d-mars.com Business Journal 40

april 30 - may 30 2010

Inspire, Inform & Educate

40

Edition

Health, Beauty and Lifestyle

INSIDE

Hypertension: The Silent Killer

By Dr. Olufunke Odetunde Statistics in the USA indicate that African Americans have a higher incidence of hypertension than other ethnicities.

PAGE 6

Easy and fun health and wellness activities for the workplace

By Christina R. Grochett Tips for fun and simple activities to implement as part of an employee wellness program.

PAGE 7

Practical choices for meeting your health care and budget needs

“Health is our True Wealth”

MR. D-MARS & Dr. Camille Cash

Tips for individuals and families looking for health insurance.

PAGE 8

Danny Nguyen DN Commercial

Renea Gray Veggie Pals

Remona Barmettler Mona Lisa’s Burrito & taco shack

Beauty Tips

By Heather Haukaas Pollutants, toxins, processing, etc. are all enemies of our skin and hair; however, we must battle them everyday in order to keep ourselves looking and feeling great.

PAGE 42

See pg. 6

Cloria Witherspoon Shalonda E., Michael G. & Madeline W. A Spoonful Production HFE / Renaissance

Mayor Allen Owen Missouri City

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2.

Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr. SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr. VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis JR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Jr. EDITING CONSULTANT ReShonda Tate-Billingsley Operations Coordinator Heather Haukaas ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Alyssa Rachelle Mike Jones PHOTOGRAPHY Leon Galbreath VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Demetrius Early MARKETING CONSULTANTS Johnny Ray Davis, Jr. Aaron Laws MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ghuzzala Malik (Faith) Myron Davis DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Heather Haukaas Dr. Olufunke Odetunde Christina Robinson Grochett Diedria B. Joseph Burt Levine Wykesha C. Hayes Noel Pinnock Carla Lane Maceo Smedley Dr. D. L. Jones Justina Chen Nigel Mustang T. Q. Doyle

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I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t take care of myself like I really should. That’s because I’m always on the go, trying to be a mover and shaker and make things happen. It took a close friend saying to me, what good would it do to build an empire if I’m not around to enjoy it.

Those were some powerful words that made me stop in my tracks. I believe in establishing healthy working relationships, which in turn lead to healthy businesses. But I’ve quickly realized that health begins at home.

As entrepreneurs, it’s imperative that we don’t lose sight of how important it is to nurture your health from the inside out.

That’s why this issue couldn’t be more aptly themed. Being healthy, wealthy and wise is more than just some feel-good colloquium. It should be a way of life for anyone seeking complete personal and professional fulfillment.

It’s my hope that you will find something in between these pages to help you take a complete analysis of your health – from the inside out. And make sure you check out the profiles of our featured entrepreneurs, they’ll definitely have you reflecting and re-evaluating.

This issue, as always, is stockpiled with information that will help you become a better you!

CONTENTS Dr. Camille Cash: Improving you from the outside in…...........................… 5 Hypertension: The Silent Killer………………………….............................… 6 Easy and Fun Health and Wellness Activities for the Workplace….………. 7 Practical choices for meeting your health care and budget needs………... 8 “An Essential Solution”- Promoting Natural Health and Wellness……..….. 8 Water or Soda?............................................................................................ 10 Health is Our True Wealth……………………………………………......……... 10 Making a difference in your community can be as easy as “Taking Five”.... 15 Maintaining healthy leadership skills!............................................................17 Health & Awareness 2010………………………………………....................... 17 Enough is Enough!....................................................................................... 19 Health is Wealth………………………………………………………................ 19 The Changing Face of the Commercial Debt Buyer……………………….... 20 Veggie Pals! “Fighting Obeseity One Child at a Time”……………………… 22 A Healthy Mouth Means a Healthy Heart!.................................................... 27 Good Health is Good Wealth………………………………………………...... 27 Do you know what direction you are headed in?......................................... 29 Save $$$$ Now!!.......................................................................................... 30 Who Should Care About Health Care Reform?........................................... 32 Beauty Tips………………………………………………………………………. 42 Get your network on.................................................................................... 43 Super-fast Internet Access on – the – go………………………………......... 43 Health is Our True Wealth: The “Pappa Dubb” Lifestyle............................. 46

MR. D-MARS D-MARS.com Business Journal Tip of the Month “The greatest wealth is health”

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7322 Southwest Fwy, Suite 806 Houston, Texas 77074 713-272-9511 . Phone 713-272-6364 . Fax 1-800-453-8752 . Toll Free www.d-mars.com 3.

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4.

Dr. Camille Cash: Improving you from the outside in

By Heather Haukaas, Contributing Writer

M

ost people have heard the saying, “true beauty comes from within” and while we all aspire to grow spiritually and emotionally; we cannot ignore the importance of our physical perception to our self esteem.

We would like to say that outward appearance in no way influences our self-esteem but there is just something about looking in the mirror and finding no faults that gives us an extra boost of confidence.

Dr. Camille Cash, a Houston plastic surgeon, understands the importance of feeling good about oneself and has devoted her practice to helping individuals feel great inside and out. Dr. Cash, who swears by the motto “You only better,” doesn’t settle for a short term benefit of looking good but challenges her patients to witness long-term benefits through developing a healthy lifestyle after surgery.

Dr. Cash graduated magna cum laude from Howard University in Washington, DC. She earned her M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Deciding to become a surgeon, she entered a five-year general surgery residency through St. Joseph Hospital.

While on rotation in Plastic Surgery during her internship, Dr. Cash found her true calling.

“I fell in love with the field instantly.

I was not only able to cure disease, but to restore beauty and function. Through Plastic Surgery, I am able to combine artistry and medicine, healing both the body and the spirit.”

After her training, Dr. Cash obtained dual certification from the American Board of Surgery and the American april 30 - may 30 2010

Board of Plastic Surgery. She’s the only female African- American in the state of Texas to do so. She’s also a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Texas Medical Society.

As the first African-American woman so highly certified, Dr. Cash enjoys acting as a mentor to those students aspiring to follow in her footsteps.

As a mother of three, Dr. Cash can relate to many of her patients. “Because I am a woman, other women often feel more comfortable coming to me to talk about their bodies and their expectations.”

Dr. Cash has a one-on-one approach that is refreshingly different. She combines competence with compassion. “You have to think of the patient as an individual and their specific needs in order to provide exceptional care.”

Dr. Cash is able to communicate with her patients directly, valuing the personal attention that she gives to all of her patients, whether through preoperative counseling about the surgery or direct calls by the surgeon herself. It is no surprise Dr. Cash’s cliental consists mainly of females from diverse ethnic backgrounds and all walks of life- she understands how important it is to have somebody that understands the cultural and individual differences that are evident from patient to patient.

While men do not make up the majority of her patient population, more and more men are showing interest in cosmetic surgery as well.

Compassion, moral and competence are important in a field where abuse and overuse has been evident. “It is very important for people to have a www.

true understanding of self. This means understanding that everybody is different. Everyone has different characteristics; anything I do as a plastic surgeon cannot completely change how a person looks and that is not my goal. My goal is to improve upon who a person already is or alter a particular part of a person’s body to make it better or more acceptable. Surgery is a great way to minimize the signs of aging or childbearing, weight loss after bariatric surgery; it is a way to fine-tune a particular part of an individual’s body and make her or him feel better overall. I don’t want to change people nor do I want everyone to look the same. Everybody has differences in their bodies, imperfections, and things that they might want to change. People begin to abuse plastic surgery when they think that looking like someone else or something they are not will help build self love.”

Dr. Cash is a very business savvy individual and would love to perform as many surgeries as possible but at the end of the day she understands the importance of patients leaving with an understanding of how to maintain healthy habits.

“As a plastic surgeon, my surgical practice is devoted to operating on body parts and changing them but really my personal philosophy and my mission as a physician is to educate people about general wellness. In our communities, it is so important that we take the time to take care of our basic health needs. That means eating right, exercising, going to the doctor, treating chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes properly. You can come to see me because you want liposuction or fat removed from your abdomen; but my question is what you (patient) are going do to make sure that it doesn’t come back. I love to establish a partnership with my patients to maximize the benefits of surgery.”

It is great to know that plastic surgery can fix cosmetic issues to improve self-esteem and boost confidence but imagine those cases where plastic surgery serves the dual purpose of fixing both cosmetic and functional issues. “Patients seek surgery for a variety of reasons. A patient who does not breathe well out of their nose may not like the appearance of their nose either. In this case, a rhinoplasty serves a dual purpose- the person can breathe easier and love their newly reconstructed nose. Women that live day in and day out with extremely large breasts know that neck pains, back pains, difficulty breathing, etc. will be included

in their day. The average breast results in one pound per side. People would be amazed at how the removal of two pounds of breast tissue dramatically impacts a woman that has been living with large breasts and experiencing discomfort.”

Perhaps the most rewarding benefit of plastic surgery is its ability to help women fighting traumatic illnesses such as breast cancer. “For women going through the treatment or the discomfort of surgery there are a lot of different options for reconstruction. It is important for women to have their sense of femininity and sense of sexuality not completely eliminated by breast cancer. These women don’t have to feel disfigured or be reminded of the cancer everyday they look in the mirror.”

Dr. Cash has enjoyed watching the world of plastic surgery evolve over the years, “During my residency I was the first African-American female resident and the second female in my program.

During this time I had never operated on anybody that looked like me, you just didn’t do it. Now things have changed.

I have been in practice for eight years and the bulk of my patients are African Americans. There are people from all walks of life that are coming in for procedures. It is fun to know and exciting to see that surgery is just not for the rich and the famous or a select group of people. Everyday people that look just like you and me are having plastic surgery.

Not just as a surgeon but as an AfricanAmerican woman I get to see my sisters and brothers partake in the benefit of plastic surgery and that is exciting.”

Camille G. Cash, M.D. Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery 1315 St. Joseph Parkway, Suite 1305 Houston, Texas 77002 713.571.0600 www.camillecashmd.com

5.

Hypertension The Silent Killer

By Dr. Olufunke Odetunde

Dr. Olufunke Odetunde

What are the symptoms of Hypertension?

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is another name for High Blood pressure. High blood pressure is called a “silent killer,’’ because it doesn’t usually cause symptoms while it is causing damage. Uncontrolled high blood pressure for prolonged period increases the risk of serious health problems, including heart attack, kidney damage, heart failure and stroke.

High Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body. It’s normal for blood pressure to go up and down throughout the day, but if it stays up, you have high blood pressure. The blood pressure consists of two numbers, systolic and diastolic pressures. The systolic number shows how hard the blood pushes when the heart is pumping while the diastolic number shows how hard the blood pushes between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood. A blood pressure of 120/80 refers to a systolic pressure of 120 and diastolic of 80.

What is normal blood pressure?

in 2006. About one out of three U.S. adults—31.3%—has high blood pressure. About one in four American adults has pre-hypertension. Having pre-hypertension raises your risk for high blood pressure. In 2010, high blood pressure will cost the United States $76.6 billion in health care services, medications, and missed days of work. Statistics in the USA indicate that African Americans have a higher incidence of hypertension than other ethnicities.

What are the types of Hypertension?

Hypertension can be classified as essential or secondary. Essential hypertension is the term for high blood pressure with unknown cause. It accounts for about 95% of cases. Secondary hypertension is the term for high blood pressure with a known direct cause, such as kidney disease, adrenal tumors, heart disease, thyroid disease or birth control pills.

What Causes Hypertension?

The exact causes of Hypertension are unknown, however there are several Adults should have a blood pressure factors associated with development of of less than 120/80. Blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called pre- hypertension. These include: hypertension (to denote increased risk • Smoking of hypertension), and a blood pressure • Obesity or being overweight of 140/90 or above is considered hyper• Diabetes tension. People with pre-hypertension • Chronic kidney disease need to make lifestyle changes to bring • Sedentary lifestyle the blood pressure down; and help pre• Adrenal and thyroid problems vent or delay high blood pressure. or tumors • Lack of physical activity How common is • High levels of salt intake Hypertension? (sodium sensitivity) According to the CDC High blood • Insufficient calcium, potassium, and magnesium consumption pressure was a primary or contributing • Vitamin D deficiency cause of death for 326,000 Americans april 30 - may 30 2010

• High levels of alcohol consumption • Stress • Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines • Medicines such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs • Aging • Genetics and a family history of hypertension

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Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. About 33 % of people with hypertension are not aware of having high blood pressure. It is therefore important to have blood pressure screening periodically.

• • • •

Eat healthy foods.

Decrease the salt in your diet.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Increase physical activity. Consult with you doctor before embarking on an exercise program • Limit alcohol.

• Don’t smoke.

• Manage stress.

• Monitor your blood pressure at home.

• Practice relaxation or slow, deep breathing.

Alternative Medicine

Although diet and exercise are the best tactics to lower your blood pressure, some supplements also may help decrease it. Talk to your doctor before adding any of these supplements to your blood pressure treatment. Some supplements can interact with medications, causing harmful side effects. Some sugExtremely high blood pressure may gested supplements include Calcium, lead to some symptoms, however, and Cocoa, Cod-liver oil, Coenzyme Q-10, these include; severe headaches, Fatigue Omega-3 fatty acids and Garlic. or confusion, Dizziness, Nausea, Prob- How can I manage my lems with vision, Chest pains, Breathhypertension? ing problems, Irregular heartbeat, Nose High blood pressure isn’t a probbleed and Blood in the urine lem that you can treat and then ignore.

How is Hypertension It’s a condition you need to manage for the rest of your life. To keep your blood diagnosed?

In order to be diagnosed with Hy- pressure under control: • Take your medications properly. pertension an individual must have two Discuss adverse side effects with to three blood pressure readings greater your doctor; do not stop medicathan 140/90 each at two or more sepation without consulting with your rate appointments. Additional tests such doctor. as EKG, Echocardiogram and blood • Schedule regular doctor visits. tests will be ordered to determine pres• Adopt healthy habits. ence of secondary causes of hyperten• Manage stress. sion or evidence of damage to organs as • Stick with the lifestyle and dietary a result of prolonged hypertension. changes even when you don’t see or feel any symptoms of high blood How is Hypertension pressure.

treated?

To effectively treat Hypertension you doctor will recommend a combination of Lifestyle and dietary modification along with medication(s). There are many types of blood pressure medications. Your doctor will take into consideration other medical problems you have to pick the best medication(s) for you.

Lifestyle changes can help you control and prevent high blood pressure — even if you’re taking blood pressure medication. Here’s what you can do:

Olufunke Odetunde MD FAAFP Board Certified Family Medicine Olufunke Odetunde MD. PA. 2626 South Loop West, Suite #310 Houston, Texas 77054 Phone: (713) 796-9500 Website: www.odetundemd.com To subscribe to e-newsletters from Olufunke Odetunde MD visit www.odetundemd.com

6.

Easy and Fun Health and Wellness Activities for the Workplace

By Christina Robinson Grochett, University of Phoenix – Houston Vice President

Did you know that inactivity is the second leading preventable cause of death (second only to tobacco use) in the United States? In an effort to battle these staggering statistics, 85% of U.S. businesses have created health and fitness programs. These employee initiatives help alleviate the negative impacts of unhealthy employee behavior, such as obesity, smoking, and injury on healthcare costs.

There is no right way to approach workplace wellness programs, but successful programs include commitment from management, employee involvement and resources, for health, wellness and safety that align with the organization’s mission, vision and values.

Here are a couple of fun and simple activities to implement as part of an employee wellness program. University of Phoenix Houston campuses created these activities as part of our health and wellness program we launched several years ago.

Walking Encourage employees to do more walking by skipping the elevators and parking farther from the door. Walking is an easy exercise that has long-term benefits including strengthening your heart, reducing your risk of diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer, and improving fitness and physical function.

To encourage employees to walk more, the University’s Houston campus gave employees pedometers and challenged them to walk a certain number of steps each day.

Teams Working in pairs or groups makes exercise more fun and a lot easier. Time spent exercising goes faster and, with someone to share the success and struggles with, individuals can stay motivated.

University of Phoenix Houston campus encourages employees to participate in exercise activities during their lunch hour. The University’s implementation of Tennis Shoe Tuesdays provides employees with the opportunity to bring april 30 - may 30 2010

in their sneakers and go for a brisk walk around the campus, and Wii Wednesdays where departments play Wii Fit games to strengthen their exercise and team-building skills offer fun, easy activities where people can burn a few calories through their day.

Snack Light Snacking isn’t a bad thing; except when eating fatty foods with low nutritious value. Get rid of the potato chips and chocolate bars in the break room. Instead offer healthy snacks such as fruits, granola bars, high-fiber and low sugar cereal, yogurt and vegetables and dip.

The University’s Houston campus offers a healthy snack cart for employees to encourage healthy eating.

These snacks have improved employees’ moods, boosted energy, and satisfied cravings. This makes for a positive, highenergy work environment.

Christina Robinson Grochett is the State Vice President/ Director of South Texas for University of Phoenix. An accomplished leader and champion of higher learning, she was selected as a 2010 Women of Influence

by Houston Woman Magazine and one of the Top 10 business women by the American Business Women’s Association in 2008.

Under her leadership, the Houston campuses were selected as a 2009 Best Place to Work

by The Houston Business Journal and were awarded with the 2009 and 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Awards from the City of Houston for Workplace Flexibility and Innovation.

Healthcare Fair With busy work and family schedules, some professionals find they do not take the time to learn about simple health and wellness activities. To help educate employees, businesses can host a wellness fair and invite local organizations to present their healthy products and services.

University of Phoenix hosts a free health and wellness fair for its employees each year. More than 45 organizations have attended to provide flu shots, health screenings, fitness and nutrition advice and tips on keeping individuals and families healthy. More than 60 percent of employees have attended the fair. It has been so successful that the University has opened it to students and alumni.

The key to a successful health and wellness program is management leadership and support. If employees feel they are receiving support to live a healthier lifestyle they tend to respect their employer more and work harder. Ultimately, employee wellness programs can boost morale, improve health and fitness and increase productivity in the workplace. www.

7.

Practical Choices for “An Essential Solution”Promoting Natural Health Meeting Your Health and Wellness Care and Budget Needs In addition to short term plans, a wide range of other plans is available to individuals and families not covered by health plans through their employer, including lower-cost high deductible plans and health savings accounts (HSA), which can help consumers save on both their health insurance premiums and their taxes.

When evaluating your health insurance options, the key is to find the coverage that meets both your family’s health care and budget needs.

Golden Rule provides the following tips for individuals and families looking for health insurance today:

P

reserving health insurance coverage is a continuing concern in today’s economy. The lingering recession has cost millions of Americans their jobs – and the health care benefits they have relied on.

While COBRA coverage is a viable option for many workers and families losing their employer-sponsored coverage, it can be costly, even with the government’s 65 percent subsidy.

Fortunately, there are lower-cost alternatives available today. According to UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule Insurance Company, which has offered health insurance to individuals and families for more than 60 years, short term health plans might be a more affordable option for many laid-off workers and their families.

In fact, short term plans are designed for workers between jobs, new graduates looking for work, students dropping off their parents’ plans, new employees not yet covered by employer plans, early retirees awaiting Medicare eligibility and others whose lives are in time of transition.

Depending on the state, Golden Rule’s short term plans can offer anywhere from one to 12 months of coverage and a wide range of deductibles starting at $250 up to $10,000. The plans are easy to understand, the application process is simple and applicants generally hear back within 24 to 48 hours. In many states, you can reapply for consecutive short term plans. Importantly, you can drop the plans at anytime without penalty. april 30 - may 30 2010

• Do business with a reputable company. Ask a trusted friend or family member, or check companies’ websites for their A.M. Best rating, which indicates financial strength and stability.

• Understand the plan that you are buying, what it covers and what it doesn’t. Know what you are responsible for paying. Ask questions.

• Find a company with a strong national network of doctors and hospitals. Network discounts might save you 30 to 40 percent or more on the cost of your medical care.

And it’s helpful to know that there are doctors and hospitals you can use wherever you might visit or if you have to relocate to find employment.

• Consider plans that offer higher deductibles, which generally mean lower premiums for you.

• Be certain that you can drop your coverage without penalty if you find a job with health benefits.

For more information on short term or other health plans, talk with a local health insurance broker or go online to health insurance company websites such as www.goldenrule.com.

Advertise today in D-MARS Business Journal

Call Us Today! www.

left to right Shalonda E., Michael G. & Madeline W.

HFE Renaissance is a Health, Fitness, Education Club that serves as a comprehensive health and medical association of traditional and holistic practices and practitioners. HFE is a nonprofit corporation that offers a variety of services in order to promote natural health and wellness. Health and wellness is made easy and affordable with consumer discount clubs, prevocational educational services and a network of practitioners, separate business entities, and associates. The director of HFE Renaissance, Mr. Michael “TANK” Graves, is highly qualified and certified to ensure that all consumers are given the utmost individualized care. If the qualifications of Mr. Michael Graves are not enough to impress you, meet two other extraordinary women that are part of the HFE network:

Dr. Madeline Washington – Chiropractor My name is Dr. Madeline Washington, DC. I am a Chiropractor, Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Colon Hydro Therapist at HFE Renaissance. I am also a Founding Master Retailer for the Cieaura natural products.

What inspired me to start this company was the need for compassionate providers in alternative care. The abuse of pharmaceutical companies and other allopathic techniques were manipulated through practice. I have a sincere love for people and I enjoy the method of holistic health.

I was raised in a home of natural healthcare providers and hardly ever sick growing up. This natural up bring was a priority for the household. My father Romanuel Washington, Jr. was the first black Chiropractor in Texas. I saw a great need for others to experience the same health remedies that I had as a child, which is the reason that I started in this practice. I believed that the way of life was natural sources first, drugs second and surgeries last.

Great thing about our company is that we have a love and passion for people and want to do what’s best for them in spite of their circumstances including finances for the patients. We help people who have been to other doctors for service to find quick relief with posi-

tive results, as opposed to the mis-diagnosis and details of doctors minimizing the pain. We address the whole body instead of just the parts. One can experience better health naturally with the knowledge of alternative medicine, nutrition and exercise.

We provide services such as Physical Therapy, Personal Injuries, Workman’s Compensation, Physical Medicine, Massage Therapy and Colonics Hydro Colon Therapy. Also we distribute Cieaura’s ALL Natural Holographic Chips.

Shalonda Ellis, BS MBA LMT My name is Shalonda Ellis. I am a licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Colon Hydro Therapist at HFE Renaissance in Houston, Texas. I hold a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Services & Consumer Sciences and also a Masters in Business Administration. I am a Founding Master Retailer for Cieaura natural products. I am inspired by my deceased father whom I have had the honor of enduring entrepreneurship with before proceeding in death. My passion is children. My goal is to educate all kids that have a desire to learn in Computer Technology and provide a learning center for children with learning disabilities.

I have always been very organized in business operations. At the age of 13, I was typing, preparing taxes, doing bookkeeping and mastering office management with my father at his employment. Unlike the average kid, I wanted to work and loved to do a good job.

Massage Therapy came natural. Entrepreneurship became a hobby. With determination and knowledge, I used my skills to starting my own businesses.

The great thing about my company is that we are family oriented. We will find solutions to any given problem.

We make sure that good quality services are rendered. Finding resources are available if needed.

We provide services such as Physical Therapy, Personal Injuries, Workman’s Compensation, Physical Medicine, Massage Therapy and Colonics Hydro Colon Therapy. Also we distribute Cieaura’s ALL Natural Holographic Chips. www.aes.cieaura.com Do not just take our word for it call 713.528.2097 or visit 4141 Southwest Freeway, Suite 510, Houston, Texas 77027 and find out about this wonderful non-profit organization that not only promotes health, fitness, and education but donates all their financial proceeds (after deducting operating costs) to helping under-privileged children.

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9.

YOUR Water or Soda? FOR INFORMATION:

?

WATER 1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy shortterm memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of soda and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of soda into the toilet bowl and let the ‘real thing’ sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in soda removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foildipped in soda.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of soda over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in soda to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of soda into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the soda for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of soda into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run SODA through a regular 1. In many states cycle. The soda the highway patrol will help loosen carries two galgrease stains. It lons of soda in the will also clean trunk to remove road haze from blood from the your windshield. highway after a car accident. april 30 - may 30 2010

#1. The active ingredient in soda is phosphoric acid.

It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis. #2. To carry soda syrup! (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials. #3. The distributors of soda have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water? or soda?

“I’ve been drinking pop soda and coffee everyday and barely enough water. Now I suffer from kidney stones which is very painful. Not drinking enough water can damage your kidneys.

Calyceal Stone Renal pelvic stone Upper ureteral stone

Health is Our True Wealth Your Body is Talking Are You Listening?

Reevaluating Stressors

By Diedria B. Joseph, Contributing Writer As business owners, we are thinkers with a majority of our movement happening at the medulla and above. This lifestyle often involves a high stress level and requires that we are constantly thinking and planning for the next step. In attempting to reach our business goals, it is necessary to go the extra mile. This mindset is usually not carried over when we consider our health.

Screening:

The Investigation Process A kidney stone is a hard mass developed from crystals that separate from the urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney.

To help prevent kidney stones, drink enough water to keep your urine clear.

My advice to everyone is to drink plenty of water.”

- Ghuzzala Malik

business person extended that same diligence to finding out information about their health and preventative health care. It is important to find out what screenings are recommended for your age group and follow a doctor’s schedule for these screenings. Our health is not easily replaceable and should be taken with great care.

In 2007, according to the American Psychological Association, seventy-seven percent of Americans surveyed would admit that they have experienced “physical symptoms” attributed to stress within the span of a month. These reported symptoms included: fatigue, headache, upset stomach, muscle tension, change in appetite, teeth grinding, and feeling dizzy. Stress can be a silent killer.

Unlike many forms of cancer and other diseases that can be detected through tests and screenings, stress is intangible and cannot be easily traced. As humans, we are wired to have varying stress levels to help us appropriately deal with various situations. But having high stress levels can cause long term effects on our health. The best way to deal with stress to take a few moments to identify what your stressor is. Through identification, you can create clear steps to deal with what is causing you to be stressed.

Through the reevaluation process, you can assign realistic solutions to help deal with the stress. We must also understand that in the business world, there is a certain level of stress that comes with the territory. But the key is in being able to appropriately identify and reevaluate the stressor.

In business meetings, a strong negotiator and closer has the ability to investigate and prevent objections that the potential client may throw towards them. But oftentimes, it is easy to utilize this mindset for business, but when it comes to our health, we are more reactive than proactive.

It may be simpler to listen to all of non-verbal cues in a meeting than it is to listen to our bodies. Before attending a meeting with a client, most successful business people will go online, make calls to colleagues, and do whatever else Recreation Equals is necessary to recover vital in- Business In a busy business day, it formation about that business and individual. Imagine if each may be difficult to find to acwww.

complish all of things penciled in your “to-do” lists, calendars, and sticky notes sprawled around your car, office desk, and home. In considering what is most important, some may prioritize work and family as top-tier and leave every else to compete for just minutes of your 24 hours. This may leave sleep and exercise at the bottom of the barrel, often neglected.

Though we may spend time attending networking functions, one of the greatest networking times can be through recreation. It could be as simple as walking your dog and meeting a new person who can change the way that you do business.

The old adage claims that business is completed on the golf course, but business can also be built at the gym, basketball court, and parks. The number one priority for exercise is your health, but keep in mind there are multiple benefits that can come from recreation.

We all have been asked that hypothetical question, “Which would you rather: health or wealth?” After experiencing much of what life has to offer, I agree with the idea that “health is your true wealth.” Because without your health and listening to your body, it will be difficult to complete the business goals and objectives that have been set forth to accomplish.

Diedria B. Joseph is President/CEO of Topp Knotch Personnel, Inc. Topp Knotch Personnel offers various services such as Executive Recruiting/ Direct Hire, Temporary Placement, Temp to Hire, and Contract Staffing nationwide. We are the link between companies seeking diverse talent and skilled candidates looking for jobs. For more information, please visit our website at www. toppknotchpersonnel.com.

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Danny Nguyen runs for Missouri City Council because he cares about his city

By Burt Levine Contributing Writer

Danny Nguyen is running for Missouri City Council At Large Position 2 for the seat long time council member Buddy Jimerson is retiring from following many years of service. Nguyen grew up in Fort Bend County, finished his public school education at FBISD and earned an International Business Management and marketing degree at Texas A&M University. After he graduated he and his wife, Marie, chose to return home to raise their sons in Missouri City and build a commercial real estate brokerage and investment business.

Nguyen has served as a community volunteer on Missouri City’s Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee and as a board member of the Tax Increment Finance Reinvestment Zone No. 3. Nguyen plans to suppress spending by saying no when necessary, privatize when it’s practical and always insist that the city’s police and fire responders are fully equipped for their mission.

Nguyen attributes his desire to join city council, “to ensure Missouri City stands out among America’s most profamily and pro-small business cities.”

Nguyen is most proud of his endorsements from the Missouri City Police Officers Association and the Houston and Texas Association of Realtors.

Nguyen and his wife have been long time supporters of the NAACP and recently he was honored to earn the YMCA Minority Achievment Award.

Nguyen works to back the Missouri City Business Alliance, Quail Valley april 30 - may 30 2010

Proud, Oyster Creek Rotary, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, Fort Bend Leadership Forum, Missouri City Police & Fire Auxiliary, Missouri City’s American Legion Post, Juneteenth, Quail Valley Exchange Club, their homeowners association and church.

Last month more than 400 friends, family and neighbors attended a kickoff for Nguyen’s candidacy that included State Rep.-Elect Ron Reynolds, Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen and Missouri City Mayor Pro-Tem Jerry Wyatt, Fort Bend County Commissioners Grady Prestage and James Patterson, Fort Bend County Constables Ruben Davis and Troy Nehls, Missouri City Councilman Bobby Marshall and former council members Barbara Gibson, Albert Glover, Don Smith and Eunice Reiter.

“Most important to us are our two young children and contributing to this city to ensure them and all Missouri City children a future that focuses on the Missouri City values we knew growing up here; values centered on respect for public safety professionals and private property rights, honoring veterans and senior citizens. We also want fiscal constraint framed by fewer taxes, fees and fines, more opportunity for all, fighting flooding and fully combating crime,” says Nguyen.

“I’m grateful for the reverent and patriotic values my entrepreneur and nurse mother and my father who served with the U.S. Army Green Berets taught me and thankful for opportunities I’ve been offered here to raise my family, build my business and serve my city and country,” he said.

Nguyen knows that without the support of close friends and family the path to making changes would not be possible, “In addition to Marie’s total backing of my serving our city, I’m blessed with the support from my parents, sisters and brothers and their families that live here. In addition, my friends and neighbors are motivated and working in support of me to win this position because what is on the line is Missouri City’s future.”

“I have been encouraged by current city and county officials, church www.

and business colleagues but my most important motivator is neighbors in every district and precinct telling us that they know that respectful, reliable and responsive government must start with

our city council.” Nguyen is an upstanding citizen with a commitment to ensuring that Missouri City enjoys a future filled with a respectful, reliable and responsive government.

Making a Difference in Your Community Can Be as Easy as “Taking Five”

H

ow often have you looked local newspaper, elected official, and/ around your neighboror a corporation about your ideas for hood or community and change. Or pick an organization in dreamed up ways you your community, such as a nonprofit could change things for the better? Yet, organization, school, church or park, for many people, making a difference is and volunteer. You might be able to easier said than done. According to the plug into an existing volunteer proU.S. Department of Labor, only 25 pergram or suggest a new volunteer role. cent of Americans volunteer for an orgaYou’ll be surprised how much you can nization at least once a year, and nearly help and how good it will make you 45 percent of those who don’t volunteer feel to be a part of a group that’s doing cite “lack of time” as the main reason. good within your community.

Creating social change in your neighborhood or community doesn’t • Take 5 Days: Organize an event, like have to be a daunting task or take a lot a bake sale or neighborhood block of time. It can be as simple as identifying party, to get the word out about your an issue and taking one step that transcause. Make sure to give participants forms your passion into an action that a way to get active at the end of the begins the process of positive change. event, such as e-mailing them the link to a Web site for more information Here are ways you can make a difand ways to help or encourage them ference in your community whether you to get involved in a specific cause or have a few seconds or a few months: organization.

• Take 5 Seconds: Tweet your ideas to • Take 5 Months: Design and impleyour followers on social internet webment your own social change project. sites, encouraging them to take action The makers of Pine-Sol cleaners are or learn more about your topic. You offering a free “Make a Powerful Difcan also use e-mail or social networkference Action Kit,” which provides a ing sites to tell one person every day step-by-step guide on how to create about your passion and how you want change in your community. For 80 to change it. years, the makers of Pine-Sol cleaners have been making a powerful differ• Take 5 Minutes: Make a donation to ence at home, and now they are reca cause that speaks to your passions or ognizing and rewarding women who consider donating to a nonprofit orare making great changes outside the ganization that serves to make comhome through its Powerful Difference munities better, such as Girls for a campaign. To receive your free action Change (www.girlsforachange.org), kit and learn more about the inspiring which empowers and instructs girls work of others, visit www.Powerfulon how to implement change in their Difference.com. communities and lives.

Courtesy of Family Features • Take 5 Hours: Write a letter to your

15.

Cloria Witherspoon Hebrews 11:3 defines faith as the conviction of things not seen. Faith is vital to our survival as it is the stronghold that keeps us close to our savior, Jesus Christ, who makes all things possible. Cloria Witherspoon leads a life in which she does not lean on her own understanding but trusts her faith in the Lord to make her paths straight. This unwavering trust in God is what leads this Fifth Ward native down a path filled

april 30 - may 30 2010

with promise, charity and impact.

From a young age, Cloria Witherspoon was determined to make her mark on this world. Cloria refused to just live a life that had no meaning. She refused to work day in and day out in a job she could not stand just to pay the bills. She was going to take what she was passionate about and turn it into something big!

Cloria always liked the excitement and the sounds of music. She constantly participated in talent shows and drill teams.

Her love of music inspired Cloria to receive a Certification in Music Business from Houston Community College in 2008. Praising God and crediting her professors, she was able to take her passion and start a journey of greatness.

In 2003, Cloria founded her music company, “A Spoonful Production” with the intention of “stirring up gifts to make dreams come true.” Cloria understands the importance of ensuring the success of the generations following her.

She continuously gives hope to young

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entertainers that have dreams of being ues to share her blessings, whether it is at singers, dancers, or actors. A Spoonful the school house, church house or local Production supports youth in all types venues. K’aVonda has performed at talof events; events ranging from Show ent shows, at the Miller OutTime at The Apollo to Americas Got door Theater and at the Talent. A Spoonful Production is on George R. Brown Conthe move. vention Center. She is in Her latest and biggest project the process of releasing is to make a dream come true for her new single “Never her young new artist, K’avonda too young,” which was Woodrow. K’avonda, Cloria’s written by KaVonda cousin, is a Houston native and produced by born August 6th; ironically, neg.7. the same day as Witherspoon.

“When K’aVonda was three years old, I remember telling her mother ‘She is going to be someone big someday.’ From the very beginning, I could see the tremendous amount of talent K’aVonda possessed.”

Talent at a young age was evident as K’aVonda started singing when she was six years old and wrote her first song when she was eight years old.

Also, expect to see God has truly blessed her music available on K’aVonda- her voice can send Tunecore in July 2010. chills down a person’s spine and her For contact and booking pen can capture emotions one information e-mail Cloria at never imagined they could conaspoonfulproduction@yahoo.com. vey on paper. K’aVonda contin-

16.

Maintaining “Health & Healthy Leader- Awareness 2010” ship Skills!

By Wykesha C. Hayes, M.Ed Contributing Writer

requires a routine check-up, assuming you are in the business of maintaining a healthy following. It’s very simple… our talent, much like our physical body, requires special attention and continued grooming.

To ensure that you are pumping like into your staff, colleagues, clients, family and anyone else depending on your guidance, you should incorporate a leadership regimen within your overall health plan. Be certain that you place purposed attention toward developing your skills and talents utilized within your leadership position.

1. ALWAYS engage in continued proWhat does it mean to be healthy? fessional growth activities. Leaders should stay ahead of the curve, with Or, what does it mean to be a healthy knowledge of the latest trends trickleader? Most people would answer ling down the pipeline. these questions with very common answers referencing: exercise, eating 2. VACATION!!!! Don’t be afraid to vacation rather you actually travel to healthy, staying fit, etc. While, these a far away island or not. Spending things are accurate and very important, time away from your responsibiliI would encourage leaders; be it busities will allow you time to clear your ness leaders, family leaders, community mind and be inspired by new things. leaders, whomever to expand their in- 3. Position yourself around Positive sight of healthy to include attributes Impact Partners. PIPs should enrich less physical. Some would say from a your life with exposure to success, positive leadership strategies and holistic perspective, if you will. More motivation. specifically, I would encourage leaders to examine how maintaining a healthy 4. Consistently evaluate your position.

It’s perfectly natural to depend on skill set is just as important as being others and delegate responsibilities. physically fit.

By doing so, you are demonstrating All too often, leaders become cona respectful appreciation for their sumed with the daily hustle of their talents. What you don’t want howleadership responsibilities and pourever, is to be left behind. Individuals working under your leadership deing into the lives of others. They, or pend on your ability to put out fires should I say WE, tend to forget about incase they are in need of assistance. the very talent, skill or founding purIf they can’t depend on you and your pose that spearheaded our journey into expertise, trust me, it’s only a short leadership. This talent, or skill set is time before their respect for you as a what captivated our initial clients and leader diminishes.

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think about the long-term effects your business or organization will sustain if employees were not provided an opportunity to protect themselves from sickness or better yet seek medical treatment when the inevitable does occur. If you are a business owner, an executive, or manager, take a few moments to respond silently to one of these questions:

By Author Noel Pinnock, B.S., M.P.A., C.A., CCC Contributing Writer The late Senator Ted Kennedy called providing access to healthcare for all Americans “the great unfinished business of our society.” He was correct, that is until March 23, 2010. With more than 216 legislatures on a Healthcare accord, the Healthcare Reform Act became the law of the land. Whether you are businessperson or a citizen, this Healthcare Reform Act will definitely change the American landscape and diametrically affect the way businesses across this nation approach the healthcare, awareness, and the social wellbeing of their employee workforce. Personally, I have several employees whose needs are very diverse and as their manager, I must be mindful of their needs and appropriate tasks and responsibilities accordingly. Sadly, many companies and organizations focus more on meeting the bottom line or maximize expenditures on grants thus leaving employees to meander and crumb for leave to try to beat the exhaustion of the general workweek.

In countries like Canada, healthcare is free and has been for years and now we are in a position to be on the frontier of providing employees a better alternative then simply dying from exhaustion or sickness on the sidelines. The City of Houston epitomizes a Health & Awareness Business Culture through providing employees with several benefits to include a floating holiday; which can be utilized as a rest day within a benefit year as well as a wellness day; which can be used by employees for well (wo) man doctor visits. Additionally, they allow time to exercise during lunch and short breaks. Of course, someone has to pay for these employee benefits but

• If you do not take care of our employees, how can your business/ organization accomplish its mission and sustain or increase profits over time?

• How can you run a business if employees have high levels of burnout?

• How can we avoid hazards to our health if we are not aware of what is hazardous?

Again, late Senator Ted Kennedy said it best, “To those whose cares have become our concerns, the fight goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream never dies!” Promote a Health & Awareness culture in your business/organization because your employees’ lives hang in the balance and these resources, albeit scarce, assist you accomplish your business/organization’s mission work and sustain over time… not much rocket science here…right?

Sign up on our Online Mailing List @ d-mars.com To stay informed in the Business Community Call Us Today!

713.272.9511 17.

her input. From this meeting I drew up a plan, taking the best of the ideas.

I organized teams, balancing the mixture of technical and non-technical people. We had a deadline to meet, so I did periodic checks with the teams.

After three weeks, we were exceeding expectations, and were able to begin implementation of the plan. It was a great team effort, and a big success. I was commended by management for my leadership, but I was most proud of the team spirit and cooperation which it took to pull it off.”

By Carla Lane, Contributing Writer I have been in the market for a job for about six months.

I don’t have a problem getting to the interview, (I have had six in the last 2 months). But I NEVER get the job offer. I am convinced that I am doing something wrong in the interview. I know that the questions are trying to get answers to something other than the question being asked. Can you offer any tips to get past the interviewers?

Behind every interview question there is a concern or another question. Your job is to process the question thinking about what the interviewer’s concern might be. In other words, why is the interviewer asking you this question? Below is a list of some of my favorite questions and what I am thinking when I ask the question. I also have included some answers to use as a GUIDE. I admonish you to not duplicate the answers, verbatim, especially when the answer does not apply to your situation. AND if you are saying that you did/or do something make sure that it’s true! It would be horrible to breeze through the interview only to be released when you are not a good fit for the job!

How long have you been looking for a job? (Concern – is there something wrong with you that other employers have picked up?)

“After I was laid off from my last job, I took the opportunity to take some time out to examine my career goals and where I was going with my life. I have just begun my search in the last few weeks. I have a definite goal in mind and have been selective about the positions I consider. Your company and this position are of great interest to me.”

What kinds of people do you have difficulties working with?

(Concern – ability to be flexible and executives, and was impressed. Once I work in a diverse environment?) had the interview appointment, I talked with friends and acquaintances in the “In my last three jobs I have industry. And, I’m sure I’ll find out a lot worked with men and wommore in today’s meetings.” en from very diverse backgrounds and cultures. The only time I What is your salary expectahad difficulty was with people who were tion for this job? (Concern – dishonest about work issues. I worked Can we afford you? Can we with one woman who was taking credit get you for less than budgeted?) for work that her team accomplished. I had an opportunity to talk with her one “I’ll need more information day and explained how she was affecting about the job and the rethe morale. She became very upset that sponsibilities involved before others saw her that way, and said she was we can begin to discuss salary. Can you unaware of her behavior or the reactions give me an idea of the range budgeted for this position?”

of others. Her behavior changed after our talk. What I learned from that experience is that sometimes what we perceive about others is not always the case if we check it out.”

We expect managers to work more than 8 hours a day. Do you have a problem with that? (Concern – are you a workaholic or a person who requires balance?)

“I have no problem working long hours. I have worked 12 or 14 hour days. What I have found works for me is to work smarter, not necessarily longer. My goal is to get the job done, whatever that takes, in the most efficient manner.”

There is no way you can accurately predict the questions that will be asked in an interview, but you can be ready and prepared by thinking about the factors that might concern an interviewer or employer before the interview. I also would recommend the book, “Easy Answers to the Toughest Job Interview Questions” by Mosis Willett. Further, I suggest you do a mock interview and record yourself. You may find that you are giving off subtle signals that you are not aware of. Happy Job Hunting!

How do you keep current and informed about your job and the industries that you have worked in? (Concern – Once you get the job do you continue to learn and grow – stay challenged and motivated?)

“I pride myself on my ability to stay on top of what is happening in my industry. I do a lot of reading – the business section of the newspapers and magazines. I belong to a couple of professional organizations and network with colleagues at the meetings. I take classes and seminars whenever they are of interest, or offer new information or technology.”

Tell me about a time when How did you prepare for this you had to plan and coordiinterview? (Concern – are you nate a project from start to interested enough to do some finish. (Concern – behavioral questions research, or are you going to “wing it”?) – seeking an example of specific past behavior) “When I found this position posted on the internet (mon“I headed up a project which ster.com) I was immediately involved customer service interested. I checked out the company personnel and technicians. website and mission statement, looked I organized a meeting to get everyone at the bios of company founders and together to brainstorm and get his or april 30 - may 30 2010

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Enough is Enough!

Remember, the hardest part is alon healthy eating is http://helpguide. ways the beginning! Anything worth org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm.

4. Little efforts lead to big results. having is worth working for! You can Take the stairs instead of the elevator, gripe, you can complain but quitting park farther away from the office or is never an option! I look forward to grocery store, only drink water. Even seeing all my fellow “fit and fabulous” if all you have time for is walking 30 people sporting those beach bodies this minutes in the morning it is better summer! than not walking at all.

By Heather Haukaas Contributing Writer

5. Support Group. Rally your friends or find people who have the same goal of being healthy and support one another. It is easier to stay on top of a task when you have someone to motivate you. My girlfriend and I have made a pact to not let the other one get lazy or eat unhealthy. We share what we ate for the day and work out together.

Having a partner makes it fun and harder to give up.

Let us Promote your Business, Your Event, or You! Advertise today in D-MARS Business Journal

Health is Wealth I remember the days when I could eat any and everything and remain as skinny as a stick. I remember my friend’s parent diagnosed me as having “worms” because I ate so much and never gained a pound. Now that I am older and have joined the “real” world, my body must have gotten rid of those so called “worms” that consumed my food, allowing me to never see the aftermath of that juicy cheeseburger or that strawberry cheesecake.

As a working professional, I find the more I work, the less energy I have and the less motivation I find to work out. I always have the intention of eating healthy and hitting the gym but the stress from a long day often wins the battle and I find myself at home resting and munching for relief. Whoever, called it “comfort” food knew exactly what they were talking about! I often ask myself, “How much weight do I have to gain?” or “How out of control am I going to let my body get before I decide enough is enough?” Well, I reached that point and I want to motivate everyone to say “I will not put off until tomorrow what I can do today!”

Repeat after me, “Today I decided enough is enough. I am going to change my ways. Ill take little by little changes if that is what it takes for me to reach april 30 - may 30 2010

my ultimate goal of feeling and looking fabulous!”

Now that we have all been inducted into the “only fit and fabulous from here” support group I would like to share a few tips that are simple, yet still By Pastor Maceo Smedley take some willpower to achieve drastic Contributing Writer long term effects: 1. Preparation. Pack a bag for the gym the night before or just pack a pair of tennis shoes. The easiest cop-out from working out is not having the gear. I find that whenever I am prepared to workout it is harder to skip the workout. Even if you pack a pair of shoes and walk on your lunch break, it sure beats sitting down eating a big lunch.

2. Planning. On Sunday, sit down and plan your “healthy” meals for the week. One thing I do is cook a couple of dishes on Sunday night and freeze half. I know that I am not going to want to cook after a long day. Being able to heat up a meal helps me avoid that quick stop at some fast food restaurant on my way home.

3. Healthy eating. Eating healthy is hard. I find is especially hard in the business world where client dinners, lunch with coworkers and happy hours are abundant. Add in the factor of sitting at a desk, staring at a computer all day and snacking seems to just call your name. However, healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”. A website for great advice www.

Do words like diabetes, cancer, and hypertension frighten you? If so then why do so many African Americans struggle with these diseases at alarming rates? It is as if we cover our ears at the mention of these words thinking that we can live an unhealthy lifestyle and never have to deal with its consequences. In other words, our appetite and lack of physical activity are writing a check that our bodies can not cash.

I could further grab your attention by presenting the astonishing statistics of African Americans that have these diseases. Furthermore, I could compare our physical health with those of other ethnicities and make you feel as though somehow being Black is an early death sentence. However, the more important issue that we must address is the fact that our incomes have gone up, but our health is going down.

Today African Americans are leading in industries that not long ago were off limits to people of our ethnicity. We

are more educated than we have been in times past, and we are starting more successful companies than ever before.

Though this is true, why have we not taken the necessary steps to ensure that we can enjoy our new found success with longevity?

Granted I am more of a spiritual advisor than I am a personal trainer; some of the best spiritual advice is to inform people that they need to care for their temple. My job consists of praying for the sick who may have avoided sickness had they lived a healthier lifestyle. In addition, unfortunately my weekends are fraught with home going services of people whose lifestyles afforded them advanced internments.

Maybe in our near future we will begin to realize that the quality of our lives are more important that the quantity in our lives. Hopefully we will recognize that good health means having the energy and vitality that is necessary to take advantage of business opportunities. Hopefully we will grasp the fact that people are eager to invest in those who have invested in themselves and who have given themselves the gift of good health. Incidentally, you can only contribute to others at the same level that you have contributed to yourself.

If you have given more to your business, your financial statements, or even your family than you have given to yourself, then eventually you will experience physical and emotional bankruptcy.

Consequently, living in the red is neither good for business or health.

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The Changing Face of the Commercial Debt Buyer

By Michelle Rodriguez President, HSW Financial What perception comes to mind when you hear the phrase commercial debt buyer? Is it positive, negative or do you come up with anything at all? Do you have an accurate understanding of the role commercial debt buyers play in today’s business climate? In the text that follows I’m going to debunk some stereotypes and provide you with a road map of how you can immediately utilize the services of an institutional commercial debt buyer to increase liquidity, improve performance, and generate enhanced return on investment.

Have you noticed that doing the same things, in the same ways isn’t producing the same results that were once so easily achieved? While you’ll receive no argument from me that we’re working through the toughest economic cycle of this generation, the fact remains that some financial institutions are thriving while others are struggling to keep their doors open. So my question is this – What are successful banks, credit companies and equipment leasing firms doing that the others are not?

The answer is that they are innovating around industry norms and changing the thought paradigms within their organizations to allow them to successfully navigate a tough, complex, and rapidly changing market.

Having worked in capital markets for more than 13 years, it has been my experience that average companies focus on managing risk, successful companies focus more on maximizing opportunities than managing risk, but that the best companies are able to do both by consistently exploiting opportunities in a risk managed environment - enter the institutional commercial debt buyer…

Before I go any further I want to dispel a few common misperceptions.

Institutional commercial debt buyers in most cases are not the same thing as collections agencies or factoring companies. The high cost of dealing with april 30 - may 30 2010

factoring companies, and the loss of control & slow return of capital when contracting with collections agencies, simply doesn’t offer the flexibility required to maximize operating efficiency and portfolio returns. While collection agencies and factoring companies still exist, and there will likely always be a need for such entities, they simply cannot extend themselves to offer the broad array of services of an institutional debt buyer.

In less than a decade the commercial debt buying industry has evolved far beyond the opportunistic investment mentality that gave birth to the industry.

Today, institutional debt buyers are customer-centric entities that have closely aligned their service offerings with the needs of financial institutions they serve.

Commercial debt buyers have become very sophisticated professional services firms offering capital markets and investment banking expertise, private label servicing and recovery capabilities, portfolio evaluation, risk management and consulting services, and a comprehensive training and education platform.

Today’s commercial debt buyers even have the ability to source equipment domestically, place it abroad into foreign markets, and service the accounts on behalf of clients’ to create positive arbitrage in current market gaps between domestic supply and foreign demand.

As we’ve all witnessed in recent months, few things impact the health of a financial institution the way liquidity does. There is simply no denying that when capital is constrained and institutions become illiquid, things become tenuous at best. What’s interesting to me is that I rarely speak with a bank or financial institution that isn’t interested in generating liquidity by monetizing zero value or low value debt. But then I’m also amazed at how few of them avail themselves to this opportunity that is so readily available to them.

Being able to quickly price and close on a complex portfolio, and handle postclosing servicing & recovery activities on a private label or branded basis simply affords financial institutions a streamlined, turnkey resource to off load risk and generate liquidity without taxing already over burdened internal resources.

Best of all, working with commercial debt buyers has been engineered to provide the maximum amount of efficiency for the financial institution.

Liquidating either performing or non performing portfolios is both simple and fast. Accounts are evaluated and priced at a negotiated discount from their face value. Upon closing, the financial institution selling the portfolio receives www.

an expedited infusion of cash, the specific portfolio is forwarded to the provider of after-collections solutions, and your collectors never have to see those accounts again.

You immediately receive a fair price for your bad debt instead of waiting months (and often years) hoping to be paid.

The process works like this…First you receive a proposal from a provider of after-collections solutions for a single or multiple portfolio purchase. The result of this type of transaction is that openended collections within your organization now have a definitive life span and value (no more indefinite placements with unknown results, particularly when there has been prior collections activity).

An analysis of your current collection agency’s rollover report or actuarial report is used to determine the optimal point of sale and appropriate pricing matrix to maximize the value.

Once your outstanding receivables have been brought to the proper aging, you then have the opportunity to sell your accounts on a monthly basis.

These forward flow monthly sales are at a pre-determined aging point and at a negotiated fixed price to enable you to have ongoing predictable revenue for your aged debt.

In summary, just a few of the representative benefits of selling your portfolio to a commercial debt buyer are as follows:

organizations looking for earnings spikes, often at end of quarter or at fiscal year-end, this can be an untapped source of revenue not previously considered; • No more waiting months or years without a guarantee of return (a true benefit when you factor in the time value of money); • Predictable revenue ongoing from a debt sales program; • Your billing centers can push calls related to old debt to the after-collections solutions provider’s call center and not deal with the lengthy nonpaying inquiry (allowing resources to move on to paying current customers); • You can reduce or reallocate staff resources; • No more monitoring agencies and balancing multiple statements; • The entire analysis is done without cost or obligation to you, and; • All post-sale results are accomplished without complaints from the lessee.

If you are a credit officer, portfolio manager or executive looking to drive returns and optimize internal operating performance, then working with today’s new breed of commercial debt buyers could be the answer for a whole host of issues facing financial institutions in today’s complex economic environment.

For more information about Commercial Debt Buying you can visit one of their local workshops on Commercial Debt Buying 101 or please feel free to • The immediate impact to earnings email directly: michelle.rodriguez@hswand net income that affects the financial.com. bottom line EBITA number. For

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21.

Veggie Pals!

“Fighting Obesity One Child At A Time”

By Heather Haukaas Contributing Writer

Renea Gray/Owner

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ids screaming, life-size vegetables performing and kids preparing meals are a few of the activities you will see children participating in if you enter Veggie Pals at 922 Sharpstown Center.

Veggie Pals promotes healthy eating in the war against childhood obesity by emphasizing the importance of making healthy nutrition choices, physical activity, self-esteem building, verbal expression and effective communication through the dissemination of information and visualization.

With childhood obesity increasing at an alarming rate, “A program that provides a comprehensive mix of services, including nutrition education, meal planning and interactive programs and activities is essential,” says Renea Gray, Veggie Pals Director. “Increasingly alarming rate” may be an understatement as studies have shown that the april 30 - may 30 2010

Remona Barmettler/Chef

lations, the issue is particularly threatening to some of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. For instance, Black and Hispanic youth have the highest rate of overweight and obesity problems. According to a recent report published by the Texas Health Institute and the Methodist Health Care Ministries these youth showing the highest rate of overweight and obesity problems typically have low rates of insurance coverage.

How do we decrease the rates of obesity among our youth and educate future generations on how to live a healthy lifestyle? You guessed correctly, VEGGIE PALS. Veggie Pals staff targets and partners with churches, school districts, charter schools, health care providers, child advocates, head start programs, neighbor centers, restaurant owners, grocery store chains, government officials and other community based grass-root organizations. Veggie Pals staff also collaborates with nutrition and health educators who facilitate seminars and workshops.

Veggie Pals offers a full-scale program for children ages 3 to 12 years.

The program is designed to entertain, exercise, educate and stimulate children while reinforcing good eating habits in a group environment. Veggie Pals is the only program in the city of Houston

that offers this unique service catered exclusively to the children of our future.

Visit 922 Sharpstown Center, Houston, TX, call 832.882.5341 or visit www.veggiepals.org to find out more about this year-round, multi-level program that “fights obesity one child at a time” through the use of nutrition education, meal preparation, physical activities, gardening, Exercise Olympics, Veggie Pals Club Party, Interactive Website, Veggie Pal Mascot Performances, After-school programs and fundraising!

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee presents Avance family with a healthy goya food basket.

obesity problem for children is increasing at an even more drastic rate than that in adults. The rate of overweight children ages two to five has more than doubled, rising from five percent to 12.4 percent since 1999; for those ages six to 11 prevalence increased from 6.5 percent to 17.0 percent. If those statistics were not alarming, studies have even further showed that the number of overweight adolescents ages 12 through 19, has tripled during the same period of time; rising from five percent to 17.6 percent. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In addition, childhood obesity can lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

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A Healthy Mouth Means

GOOD HEALTH IS GOOD WEALTH

a Healthy Heart!

By DR. D. L. JONES, Contributing Writer

those without gum disease.

Watch out for these symptoms of gum disease: • Red swollen gums • Bleeding after floss or brush • Receding gums or noticing that you seem to see more of a tooth than you used to • Pus on the gums • Pain when you bite or chew • Loose teeth • Bad breath that won’t go away

By Dr. Alison Scott Cullier Researchers have found that people with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease (heart disease)!1 WOW! Gum disease can range from simple gum inflammation to serious disease that results in major damage to the soft tissue and bone that supports the teeth.

In worst cases, teeth are lost.

Several theories explain the link between periodontal disease (gum disease) and heart disease. One theory is that oral bacteria can affect the heart when they enter the blood stream, attaching to fatty plaques in the heart blood vessels and contributing to clot formation.

Blood clots can obstruct normal blood flow, restricting the amount of nutrients and oxygen required for the heart to function properly. This may lead to heart attacks.

Another theory is that the inflammation caused by periodontal disease increases plaque build up, which may contribute to swelling of the arteries.

Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from heart disease as

At Lasting Impressions Dental Group we care about the health of your mouth, any of these symptoms may signal a serious problem and should be checked immediately by one of our dentist and/or hygienist. PerioProtect and our Soft Tissue Management program are two types of treatment that we offer to help stop and manage your gum disease and ultimately protect your heart!

Don’t wait call now and schedule your appointment.

Lasting Impressions Dental Group 4418 Almeda Houston, Texas 77004 Drs. Alison Scott Cuillier, Rhesa Bautista, Khalilah McAfee

713.528.0040 American Academy of Periodontology-www.perio.org.

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Let us Promote your Business, Your Event, or You! Advertise today in D-MARS Business Journal

713.272.9511 april 30 - may 30 2010

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By Dr. D. L. Jones Contributing Writer So can exercising regularly actually save you money? The answer is, yes!

Exercise can end up saving you tons of money. Most people know that when you exercise you greatly impove your health and gain physical endurance.

Exercise has been proven to prevent and manage diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer. When there is less sickness and physical injuries, there are less doctor visits and medications to take. Exercise is also great for improving your mood and reducing feelings of depression and anxiety. This also helps to save you money by fewer doctor visits and less medication.

In most cases, many people who exercise also like to live a healthy lifestyle.

This includes maintaining a healthy and well balanced diet.

When this type of diet is maintained, there are often less convenience food and junk food purchases. This really adds up when you account for fast food meals, the price of prepared food in grocery stores, and the price of junk food. When you take that off of your weekly budget, it saves you cash. People

who exercise and make an effort to live a healthy lifestyle sometimes get a discount on insurance too.

Exercising and living a healthy lifestyle cannot only improve your health, but also your finances.

Investing in exercise could save you from extreme situations like financial disaster. When a person is in good shape, they are 2 times more productive than their co-workers. They also use 7-10 days less of sick leave and they will pay $330 less in health care.

Here is another sad statistic; the National Health Institute has found that cancer costs the United States roughly $180 billion each year. This cost is on the rise. People that do not live active lifestyles are at an increased risk for developing almost every type of cancer imaginable. Obese employees cost their employers about $13 billion in lost wages, production costs, and health care costs. The obese employee can also expect to pay about $1,500 more in health care costs than their co-workers that are not overweight.

When a person is in good health, they visit the doctor less and they don’t need to spend as much money on medications. This is important as we age because the body starts to decline and it is not as healthy. If you invest in daily exercise, you will increase your life expectancy and the chance that you may need to be placed in a rest home someday.

Another argument that occasionally presents itself is that people can’t afford to exercise or join a gym. Truth be known, is exercise really going to COST you money? Or could it be that exercise will actually SAVE you money?

The real question should be ‘Can

you afford NOT to exercise?’

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Do you know what direction you are headed in?

By Carla Lane, Contributing Writer In the book Alice in Wonderland, Alice comes to a fork in the road at which sits the Cheshire Cat. When she asks the cat which direction she should go, the cat questions her about where she is going. Her response is that she does not know. So the cat very simply says, “Then it does not matter.”

Without a clear vision and goals that contribute to that vision, your efforts have little chance of getting you where you want to be. So, if you are living your life without a plan, each decision really doesn’t matter because you are not trying to get anywhere anyway.

Sounds ridiculous? It’s supposed to, living your life with no real since of direction is ridiculous.

It’s much like getting in your car, pulling out of your driveway and just driving with no real destination in mind. Who would do that with gas at $2.73 per gallon? We can all agree that would be a real waste. Right? Well, so is spending your days without any clear direction. Time is the only commodity in the world that you cannot recapture, that you cannot earn or purchase more of. So why spend this most precious commodity frivolously?

So how do you develop direction for your life? You must first figure out what it is that you are trying to do. This will help you determine which path you should take. Your goal (a goal is simply the desired end result of your everyday actions) must be specific, measurable, and attainable.

Take a few moments and write down all your desires - your passions, interests, dreams; just list them; don’t worry if they are doable or not. Make them big, but realistic - think big - all great ideas began with big thinking so don’t be afraid to think large. I always encourage people to think about what they would do if they knew they april 30 - may 30 2010

wouldn’t fail. Fear often keeps us from our real desires. Make sure to have goals that are long term (3 to 5 years), mid term (1 to 3 years), and short term (1 day to 1 year). Then…..Work your way backwards….and create a “road map” to your desired end result.

Now read over your list, go through it and reevaluate each item, refine what you wrote, look at how realistic and doable they are. Make them high enough to motivate but not too big to deter you.

Now here is where you actually start to visualize where you want to end up.

Write your goals in the positive versus the negative - focus on what you want and not on what you don’t want. This is how you can create a way for your subconscious mind to carry out the necessary steps to make your dreams a reality, so keep your goals positive. I know this sounds a little spacey, but in the words of Jessie Jackson, “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.”

Visualization is a powerful tool that can take your goal setting to the next level. When you visualize reaching your goal, you are making it real. Without a clear picture of the end result, setting goals is just writing down concepts or wishes. If you can see the dream realized, it is easier to construct a path that takes you there.

This is why movie directors create story boards before they start filming, why architects create models before they start building, and why fashion designers sketch renderings before they cut fabric. They have to have a vision of what they are creating otherwise setting goals for box office sales, ribbon cutting, and runway shows would never materialize. Without a clear idea of the finished product, the movie will not be produced, the building will not be built, and the garment will never be made. It’s hard to believe what we can’t see for ourselves. This is especially important when it comes to goal setting. Visualizing in goal setting is not daydreaming or wishing. It is taking a snapshot of you after you have attained your goal, and then focusing on that snapshot.

Be sure to write your goals out in detail - the more in-depth and concise, the better for your subconscious mind to work on and see it to achievement.

It has been discovered that only 3% of the population writes down their goals.

Ironically, this same 3% achieves more than the remaining 97%….combined! www.

When you visualize it, you will think it, see it, feel, it believe it, do it! Make sure that when you visualize your short term goals, you speak them in the present tense. “I will have 4 new clients this month.” NOT “I will have 4 new clients next month.”

Keep your goals in front of you and review them daily, this confirms your commitment to creating and achieving your goal and will motivate you to take action. Put visual reminders of your goals on your bathroom mirror, in your car, on your computer at work, or in your wallet. If you want to purchase a home, you might have a picture of your dream home, or a diploma if your goal is graduating from college. Seeing your goal each day will push you to take the steps necessary to making those goals a reality.

When people lack direction and the ability to stay on course, they generally have a hard time achieving any goal and accomplishing any task. Goal-setting and visualization are the secrets to accomplishing more with less time.

of “patting yourself on the back” for all of your accomplishments, regardless of their size. Remember, each journey starts with a single step.

Get inspired. Inspiration can come from other people, success quotes, lyrics, books and even movies. Inspiration can come from your own personal goals or through helping others in your organization to achieve their goals. Find your inspiration and tap into it frequently. ( I personally love quotes and surround myself with them, it reminds me of who I want to be!)

Find a mentor. There are many advantages to having a mentor. S/he can guide you and motivate you to reach your goals. Choose someone who is full of encouragement and will provide you with honest feedback. (And someone who you feel comfortable getting the feedback from, whether it is good or bad.)

Brainstorm. You can brainstorm by yourself or with a group of others.

Think about what is really important to you and what goals you want to set. Write your thoughts out and keep a notebook with you at all times.

Set deadlines. When setting goals; always include a deadline to accomplish them. Saying “I want to start a home business someday” is a lot different than saying “I want to start a home business that allows me to quit my job in six months.” Just be sure to set a realistic time frame and take action steps to meet it.

Goal Setting Tips Set intermediate goals. It’s our nature to want immediate results. However, most big goals will require a great deal of time and effort to accomplish. When writing out long-term goals, break them into smaller, more achievable goals.

Reward yourself. Each time you achieve a goal, treat yourself to something nice. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fattening. It could be as simple as a single flower to brighten your desk or an hour to do something besides work.

Whatever your reward, get in the habit

Don’t give up. You’d be surprised how many people give up when they are just inches away from succeeding. Those who succeed are not necessarily the ones with the most talent or luck. Chances are they are simply the ones who refused to give up.

Remember that without goals, you don’t get anywhere. The first step to attaining any goal is being clear about what you want. From there, you have to decide that you’re not going to quit until you get it.

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.” ~ Washington Irving

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Save $$$$ Now!!

You have a choice!! Compare and shop!!

Best Energy saves you $$$$ now!!

By Justina Chen Contributing Writer Texas Senate Bill 7 came into force on Jan. 1, 2002 that gave us electricity deregulation. Most Texas power customers can choose their electricity service from a variety of “Retail Electric Providers” (REPs). As of April 9, 2010, there’re 304 REPs. Not all REPs offer residential services. Deregulation is changing the retail energy market. Competition is replacing old monopolies such as Reliant Energy (HL&P) in Houston and TXU/Oncor in Dallas.

Before deregulation, one company provided all aspects of your electric service, i.e. generation, delivery, sales, billing and support. After deregulation, these components are separated.

Electricity is now generated in competing power plants all across Texas. They connect to a network called “The Grid” – managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT); which oversees the transmission of electricity from

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power plants to population centers.

Once electricity reaches a city, its delivery across wires to your home or business is handled by a single operator.

CenterPoint, the regulated transmission and delivery provider in the Greater Houston Area, cares for all power lines, transformers, electric meters and responds to any and all outages.

A competitive marketplace is good for consumers, who now have a choice of providers. Texas now allows competition for both residential and commercial customers. The residential market in Texas is over $24 billion annually and over $1.6 trillion nationwide.

Natural gas is a key power plant fuel that essentially sets the price of power in Texas. There is a 90% correlation with natural gas and Texas electricity.

The rates are usually higher in the summer when Texas homes turning on their air conditioners full blast. However, there’re exceptions, demand and supply. For instance, natural gas prices hit an all time low in early September 2009 when outside temperature reached 100 degrees.

As of April 9, 2010, natural gas prices are up. Best Energy watches the market daily, keeps track of client contracts and advises them the best time to renew or switch providers. For Q&A and saving $$$$, please contact Best Energy Representative Justina Chen at 713-826-7048 or BestEnergy4U@ gmail.com.

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Who Should Care About Health Care Reform?

At that point, we didn’t understand why, but when she started purchasing different cars and buying homes we all kinda got hip to it. Most of us started out working under her until we went into our own fields.”

This is a major unstated key factor in the bill. One of Presidents Obama’s main positive is that it will, “…Put our budget and economy on a more stable path.” Consider the recent recession and the trillion dollar effort

By Nigel Mustang, Contributing Writer

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rom cooler talk to debates on lunch hour, health care reform gets more food-forthought than appetizers.

Considering the convoluted nature of the written bill passed, person-to-person, individual interpretation is often elaborated, rather than examined.

Coming from a family with 11 health care professionals, from CNA’s to administrative charge nurses, teachers with 30 plus years of experience; and an uncle that holds a Masters in Health Business Administration. I took some genuine family time to get a little in house perspective. I wanted to know for myself, exactly how it relates to corporations, small business, professionals in the industry, and even the average Joe. Despite common angst, the Reform bill is set to become effective 2014. Capitol Hill has projected that operations will not be running smoothly until 2016 or at latest 2018.

We are looking at the core ideologies taking effect first. These would be the creation of “Exchanges” which are “marketplaces” (primarily set up on the internet) where small business owners and individuals can purchase their own tailored insurance plans.

The effects to small business owners, as stated (varied by state) are companies with 50-100 employees with be able to join together in Small Business Health Option Programs, termed SHOP Exchanges. Congress april 30 - may 30 2010

to revitalize financial stability. The demand for healthcare professionals, which is an already a demanding industry, is looking to turn most college student looking for above average pay and solid hours more toward hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes; not to mentions dental offices, vision care, and dialysis treatment centers.

We are looking at supercilious growth in the industry just like in times past.

So who should care about health care…everybody, more importantly our younger generation. As it stands it’s the next generation to consider degree plans and course schedules in the next few years. I predict we will have a lot more changes of majors in the years to come.

guesses this will drop premiums for owners on average 3%. This should raise national coverage marginally 2% to 3%. Small business with 25 employees and under, earning less than $25,000 are eligible for tax credits.

This plan also relates to individuals. Middle to low income families are subject to discounts and credits in such Exchanges geared toward the individuals shopping for insurance separate from the plan his or her employer is offering. For low poverty households a new revamped Medicaid system will be in place.

On a grander scale, the bill is chuck full with penalties geared toward larger corporations such as a $750 dollar fine for every full-timeequivalent-employee that they do not offer insurance.

Now with all of these changes and the nature of coverage expanding to an expected 95% of Americans, with most being required to purchase, even healthy young adults, who should really care about the bill passed? This question became evident during my family interview, my first question asked was, why did 6 of my 8 aunts and uncles join the profession? The answer was simple, my oldest Aunt Evelyn. Their parents were rather poor. Ask any family of color where most of the children were born in the early 50’s to late 60’s times were hard.

My mother was the first to comment, “We all share a passion in what we do now, but when we were all working jobs we didn’t like, your Aunt Evelyn was urging all of us even your uncles to come work with her. www.

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By Heather Haukaas, Contributing Writer

leave that on for another 10 minutes.

Remove the towel and plastic wrap and shampoo your hair as usual. Done once Pollutants, toxins, processing, etc. a month, this cholesterol treatment will are all enemies of our skin and hair; keep your hair soft and shiny. however, we must battle them everyday Treatment for Dark Under Eye in order to keep ourselves looking and Circles- Grated potatoes can lighten feeling great. Below are some household under-eye circles. Potatoes contain an tips I found at http://free-beauty-tips. enzyme called catecholase, which is glam.com/homemade.html that will used in cosmetics as a human skin lightnot make you a victim of everyday wear ener. Run one spud through your food and tear: processor and stuff the raw mash into a

BUILD-UP REMOVER- Often the piece of cheesecloth. Apply to the area culprits of drab coloring and lackluster hair are all the styling products that we regularly use. They begin to build up and dull the shine and tone of our hair.

Get rid of the build up by mixing 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 gallon of distilled water. This can be stored in a cabinet or the refrigerator and used every couple of weeks to keep hair squeaky clean. To use it, wet hair with warm water, or shampoo and rinse as usual. Then pour 2 cups over the scalp and let mixture saturate the hair. Finish up with a cold-water rinse.

directly beneath your eye don’t let the potato juice come in contact with the eye itself and leave for 15 to 20 minutes.

Foot Care- Feeling terrible after a tiring day? As soon as you return home, soak your feet in a basin of warm water mixed with a handful of fragrant bath salts. After 10 minutes, wash your feet (a simple soap and water wash is sufficient).

Face Wash/Scrub- Cleansing your

face before going to bed is essential to take away the dirt you might have picked up in your day. Walnut scrub is ideal for DO-IT-YOURSELF CHOLESoily skin. Make sure you scrub your face TEROL TREATMENT in circling motions and wash with cold Would you believe that most com- water. For those with dry or sensitive mercially bought cholesterol hair con- skin can use baby oil or wet cleansing ditioners contain alcohol the very thing pads, followed by a night cream. that dries out hair? Instead, grab a cup Castor Oil- Applying pure castor oil full of mayonnaise, some plastic food to your eyebrows and lashes, particuwrap and throw a couple of towels in larly those who have scanty growth, the drier on high. Work the mayonnaise will make them grow thick and long. into your hair, starting by massaging it For tired or puffed eyes, place a cotton into the scalp and roots. Then draw it pad soaked in chilled rose water. Keepthrough to your ends until your hair is ing thin slices of cucumber ready in the thoroughly coated. Pile the hair on top refrigerator beforehand is ideal. of your head. Take a couple of feet of saran wrap and wrap it around the top Grated cucumber, by itself or mixed of your head to contain the mayo. Take with carrot juice, can be spread under a pre-heated towel from the dryer and the eye, to reduce black circles and sagwrap it around your head over the sa- ging skin. ran wrap. The heat will aid with deep Lip Guard- a smear of Vaseline on conditioning. After about 10 minutes, your lips, and you can sleep like a child change to another heated towel and and get up like a fairy!

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Get your network on You’ve probably heard the saying it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

But in today’s business world, it’s also about who knows you.

Getting Connected is much more than picking up someone’s business card at an event. It’s about networking and building relationships to help yourself and others succeed. Networking with like-minded individuals is also a great way to explore new career options, learn more about a specific industry, gather insights from peers on critical business issues and grow professionally.

When you set out to get connected, you should always think about what you want to accomplish. Are you looking for a job, trying to develop new business or do you want to expand your network of contacts and become known as the goto person in the industry?

Joining a professional networking group is an opportunity for you to gain access and exposure to people you might not otherwise meet: a company executive in an industry that you’ve always wanted to learn more about, a keynote speaker who’s an expert in your field, and yes, even someone who may

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be in a position to offer you a job, or who can connect you to the hiring manager at a company where you’ve always wanted to work.

You can find out when and where networking groups meet by scanning the business-events section of your local newspaper or business weekly. Visit the website of the networking group before going to the first event to learn more about their members, mission and focus. Armed with this information, you can go to the next breakfast, lunch, or after-hours function prepared with questions for the members and guests you introduce yourself to at the meeting.

In between those meetings, you can use the Internet to stay visible and connected. Send an email to someone you from the networking group or if the group has a message board, post a reply. But be mindful, there’s a fine line between being seen as a resource and being seen as a spam artist so don’t send excessive or inappropriate email. Make sure that your contacts between meetings are relevant and pertinent to the business at hand.

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During a networking event, make sure you relax and take the focus off yourself by first listening to the other person. This technique also helps you gain insight as to how that contact can help you. It’s not about collecting the most business cards; it’s about collecting the right ones.

Thank-you notes and quick followup to requests for information are little courtesies that mean a lot. Your professionalism will be noted, your calls returned and your referral business will blossom. It also signals to the parties involved that you are committed to success -- yours and theirs.

If you take advantage of all that networking has to offer, and if you have joined the right networking group, you’ll find that suddenly, you seem much more visible. People will seek you out and recognize you as a valuable resource.

If you’re networking correctly, you’ll find you have more visibility, greater knowledge, and more contacts; and that you can leverage those assets to further your career.

Super-fast Internet Access onthe-go

By Tom Duke Contributing Writer The highly anticipated 4G, nextgeneration technology has arrived and it has created an amazing amount of buzz at warp speed. 4G over WiMAX will provide users with access to the Internet at speeds as fast as, or faster than that of DSL lines and Cable Modems. Up until just this month, 3G has been the fastest affordable means of mobile internet access. 3G gained popularity because it was better than the alternative of either having to find a Starbucks to compute from, or waiting until getting back home or back to the office to connect. Even though 3G did become popular for ‘road warriors’, as well as those with the latest and greatest technology gadgets, it was still quite slow as compared to DSL or Cable Modem Internet access. Portable USB 4G devices now provide mobile access at 4 times the speed of 3G, and typically at the same price.

The value with 4G is amazing and will most certainly force 3G providers to drop their prices substantially. Now that 4G is here to stay, 3G will become practically irrelevant by year’s end.

Imagine the freedom to compute from anywhere at the speeds that we are used to from the office or at home.

This freedom was the premise of 3G, but it failed to deliver due to poor performance and our ever-increasing need for speed. Now, rather than just doing Email and basic web browsing like 3G users have become conditioned to, 4G users will quickly become conditioned to the fact that they can watch live streaming video via the internet as they would from their home or office.

Watching major sporting events live via the internet from anywhere without interruption is finally here.

I recently had the chance to test a 4G USB device and the speeds were so fast I couldn’t believe I was not connected to the office WiFi device.

In fact, I even turned off the WiFi switch on my laptop to make sure that the traffic was indeed occurring only via the 4G USB device. Portable 4G access to the internet has to be experienced firsthand to truly be appreciated.

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Health is Our True Wealth: The “Pappa Dubb” Lifestyle

T. Q. Doyle, Coach and Image Consultant – MBA, SPHR Contributing Writer At the time of his passing, the 105 amazing years of Carrie Robertson were enriched with five generations of offspring, land, and strong church ties spanning Louisiana, Texas and Maryland. Many years later, Wilson, his 94-year old son and my grandfather mirrors that image along with his daily drive to the family property to farm the land and feed the cattle. This is wealth in the eyes of two patriarchs who lived perfectly healthy, active, and (might I add) “medicine free” lives.

Wilson, who I affectionately call “Pappa Dubb”, claims as his secret to longevity being “the combination of a healthy body, an active mind, and a happy soul.” “This is a simple formula yet thought provoking”, I say to Pappa Dubb. In my meditation over his words I recognize that the components of his formula are intertwined and entail a balancing act. If it were not so, then:

• African Americans and Hispanics are generally less physically active than whites.

• By age 75, 33% of men and 50% of women engage in no regular exercise.

In response, the DHHS developed Healthy People 2010, an initiative that helps each of us build physical activity into our lives – our way! Information on Healthy People 2010 is available on the internet where you will also find Be Active Your Way: A Guide for Adults that helps you decide the types of activities, time and frequency for building a healthy body.

As noted earlier, a healthy body is intertwined with a healthy and active mind. A healthy mind will guard what the mind absorbs so that it does not become blinded to the truth. And, as we intertwine soul into the formula, we experience the emotional or expressive intensity that transfers into positive energy. It is scripturally noted that a cheerful heart and courage can even foster the healing of very serious and life threatening illnesses. What a glorifying act to practice healthy living!

Pappa Dubb declares health is his true wealth but not to get the facts twisted. Money is not required to lead a healthy lifestyle only an investment of good decisions and self-control, which awards him with active longevity.

For more information on Healthy People 2010 objectives or on physical activity and fitness, visit http://www. health.gov/healthypeople.

• 32% of adults ages 20 + would not suffer with hypertension.

• 67% of adults age 20 + would not be overweight or obese.

These health issues can be addressed with regular physical activity.

Yet sadly, statistics show that major barriers to doing so are lack of: time, access to convenient facilities, and/or safe environments in which to be active. These are real excuses but not insurmountable.

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reports that: • Women are less active than men at all ages. april 30 - may 30 2010

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