Ra l e i g h , N o r t h C ar o lin a ( 919 ) 4 1 0 - 6 8 1 2 www . di a mo n d d iv am ag .c o m Happy New Year Ladies and welcome to 2016! I am so excited about what this year has planned for all of us Diamond Diva Women. Just like in years pass Diamond Diva Magazine is all about shinning a light on women doing great things in busine ss, their communities and in ministry. Throughout this last year many changes have taken place and the magazine has began to evolve into something that is amazining and ever changing for the good of all women pressing their way in business and in life. As always these women are business women, mothers, women of God and tru ly Diamond Diva’s to the fullest defintion of the word. Thank you for coming back with us for another year and for your continued support, it really means alot to us both. Renee & Martin Dawkins
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Lo v e Ne e ds Lo ve Steps to Nourishing and G ro w in g Yo u r Love by: Ka r e n Moor e
W h a t i s l o v e ? Do yo u t r u l y know w hat love is? Love is defined as a feeling o f s t r o n g o r co n s t a n t a ffe c tion f or a pe r so n , a t t r a ct i o n t h a t i n clu d e s s e x ua l de si r e : t h e st r o n g a ffe ction f e lt b y pe o pl e wh o h a v e a r o m a n t ic re la tionship. In order to experience love you m u s t fi r st l o v e t h a t wh i ch you are g iv i n g a wa y. W a l k wi t h u s a s w e e x p lore wa ys t o gi v e l o v e , l o v e . St e p 1 : K n o w t h a t l o v e i s a n e m otion and can fade. Take time to seek out wa ys t o n o u r i s h yo u r m a r r i a g e and e ncourage it to grow. One sure way to g r o w yo ur lov e for y ou r hu sband or wi fe i s t o go o u t o f yo u r wa y o r st e p o u t of the b ox t o make him or her feel like they are t h e o n l y p e r s o n i n t h e w o r l d . T a k e t i m e t o e x p a n d y o u r knowledge of your spouse. Y o u a r e n e v e r t o o o l d t o l e a r n , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n t h e s u b j ect matter at hand consists of l e a r n i n g m o r e a b o u t y o u r m a n o r w o m a n o f G o d . J us t as f lowers requ i re the ri g ht amo u n t o f wa t e r , s u n l i gh t a n d n u t r i e n t s, so d oe s y ou r l o v e . It is impossible to love compl e t e l y w h e n y o u r l o v e h a s n o t b e e n n u r t u r e d a n d i s la ck in g p ro p er c are. S t e p 2 : Wh ip y ou r l ove i nto shape. Ex e r ci se yo u r a bi l i t y t o e x pl o r e a n d u t i l iz e va riou s w a y s to express your love. For exam p l e , I a m s e e k i n g t o l o s e w e i g h t a n d b u i l d m u s c l e , t o b ecome healthier. In order to o b t a i n t h e d e s i r e d r e s u l t s I m u s t m a k e t h e n e e d e d c h a nges to my diet, being careful o f w h a t I a l l o w i n m y b o d y , t h e s a m e g o e s f o r l o v e . Y o u must monitor the environment i n w h i c h y o u p r o m o t e g r o w t h o f y o u r l o v e . N e v e r a llo w un n eces sary neg ati vi ty . Bu i l d yo u r l o v e by s pe n di n g qu a l i t y t i m e with the one y o u love. At times it is necessary to s t e p a w a y f r o m t h e h u s t l e a n d b u s t l e o f l i f e t o j u s t b r e at h e f resh ai r and open u p you r m a r r i a ge t o n e wn e s s t h a t wi l l e x pa n d you r love s o t h a t it b eco m es deeper and therefo r e m o r e fu l fi l l i n g. S t e p 3: Always be open to change ! C h a n g e p r o m o t e s g r o w t h . M a r r i a g e c a n e a s i l y b e com e m un d ane and bori ng i f not h i n g ch a n ge s . K e e p yo u r m i n ds o pe n a nd u nd e rs t a n d that people change and you a n d y o u r s p o u s e a r e n o t e x c l u d e d . I f e v e r y y e a r f o r your an n iv ersary you al ways go o u t t o di n n e r , pu r ch a se a gi ft a n d s e nd f low e rs I c a n promise you that your spouse i s s e e k i n g t o e x p e r i e n c e c h a n g e a n d d o s o m e t h i n g d i f f eren t . If you want di fferent resu l t s t h e n yo u m u st do di ffe r e n t t h i n gs . So , ins te a d of t h e sam e o ld di nner, fl ow ers and a ca r d t r y pa ck i n g yo u r s po u s e ’ s cl o t h e s f or a w e e ke n d getaway trip to an undisclose d l o c a t i o n . B e i n g s p o n t a n e o u s i s a f a b u l o u s w a y t o s pice up your relationship and e x p e r i e n c e a n e w n e s s t h a t w i l l t a k e y o u r l o v e a n d m a r riage t o another di mensi on. I n o r d er to lov e someone c ompl ete l y yo u m u st n o u r i sh yo u r l o v e a n d e x pr e s s it d a ily . L o v e ’s in n eed of l ove.
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Rec re a te Ro m a n c e o n Vale n t in e ’s Day Ro m a n c e is a n a r d en t emot i ona l a t t a c h m e n t o r in vo lve m e nt b e t w e e n peo ple. I t is a l ov e ide a liz e d f o r it s pur it y a n d b e au t y . V a le n t in e’ s Da y is a d ay t h a t sp e a ks o f lo ve a n d r o m a n c e . I t i s c o n sidered one of t h e m o s t r o m a n tic days of the y e ar . V al e n t in e ’s D a y C o lo r s C o l or s a r e kn o w n t o h a ve a d ir e c t e f f e c t i n t h e mood or the atm o s p h e r e o n e w a n t s t o cr ea t e . T h e c o l o r s of choice for a r o m a n t ic r e n de z vo us a r e r ed , b l u e , w h i t e , v i olet and pink. T h e c o l o r r e d d efines passion and e n e r g y . It a l so evo kes ene r g y a n d c o n v e r sation and is a g r e a t a p p e t i t e simulator. Blue a n d w h i t e c o m municate trust a n d r e l a x a t i o n a nd thus evokes a f e e l i n g o f g e n eral calm in the atmosphere. V i o l e t , t h e c o mbination of r e d a n d b l u e i s understood to r e p r e s e n t a g eneral feeling o f co m f o r t a n d ea se. An o t h er col o r t h a t c a n b e used t o cr e a t e a n a t m o s p h ere of love and r o m a n c e i s p i n k . This color is g e n t le a n d s o o t h ing and stands f o r a n a ï v e a n d innocent form
of love. Use the appropriate color sch emes i n your wardrobe and your h o me decor for a magi cal V al en t in e’ s Day. Ar o ma s That Spel l Romance Valentine candles and perfumes can be used to set the mood of Va len t ine’s Romance. In V al enti ne ca n d les, l i ght fl oral s cents are con sidered traditionally romantic. An earthy scent like fresh cut grass or t h e smel l of fres h frui ts i s al s o del i cio usly pl eas i ng. Ci nnamon, candy and the aroma of freshly baked cookies are some of the other popular scents used in Valentine ca n d les. The candl es s houl d be i n ea r t h en col ors or cal m and pl easin g sh ades that i ns pi re romance.
Mus i c and Romanc e There is nothing lik e m u s i c t o s e t the mood for a ro m an ti c e veni ng. The correct c h o i c e o f music would make y o u r V a l e n t i n e feel cherished an d s p e c i a l . I f i t’s your fi rs t date w i th th at spe ci al s omeone, you w o u l d pro b ably want to avoi d t h e c l a s s i c love songs as you d o n o t w a n t to s eem ov erpow e ri n g i n y o u r approach.
The music should b e i n t h e background pl ayin g at a vo lume that is non-in t e r f e r i n g y e t audi bl e. The s ongs o r i n stru me ntal music should b e m i d - t e m p o , s l ow and s oothi ng bu t n o t so much that they ap p e a r a d r a g . With everything pl a n n e d f o r a n Aromatic oils and incense to add ev eni ng of l ov e a n d ro m an c e , r o ma n c e to the occas i on. Some ro- the wrong music c a n s p o i l t h e mantic aromas or romantic scents mood and the out c o me . such a s s andal wood, jas mi ne, ci nnamon and anise can be used to These are some of t h e e s s e n t i a l s make the atmosphere pleasurable that will make you r V a l e n t i n e ’ s and inviting. Flower petals can be Day l as t i n your me m o ri e s f o re v added for that final touch. The er. Be thoughtful a n d c r e a t i v e t h in g s to be mos t kept i n mi nd i s in your approach y e t s e n s i t i v e that one should not overdo things, to your Valentines ’ d e s i r e s a n d t h e scents s houl d not be ov erpow- you are s ure to re c re ate roering and should be in keeping with mance thi s V al enti n e ’s D ay . the mood and preferences of both yo u a n d your V al enti ne.
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www.diamonddivamag.com D r . R a e Smith-Peart a h o m e t o w n girl f rom New Or l ea n s , L A b y way of Fayet t e v i lle , NC is a profess i on a l , multif acet ed bu si n e s s w o m an wh o started h e r c a r eer path at Xavier Uni v e r s i t y wit h a degree in p h a r macy. W o r k i n g briefly in retail as we l l a s in a h o sp i tal setti n g , s h e m ad e the dec i s i on t o c o n t in ue her educ a t i o n a l career at Tulane M e d i c a l School in New Or l ea n s wh ere she went on t o grad uat e a nd begi n h e r resid en cy i n Dal la s in t he h o sp ital emer g e n c y r oom. After a brief s t a y s h e quickly realized t h a t t h e hospital setting w a s n o t where her heart w a s a n d went into private p r a c t ice wh ich she c on t i n u e d t o work in a single s pe cia lt y m ulti-prac ti c e c l i n i c s etting. Dr . R a e is curren tl y w ork in g t o h elp people reclaim the ir b ett er h ealth w i th h e r n e tworking business w h i c h o f course is health a n d w e llness, “ I am very f o r t u n a t e th at I am an amb a s s a d or that gets to help p e o p l e better their health a n d t h eir finances,” this gi v e s h e r a t remendou s a m o u n t of satisfaction. Dr . R a e carries a vast ar ra y o f t itles t h at i nc l u de, a w o m a n of Go d, a wi fe t h a t w a s fortunate enough t o m a r r y her best friend, a n d a mother to her son w h o s h e loves dearly. She a l s o t a k es great gratitude in be in g a p h ysici an and
health an d s m a l l b u s i n e s s advoc ate wi t h P l e x u s W o r l dwi de, “I am v e r y bl e s se d t h a t I g et to do wh a t I l o v e da i l y as a profess i o n ”.
When ask e d a bo u t h e r dr i v ing force s h e h u m b l y s t a t e d , “ My fai th”. Sh e st a t e d t h a t wi thou t her fa i t h i n Je s u s, she w ou l d n o t h a v e co n t i n ued her len g t h y j o u r n e y t h a t requ i res sacr i fi ce a n d de t e rmination. T h a t a l s o f a l l s i n l i ne w i th the be s t a dv i ce sh e every rece i v e d , w h i c h c a m e from her mo t h e r a n d fa t h e r , “ Daddy a l wa ys t o l d m e t h a t I could do a n y t h i n g I s e t m y mi nd to an d m y m o t h e r ’ s a d vi c e i s and h a s a l wa ys be e n to k eep God fi r s t .” Di ggi ng a l i t t l e de e pe r a n d learning m o r e a b o u t h e r i t was i nterest i n g t o fi n d o u t that she re a l l y e n j o ys r e a d i ng and w r i t i n g. Sh e l o v e s t o travel and s h e i s a g r e a t c o o k and baker , “ M y be st t i m e i s ti me spent wi t h m y fa m i l y.” Our great e s t f i n d w a s t h a t she i s 5 ye a r Br e a st C a n ce r Su rvi vor an d we pr o u dl y ce l ebrate he r a n n i v e r s a r y o f December 2 0 1 5 .
W e a sk e d wh a t a d vic e s he wo u l d gi v e t o a yo ung w oman who was just starting out or have a desire to go in business she stated, “Dream BIG! Pursue yo u r dr e a m s , do n ’ t s top u ntil you see those dreams come true, stay coachable, for NO ON E k n o ws e v e r yt h i n g and a lways strive to improve yourself and your skills. In closing, Dr. Rae would like to sh a r e t h a t we a s wom e n m u s t do a better job taking care of o u r se l v e s . Oft e n t i m es w e m is t a k e n l y t h i n k t h a t we a re not to take care of ourselves, but it is not healthy to give from a n e m pt y v e ss e l , “ So m e of the overwhelming frustrations that we deal with daily is caused by lack of taking adequate care of ourselves, if you have the right systems in place the pr o ce ss o f s e l f- ca r e N O T tha t difficult of a task”.
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Ea t ing a B et t er Breakfast
The alarm rings and you press “snooze” one time too many. By the time you roll out of bed, you think it’s too late for breakfast so you don’t eat. While some people do skip breakfast on a regular basis, it’s not a good idea. The potential perils include a more sluggish metabolism as the body shifts into starvation-response mode. Couple this with a tendency to become ravenous and binge later, and weight gain can happen. Cognitive abilities can also suffer: You may get headaches, feel fatigued and be less able to concentrate. Learn how a lack of breakfast can impact exercise and what kinds of foods will give you the energy you need for the day from Martica Heaner, PhD, MA, MEd, NASM-certified trainer, award-winning group fitness instructor, and adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at Hunter College in New York City. Exercise and Skipping Breakfast Some people believe that by exercising on an empty stomach in the morning, they’ll burn more body fat. However, if the body burns a higher percentage of fat while exercising on no breakfast in the morning (and study results are mixed), that doesn’t mean metabolism—or to-
tal calorie burn—is speeding up. “If you’re going to do a long or strenuous workout on an empty stomach, you may not have adequate carbs to power your workout and so you won’t be able to work out as long or as hard,” says Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, FACSM, nutrition professor at the University of Wyoming and author of Vegetarian Sports Nutrition (Human Kinetics 2007). “Even if you are burning a slightly higher ratio of fat, with impaired performance you may not be burning as many total calories or total calories of fat as you could if you were wellfueled.” What Counts as Breakfast? “Usually we aim for breakfast providing 25%–30% of the calories for the day, so the amount will depend on a person’s daily energy expenditure,” says Larson-Meyer. Ideally, the morning meal should provide carbohydrates and fiber from fruits, vegetables and/or beans, as well as protein from dairy or, better, from plant-based varieties of milk or yogurt, as well as eggs or plant foods like beans and whole grains. While fruit is generally recommended over juice because fruit contains more fiber and fewer calories, a lean exerciser need not fear juice. “Most people should avoid drinking
their calories, but if juice is an easy energy source before your workout in the morning, go ahead and drink it,” Larson-Meyer says. What about doughnuts or pastries? “Something is better than nothing, and if you’re in the woods starving, a doughnut is okay,” says Melinda Manore, PhD, RD, nutrition professor at Oregon State University, Corvallis, and author of several textbooks, including Nutrition for Life (Benjamin Cummings 2006). But keeping a stash of easy breakfast backups, like breakfast bars, nuts or even cold leftovers, can give you more nutritious choices so that you’re not just filling up on empty calories. Don’t be afraid to get creative: Some cultures eat soups for breakfast, others eat beans (on toast or in bean burritos). Aim for a breakfast that provides energy and nutrients and that helps you feel satiated.
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