brain. You need to know about the habit loop. Read about how it works, what causes us to slip back into unhealthy habits, and discover five tips for success. Nicole Dennison is a Certified Holistic Health Consultant providing education, guidance, and mentoring primarily to women ready to holistically heal their body and emotions. If making healthy habits stick so you can live a successful, vibrant life is important to you, visit:Â http://www.nicoledennison.com. Sign up for my FREE video course, "Three Days to Your Vibrant Health." Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9885376
DETERMINATION