Fall 2010
A Healing Art
Quilting has long been known as a uniquely American tradition, but for one Haitian-born doctor it’s become a way of life
ÂżOiste?
Giovanna Negretti moves on to new battlegrounds
Lydia R. Diamond Digs deep into class, race and family in her painfully honest and wickedly funny plays
Health Matters:
Breast Cancer Awareness Heart Disease Recipes
United Way Women’s Initiative “Because Every Issue is a Women’s Issue”
The Women’s Initiative is uniting women who want to take an active role in improving lives and strengthening communities in Greater Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Through leadership, education, volunteerism and philanthropy, we’re helping people today while creating a brighter future for everyone in our region.
Get Involved Today! Email womens@ supportunitedway.org To learn more, visit women.supportunitedway.org
GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. LIVE UNITED
®
Content Health Matters A race for a cure to breast cancer 8 Thriving after cancer 11 Life changing decisions 16 Heart disease 15 Healthy weight 20
Fitness
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Exercises to awaken your core 22
ÂżOiste?
Recipes
Giovanna Negretti moves on to new battle grounds
Healthy Soul Food Recipes 28 Local recipes 27
Beauty Tips Makeup tips from our cover 52 Looking Your Best without Having to Rob a Bank 53
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Committee on Women and Healthy Communities At-Large Boston City Councillor Ayanna Pressley rounds up support to launch a new committee to address gaps in policy issues surrounding women and health.
Quick Get-A-Ways Exploring the Northeast by Rail 54 Finance 58 Relationships 63
In every issue Events Calendar 64 Resource Directory 68
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22
Quilting has long been known as a uniquely American tradition, but for one Haitian-born doctor it’s become a way of life.
Carolyn Stuart, Certified Pilates Instructor, and Leslie Salmon Jones, Wellness Coach, both show examples of exercises that help build a strong core.
A Healing Art
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Accessories We belong to the night
Exercises to awaken your core
Sandra Casagrand Publisher Howard Manly Executive Editor Karen Miller, Dr.P.H. Health Editor Walter Waller Executive Creative Director Contributing Writers Brian W. O’Connor Sandra Larson Lauren Sozio Joshua Falkenburg Graphic Designer Photographers Ian Justice Kim Kennedy
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Copy Editors Rachel Edwards Colette Greenstein Christine McCall Shelly Runyon
Lydia R. Diamond
Exhale is a quarterly magazine distributed throughout the Greater Boston region. For detailed information about our distribution visit our website www.exhalelifestyle.com.
On our front cover Playwright
Lydia’s wardrobe provided by Portobello Road 47 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (Will be moving to 23 Boylston Street Chestnut Hill MA 02467 at the end of October)
To subscribe Annual subscription cost is $25. Mail check to: Banner Publications, Inc. 23 Drydock Avenue Boston, MA 02210
If paying by credit card please contact Rachel Edwards at (617) 261-4600 ext. 119.
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Joanne Chang Pastry Chef/ Owner of Flour Bakery + Café shares some of her delectable recipes from her upcoming cookbook
For advertising opportunities Please contact Sandra Casagrand at (617) 261-4600 ext. 111 or visit our website to download the media kit – www.exhalelifestyle.com Send letters to the publisher to sandra@bannerpub.com.
23 Drydock Avenue, Boston, MA 02210
Exhale is published by Banner Publications, Inc. All rights reserved – Copyright 2010. Volume 2 • Number 2 • Fall 2010
ourContributors Skin Care Jeffrey S. Dover, MD, FRCPC Dr. Jeffrey S. Dover graduated as the silver medalist, Magna cum Laude from the University of Ottawa. He received dermatology training at the University of Toronto followed by research fellowships at St. John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin at the University of London in London, England, and a two-year photomedicine fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Dover is a former associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, was chief of dermatology at the New England Deaconess Hospital for more than 10 years and also associate chairman of dermatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine and adjunct professor of medicine (dermatology) at Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Dover is a director of SkinCare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, Mass. He is the author of more than 300 scientific publications and he has co-authored and edited 37 textbooks. He is founding editor of Journal Watch for Dermatology. Dr. Dover has received many honors including repeated nominations for “teacher of the year” at Harvard Medical School. He received the prestigious Leon Goldman Award as well as the Ellet Drake Award of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and was honored for his work in laser surgery by the Sturge Weber Foundation at its 20th Annual Gala. He is married to Dr. Tania Phillips and has two daughters, Sophie and Isabel.
Relationships
Finance
Cassandra M. Clay, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., is a clinical social worker and coach who practices and consults on family life issues in Boston. She is clinical professor emeritus at Boston University School of Social Work.
Marcel Quiroga Vice President of Wealth Management Relationships at Capital Formation Group, a Registered Investment Advisory firm that provides the services of financial planning, investment management, insurance management, and philanthropic advising. She began her career 16 years ago in Latin America, with FUNDES, a global non-profit, where she negotiated with banks and private financial funds. Following that role, her career has included raising capital for a highly ranked private financial fund, and managing high-net worth relationships at Banco Mercantil. She has held key positions with the Individual Investment Group of Morgan Stanley, and managed multi-million dollar client relationships at the Private Banking and Investment Group of Merrill Lynch.
Photography Ian Justice A native of picturesque Melton Mowbury in England, Ian Justice has wrought his sense of style and impeccable work ethics into a photography career that approaches the two-decade mark. Justice not only makes beautiful images for print and web-based advertising, but realizes worlds in which products tell a story. His skill with the camera and profound knowledge of the equipment and its possibilities make each project sparkle with creative freedom and originality. A unique education at The College of Wooster in Ohio, with a major in Studio Arts/Photography and a minor in Psychology, have given Justice work a distinguished style that carries through all his projects. Justice’s studio location in the Metro Boston area is the launching base to assignments that have taken him to places like Iceland, Italy, France, Brazil, Hawaii and all over the United States. His experience in the world of fashion and photography, combined with a personality at once driven and easygoing, makes Justice the ideal creative companion for any project.
Hair and makeup
Fitness Lesley Salmon Jones (l) Certified Fitness Instructor Certified Wellness Coach – Wellcoaches Corporation B.A. Dance and Health Studies – State University of New York Carolyn Stuart (r) Stott Pilates Certified, 1999 Certified Stott Pilates Instructor Trainer Masters in Physical Therapy – Boston University, Sargent College. B.F.A. – University of Massachusetts, Amherst Pilates Studio owner at the Boston Athletic Club
Mariolga Makeup and Hair. “Let’s make a beautiful picture” is Mariolga’s motto when it comes to makeup. And she’s got the mojo to back it up. Mariolga was born in Puerto Rico. She attended the Pratt Institute and graduated from Lasell College with a degree in fashion. Not only is she an expert at makeup application, she also has an art and fashion background, to boot. Having worked in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Tuscany, Mariolga has garnered a reputation for adapting well to any situation and making it her job to stay on top of the latest makeup trends. She says she’s inspired most by the harmony she finds in nature; especially how its colors, shapes and shadows are always so perfect. But Mariolga admits that some days, a good cup of coffee and some good music can be just as inspiring. She is the mother of three children and lives in Walpole, Mass.
Photography Kim Kennedy From his birthplace in Munich, Germany, to the fashion centers of Milan, Paris and Madrid, to his now home in Metro Boston, Kim Kennedy brings passion, talent and eclectic international flair to his photography craft. He studies formally at the Franklin Institute and New England School of Phography in Boston. In his tenure in the fashion business, Kennedy has worked in house as the Senior Fashion Photographer for Filenes Boston and as a Principal for K Squared Studios. His list of notable clients include: Macy’s West, Ralph Lauren, Reebok, Addidas, Kenneth Cole, Arnold Worldwide Advertising, Satchi and Satchi and Casual Male. His photographs have appeared in Spanish Marie Claire, Spanish Elle, the Source and other high end publications. His passions include his loving family, photography, running marathons, scuba diving and skiing.
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ne of the exciting aspects of being the publisher of Exhale is that I get to learn about and showcase the lives of interesting women who are making a difference. The women we feature in this issue are leaders in social activism, the arts and health care. Women are at the forefront of creating
innovative solutions to some of today’s societal problems, whether it’s local or international, and we are proud to share their stories. I was sitting at a table with an interesting group of women at one of the Get Konnected events a few months ago and was mesmerized by their stories: One woman in her 20s started a nonprofit organization to provide clean water in Africa; another woman works for an organization that deals with issues of genocide. In the middle of this heady conversation one women complimented another on her fabulous necklace! We work hard, take care of our families and communities and we also love fashion! Exhale Magazine highlights the many facets of a woman’s life — from the serious to the more lighthearted, so enjoy the fascinating stories, recipes, health news and the fabulous fashions in our fall issue of Exhale!
Sandra Casagrand
Health Matters Breast Cancer
cure
A race for a
to breast cancer By Lauren Sozio
Exhale • Fall 2010
Health Matters Breast Cancer
I
have a confession to make: despite all of the publicity over the years dedicated to raising awareness of breast cancer, the dreaded disease was the furthest thing from my mind when I was a college student. I was afflicted then with the youthful belief in my own immortality. Then real life happens. Awareness does not truly come until a friend or family member is diagnosed with the disease. That is what happened to me. I had just come home from college when I walked in on my mother, Kathy Sozio, sitting on the edge of her bed by the answering machine. She was crying. She looked up, startled, and immediately composed herself as if nothing were wrong. That was the way she was — stoic, and poised, nothing shook her — at least not in front of her children. Without missing a beat, she told me that her tears were those of joy. She had just received a message that she was nearly cured. Like most children, I didn’t question it. I wanted to believe the best. It is only now I know that she was hiding the real message. Her breast cancer was diagnosed as Stage 4 — virtually inoperable. After she died later that winter, I would berate myself for being so naïve. I realize now that was the way she wanted to be remembered — fearless optimism, even if unfounded, and hope, even if slim. During my mother’s battle, I became more aware of the resources available to women who were similarly afflicted. The importance of the work of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation cannot be underestimated. Established in Dallas, Texas in 1982, the Komen Foundation now has 126 affiliates across the country, including its Massachusetts Affiliate here in Boston. Jeanette Beltran, director of community initiatives of the Komen MA, says that she has seen significant changes over the years. “Twenty-five years ago,” she says, “breast cancer was a word that no one spoke about — it was never published in newspapers, and it was never discussed in public service announcements.”
For the sixth straight year, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and Major League Baseball teamed up for Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer. In Boston, Komen MA participated as the Red Sox topped the Yankees, 9-3, on Mother’s Day. Players wore pink wristbands and used pink bats while all players, coaches and umpires wore a commemorative pink ribbon. Breast cancer survivors (l-r) Janice McGrath, Carmen Johnson, Peter Devereaux and Angela Dias pose in front of the Green Monster in a pre-game ceremony.
Beltran worked with a national organization for nine years before coming to the MA Affiliate nearly three years ago. Over the past year, the Affiliate has provided 26 grants and $900,000 to nonprofits across Massachusetts. According to Komen officials, 75 percent of the money donated to the Affiliate is allocated to these community-based organizations, and the remaining 25 percent assists national research. Beltran explains that Komen MA is able to focus on mission-related initiatives that “deliver education, screening and treatment programs to the most vulnerable population: individuals who might not have been screened the past few years, who face challenges from language barriers to socioeconomic issues to childcare issues.” “Little by little,” she adds, the goal is to “break down the barriers to access quality health care.” This noble initiative is underscored through
“We want to make sure that individuals know about breast cancer to protect themselves, that they know their risk, that they are able to talk to their families to learn about family history.”
The Third Annual Massachusetts Ride for the Cure was held in June 2010 in Barre, Mass. and raised more than $100,000. Two pink riders are shown heading toward the start of the 10-mile ride (middle) while one of the riders (bottom) is shown celebrating at the finish with the breast cancer survivor of whom she rides in honor.
Komen MA’s most recent grants to the YWCA and the Whittier Street Neighborhood Health Center in Roxbury. The Boston branch of the YWCA offers the state’s only support program focused specifically on African American women. Whittier Street’s program focuses on African American women as well but also targets the Somali and Latina communities. “We want to make sure it’s truly a community collaborative effort and [establish] a network that we continue to build,” Beltran says. Through its local community outreach efforts, Komen MA has previously awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute a grant to help fund and facilitate its mammography van project. The van and its medical team serve what Beltran describes as “underserved” communities throughout Massachusetts. p p10
Photos courtesy of the Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
exhalelifestyle.com
Health Matters Breast Cancer
All of these symptoms — along with information on detections, screenings, therapies, treatments and online support groups — can be found on their website, www.komenmass.org. This information can also be learned through a phone advisor by calling 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636). She stresses that “there is no right or wrong way to deal with cancer, that is unique to each diagnosed individual.” And most importantly, don’t hesitate to ask for help. I have another confession to make. Though I am years away from the time I should receive annual mammograms, I still should be proactive and learn to be my own doctor by listening to my body — a mantra my mother herself repeated. Her cancer was in remission for nearly eight years before she discovered a lump under her armpit during her monthly selfexam. Ten years later, her sister found the same thing. In both cases, the routine mammograms failed to detect them. Even in this age of cutting-edge technology, modern medicine cannot always detect when something is wrong. It’s an issue of trust, trusting yourself and your body to tell you when something is wrong. That relationship is not an easy one to develop. But it is one we must learn to nurture and include in our daily routine. It’s as simple as brushing our teeth; as vital as saving our lives.◊
B
eltran is quick to point out that Komen leaves medical advice to the medical doctors. Komen’s central role is providing education. “We are not medical doctors and we cannot provide medical advice,” Beltran says, “[but] we do educate. We want to make sure that individuals know about breast cancer to protect themselves, that they know their risk, that they are able to talk to their families to learn about family history. We also want women to talk to their doctor about their own personal risk.” One of their newest programs at the Harvard Community Health Center engages African American women under the age of 18. “It’s a program that does peer education, and raises leadership capacity so that young people will be the vehicle for disseminating information to their community and also to their family,” Beltran explains. For Beltran, listening and learning about health from peers and from one’s own body is perhaps the most important lesson to take away from the Komen initiative. She has learned to take a more responsible, active approach to managing breast health. For her, it’s important that “people realize they should be their own best advocate in the breast health care process. Patients should actively participate in their own breast care. “More importantly,” Beltran advises, “is to notice if there have been any changes in the breast from a lump to a hard knot or thickening like swelling, redness, the change or size, to itchiness.”
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Exhale • Fall 2010
Lauren Sozio and her mother, Kathy Sozio, share a mome nt together in the summer of 2000 as she is being sent off to college.
Lauren Sozio has en joyed the role of we b cor respondent for Vanity Fair in both New York and Lond on. She is currently posted in Los Angel es as a post-gradua te at the Annenberg School of Communica tion at University of Southern Californ a big departure fro ia, m her undergraduate experience at Amhe College. Sozio contin rst ues to support the Ko men Organization and the American Ca ncer Association by raising money for active events such as the Pink Ribbon Ru n and Relay for Li fe.
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T
Health Matters Survivorship
hriving after cancer
End of cancer treatment is not the end of the cancer experience
Advances in cancer care now mean that the majority of people diagnosed with cancer will survive the disease. An estimated 12 million Americans are living today with a cancer history. This number is expected to nearly double by 2030. More than 6 out of every 10 adults newly diagnosed with cancer will meet or pass the five-year survival mark. Kenneth Miller, M.D., co-director of the Perini Family Survivors’ Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says that the transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor can pose numerous challenges. “Finishing treatment is typically a monumental moment for many patients, but it is also an important turning point,” Dr. Miller explains. “As cancer survivors, they now have to shift their focus from figuring out how to beat the disease to learning how to adjust to everyday life again — and they often have to do so without the support network they had while on treatment.” There are many issues confronting cancer survivors, including changes in the body after cancer treatment — emotional and physical symptom management; legal rights concerning health care and employment; returning to the classroom; finding support groups; maintaining, repairing or enhancing personal relationships; and pursuing appropriate follow-up care. Recognizing these unique challenges, Dana-Farber created the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic in 1993 to provide support and services to survivors of pediatric cancers. This was one of the nation’s first such programs and it has served as the model for other institutions. Dana-Farber expanded its survivorship program to serve survivors of all ages in 2004 with the establishment of the Lance Armstrong Foundation Adult Survivorship Program and the Perini Family Survivors’ Center. “It’s critical that primary care physicians recognize that cancer survivors can have unique health challenges
and that they may need to interpret symptoms differently in these patients than they might with their patients who haven’t had cancer,” says Lisa Diller, M.D., co-director of the Perini Family Survivors’ Center. “Cancer survivors will tell you that once their hair grows back, everybody thinks that they are back to normal. But it can take a lot longer to get there — and some issues may never be resolved.” In 2005, the Institute of Medicine recommended that all cancer patients receive a treatment summary and an after-care plan for the patient and for the primary care provider. These plans include information on the diagnosis; treatment and potential consequences; a schedule for follow-up visits; tips on healthy living and preventing new cancers; legal rights affecting employment and insurance; and the availability of support services. Magnolia Contreras, director of community benefits at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reports that many people of color are unaware of how important it is to be mindful of the long-term effects of some of the cancer treatments they’ve received. As a cancer survivor herself, she had no idea about treatment summaries or after-care plans until she came to Dana-Farber. “Unfortunately, the end of cancer treatment is not the end of the cancer experience,” says Dr. Miller. “It’s our job to make sure patients find a new balance in life, one that recognizes where they’ve been medically, and where they’re going for a healthy future.”
Magnolia Contreras, cancer survivor and director of community benefits at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute encourages cancer survivors to get plans to guide their care after cancer treatment.
To learn more about cancer survivorship and to view videos that address the issues facing cancer survivors, visit www.dana-farber.org/ livingwellbeyondcancer.◊
exhalelifestyle.com
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Exhale • Fall 2010
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month There are so many lives touched by cancer every day and Exhale Magazine wants to acknowledge and honor the loved ones who are currently facing battles with cancer and those we have lost to the disease.
Health Matters Heart Disease
exhalelifestyle.com
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Health Matters Survivors
Personal Stories of
life changing decisions Father Suffered Fatal Heart Attack Elizabeth Muff
Elizabeth’s father died suddenly of a heart attack when she was 17 years old. She turned her devastation to inspiration and became a personal trainer — pushing her clients to reach their fitness goals and maintain a healthy diet. Since heart disease is often a silent disease, she encourages everyone to know their numbers — heart rate, blood pressure, sugar levels and weight. As a mom, she taught her two sons to eat healthy, exercise, hike and to really savor life. Elizabeth and her family participate in the Boston Start! Heart Walk every year and have raised valuable dollars to fund heart and stroke life-saving research studies. “Everyone can live a healthy life by making little changes,” said Elizabeth. “We have a golden retriever who gets a 30 min walk every day,” continued Elizabeth. “Fresh vegetables are my favorite, so we try to have two at dinner plus a healthy protein. And I prefer a vacation centered around exercise, like hiking, instead of museums. These are just a few small lifestyle decisions that have a huge impact on our health.”
From Sedentary Lifestyle to Marathon Runner Regina Canzater
Regina decided to change her sedentary lifestyle and joined the American Stroke Association’s Train To End Stroke team. After months of intense training, she finished the 14-mile half-marathon and realized there’s nothing she can’t accomplish if she sets her mind to it. She was grateful for her inspirational teammates, coaches and mentors who supported her endeavor and helped her cross the finish line. She took her newfound heart-health knowledge and shared it with her husband. They reduced portion sizes and started walking more. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is a small change that makes a big difference in overall health. Regina also started a walking group with work colleagues. When she would normally sit and eat lunch in the cafeteria, she now takes 15 minutes to walk around the park and has more energy throughout her afternoon. “Go Red For Women is extremely important to me,” said Regina. “I want to be able to raise awareness with women of all ages and colors about the importance of our health. I am thankful and excited to be able to spread that message.”
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Exhale • Fall 2010
Stroke Survivor
Katie Jerdee, age: 24
Lost Over 100 lbs. Helen Goodwin
Helen struggled with weight loss her entire life and considered it a burden. Obesity and high blood pressure ran in her family and she decided to change her life for the better. She lost more than 100 pounds and feels like a whole new woman. She eats fresh foods and enjoys physical activity — skiing and salsa dancing. She makes exercise entertaining and a social activity. “I hope to inspire women of all ages to enjoy their lives by making choices that give them life,” said Helen. “Exercise can be fun ... swimming, hiking, biking ... whatever it takes ... eating healthy, making mealtimes fun with colorful and tasty foods and sharing it with others. That is key ... sharing with others. I believe if we can share our journeys, the journey will be so much easier.”
Katie (left in the above photo) suffered a stroke during a soccer team run in her fourth year at Northeastern University. It was in her cerebellum and affected the right side of her body. She had to learn how to write, walk and run again. With months of hard work and rehab, Katie was able to play with her soccer team again the next year. As a result of her stroke, she got involved with the Marlborough Junior Women’s Club in her home and has spoken to their group. She also worked with the Women’s Club to get heart screenings for the middle and highschool kids in Marlborough. She is a volunteer spokesperson for the American Heart & Stroke Association. In the fall of 2007, she was featured in the “Faces of Heart Disease and Stroke” campaign designed for the Merrimack Valley Start! Heart Walk. Katie completed the Boston Marathon in 2008, 2009 and 2010 as a member of Tedy’s Team — fundraising for stroke research — and played an integral role in the “Stroke Warning Signs” campaign with Tedy Bruschi — which included PSAs, billboard ads and a visit with state Sens. Mark Montigny and Steven Tolman to gain more funding for stroke research. Katie was also awarded the American Heart Association’s “Heart of Our Mission” award for her passion and dedication to the cause. “Getting to the hospital fast is what has offset many of the after-effects that are associated with stroke,” said Katie. “Before I had a stroke, I had no idea what the warning signs were. To me, a stroke was something that grandparents had,” continued Katie. “I was healthy, athletic and exhibited no symptoms. I want people to realize that this can happen to anyone and that everyone needs to be aware. I want to be an example of being able to overcome obstacles and surpass expectations.”
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Health Matters Healthy Weight
You, too, can become a
1. Success is a change to your lifestyle. Diets are temporary. When changing your diet, Boston area nutritionist, Tosha Baker recommends “the Non–Diet approach” that support losing weight while loving your body at the same time. It is important to be mindful of the body’s internal cues of hunger and satiety rather than focusing on a diet.
2. Write it down to lose the pounds. Food journaling causes you to think twice before eating and helps to spotlight patterns that we may engage in when life presents stressful moments. Keeping a food diary helps identify those unhealthy habits so that you can create healthful ways to avoid them.
3. Calories and portion control count. If you cut calories randomly, you probably can lose five pounds in one week. But you’re probably going to feel terrible and hungry. “The New England Journal of Medicine” reviewed several different weightloss programs and found that people lost weight because they reduced their total caloric intake — regardless of the type of diet. Consult your dietitian for the best results in determining just how much weight-loss your body can endure without losing vital energy. If a dietitian is not available try a popular website — www.sparkpeople. 20 20
Exhale •• Fall Fall 2010 2010 Exhale
com — offers a tool to check body mass index (BMI), a number that measures body fat based on height and weight. The site also offers recommendations for calorie reduction and enables browsers to gain support from others who are also working toward successful habits. When it comes to portion control, there is a simple way to reduce calorie intake that’s in your hands! Simply looking at your hand can help you gauge the right portion to eat.
• Your palm = about 3 ounces of cooked meat or fish • Your fist = 1 cup of cooked rice or pasta or cut-up vegetable or fruit • Your thumb =1 teaspoon of nut butters or 1 ounce of cheese • Tip of thumb =1 teaspoon of oil, salad dressing or butter • A handful =1 ounce of nuts
4. Counteract the “save for a rainy day” effect with physical activity. If you decrease your calorie count without increasing your physical activity level, your body is going to conserve and weight-loss will be minimal. Your body’s metabolism will become slower and react by storing these calories as fat. When you exercise, you set your body’s process to “burn” instead of “save.” So counter the rainy day effect by choosing physical activities
These eight lifestyle tips will help achieve a healthier weight. Ah yes, if losing weight could be so simple. It’s not, of course, especially considering that more than half of all Boston residents are either overweight or obese. And that spells a greater potential for several chronic health problems, including higher rates of heart disease and some types of diabetes. One of the best ways to improve health, and to reduce those risks, is to lose weight. But how? What are some of the principles for success? Here are eight habits that medical experts and successful losers strongly agree on. that you enjoy and setting realistic goals. Keep in mind that to truly lose one pound, you need to “eliminate” 3,500 calories — the amount stored in a pound of fat. This is accomplished by eating less and moving more. If you cut 500 calories (or cut 300 and burn 200 through exercise) every single day of the week, you’ll lose about a pound a week.
5. To support weight-loss, add bulk by eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Why fiber? High fiber foods provide a sense of fullness that prevents overeating. They are also known to have slower digestion time, helping to regulate blood glucose levels for those with pre-diabetes and diabetes.
6. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Eating a breakfast high in fiber will help you feel full and can even boost your burning of fat if eaten before your morning physical activity. Researchers from the University of Nottingham found that participants had better fat burning results if they walked for an hour after eating a breakfast of high fiber cereal and yogurt or an apple.
7. Take the pledge to be soda free. For those who love carbonated beverages and sugary drinks, this is
the number one source of non-nutritious calories that contribute to being overweight or obese. If you’re a sugary-soda drinker, dropping it from your daily routine could help support your weight-loss effort. Making the switch to water, which quenches your thirst and suppresses hunger will support you developing healthier habits.
8. Get plenty of rest — sleep. To be an efficient fat-burning machine, your body requires at least eight hours of sleep a night. If you think that you’re doing ok with sleeping less, you’re mistaken. Give your body time to rest, both mentally and physically. Sleep is very, very important. It not only stimulates mental alertness for the following day but also triggers a greater capacity to lose weight. In conclusion, being healthy is not about looking good. It’s about feeling good, and starting the process to achieve a healthier weight is a good first step. Research has shown that even a 10 percent weight-loss can lower blood pressure and improve diabetes control. If a 170-pound female lost just 17 pounds, she would see and feel a difference. Kathy Cunningham, M. Ed, RD Senior Program Manager Boston Public Health Commission exhalelifestyle.com exhalelifestyle.com
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Fitness spotlight for fall – Pilates and the Core
awaken your core!
Exercises to
Carolyn Stuart, Certified Pilates Instructor
Pilates is not just for ballet dancers and celebrities – everyone can benefit from a set of exercises that centers on the core postural muscles. Whether you are using the mats or the reformer these exercises help the body maintain proper balance, form and build power within. Carolyn Stuart, Certified Pilates Instructor, and Leslie Salmon Jones, Wellness Coach, both show examples of exercises that help build a strong core.
Hip Rolls • Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the ground hip distance apart and arms at your sides. • Inhale as you create a small arch in your lower back by rocking your tailbone forward and lifting your pelvis off the ground. Meanwhile, tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze your glutes. • Exhale as you come down, curling one vertebra at a time, as you return to the starting position. • Gradually increase the distance between your hips and the floor until your hips and lower back are loosened enough to peel up to your shoulder blades.
Tips:
• Your neck should always be free to move. • Avoid neck compression by keeping your weight on your shoulder blades. Keep your chin down with your shoulders away from your ears. This will keep your neck lengthened and tension free. Carolyn’s Outfit: Power Y Tank — Wish Blue • Define Jacket — Oasis • Gather And Crow Crop. Leslie’s Outfit: Flow Y Bra — Wish Blue • Cool Racerback — Potion Purple • Rock Out Pant • The run sun blocker — Potion Purple. Provided by lululemon athletica, www.lululemon.com
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Exhale • Fall 2010
Table Top on Ball (adding Single Leg Reach)
Half Roll Back (with Obliques) Note: The obliques rotate your trunk. • Sit tall with your legs hip distance apart and your arms reaching straight out in front of you. • Inhale to maintain sitting tall while keeping your shoulder and neck muscles relaxed. • Exhale while contracting your abdomen and rolling back onto your tailbone, creating a C curve with your lower back. • After a few repetitions, rotate and reach forward with your upper body.
Tips:
• Do not over round your upper back and sink into your neck and shoulders. • Keep your hips in place when adding rotation to maintain stability.
• Lie with a small ball between your shoulder blades, keeping your knees bent with your feet flat on the floor to start, making sure to keep your tailbone anchored flat on the mat. • Raise your bent knees to a 90 degree angle to get into the Table Top position. • Inhale, maintaining an “anchor” feeling in your core across your lower back up to the base of your ribs. Adding Single Leg Reach • Exhale as you alternate legs, bringing them down one at a time from the Table Top position and straighten your legs out long and low to the ground.
Tips:
• Your arms may rest on the mat, or you can lift them off the ground, by the side of your body to make the exercise more challenging. • Keep the weight of your head over your body to avoid neck strain. Use your hands for support if necessary.
Fitness spotlight for fall – Pilates and the Core
Photography by Ian Justice, www.ianjustice.com wonderfulmachine.com
Bent over Lat Rows with Leg Balance (5 - 10 lb. weights)
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged and torso upright, knees slightly bent. • Bend forward with a flat back keeping your arms down towards the floor, palms facing each other and lengthen your spine. Do not arch or round your back. • Inhale to begin, then exhale, lifting your elbows towards your ribcage, your palms facing each other and squeeze your shoulder blades together without lifting your shoulders toward your ears or arching your back. • Inhale and slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position. • Once stabilized with your core and posture, balance by lifting one leg behind you without losing your core connection. • Repeat one set on each leg.
Shoulder Raises – Front and Side with Leg Lift (2 – 5 lb. weights)
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, spine long, shoulders down and knees slightly bent. • Rest weights in front of your thighs, palms facing your thighs, and engage your core. • Inhale to begin, then exhale and lift your arms forward to shoulder level, elbows slightly bent and palms facing each other. Do not lean back. • Inhale and lower the weights without completely relaxing at bottom. • Exhale and lift your arms level to your shoulders forming a T, keeping your elbows slightly bent, palms facing the floor. Inhale and lower. • Alternate both front and side for two counts up and two counts down. • Once stabilized with your core and posture, try adding leg lifts to the front and side.
Leslie Salmon Jones, Wellness Coach
Biceps Curls with Leg Extension (5 – 10 lb. weights)
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, spine long, shoulders down and knees slightly bent. • Engage your core. Your elbows should remain stable in a fixed position next to your sides throughout the exercise. • Inhale to begin, then exhale and bend your arms at your elbows and lift the weights directly up toward shoulders while focusing on biceps muscles. • Inhale and lower the weights down, stopping just before your elbows are completely straight and reverse the motion back up, focusing on your breathing, core and posture. Repeat for two counts up and two counts down. • Once your core and posture are stabilized, add leg extension to the front, working on your balance. Shot on location at Springstep studio 98 George P. Hassett Drive Medford, MA 02155 781- 395-0402 • www.springstep.org
Benefits of weight training: Chest Flies on Stability Ball (5 – 10 lb. weights)
Sit on top of a stability ball holding weights with your feet firmly planted on the ground, hip-width apart. Engage your core “powerhouse” and slowly roll onto the ball until your upper back, shoulder blades and head are relaxed on the ball. Elongate your spine, keeping your pelvis lifted and your core engaged. • Begin with your arms straight up over your chest with your palms facing each other but not touching. Your shoulders should be relaxed and gently pressing away from your ears. • Inhale and slowly open your arms down to your sides, no lower than shoulder level, keeping the elbows slightly bent. Visualize hugging a beach ball. • Exhale and contract your chest to pull your arms back. Repeat for two counts down, two counts up.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are numerous benefits to strength training regularly. It can be very powerful in reducing the signs and symptoms of numerous diseases and chronic conditions, among them: • arthritis • diabetes • osteoporosis • obesity • back pain • depression
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Since 1971 Crispus Attucks Children’s Center (CACC) has been a proven leader in early childhood education. CACC uses a comprehensive curriculum that prepares children for academic and life success.
CACC’s Offerings: • Convenient - Ten minutes from Downtown Boston, South End, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale and West Roxbury • Emphasis on early literacy skills • Nurturing environment • Strong age based academic curriculum
• Indoor gym • Nutritious breakfast, lunches and snacks provided • Boston’s first natural playground with fitness course and agility track • Modern buildings with state of the art classrooms • Computers in Pre-school classrooms
For Information & Tours 105 Crawford Street, Dorchester, MA 02121 • Ph (617) 445-1420
www.crispus-attucks.org
Visit us www.exhalelifestyle.com
Licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
Part-time education. Full-time excellence.
Robert, BS in Management Studies (’08)
Annie, BS in Criminal Justice (’06); Master of Criminal Justice (’09)
Isabelle, MS in Actuarial Science (’09)
Along with over 60 part-time undergraduate and graduate programs, Metropolitan College offers global perspectives, world-class faculty, and peer networks—as well as extraordinary campus resources. Plus, you can study at night, online, and even in blended formats. Learn more at bu.edu/met.
bu.edu/met | 617-353-6000 An equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.
Delectable Recipes QUINOA RISOTTO WITH ARUGULA AND PARMESAN Quinoa, native to Peru, is an ancient grain that has only become popular in the United States recently. It is called the super grain because it is so high in fiber. It has a subtle nutty flavor and is the perfect backdrop for a variety of seasonings. You can use it as you would use rice for added texture and nutrients. ½ medium sized onion, minced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed 2 ¼ cups vegetable stock or broth 2 cups chopped, stemmed arugula ½ cup thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms 1 small carrot, peeled and finely shredded ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and quinoa and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the garlic brown. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered until the quinoa is almost tender to the bite but slightly hard in the center, about 12 minutes. The mixture will be brothy. Stir in the arugula, carrot and mushrooms and simmer until the quinoa grains have turned from white to translucent for about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the cheese and season with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
great recipes the whole family will love and keep asking for more
Recipe from Nadine Nelson, chef and owner of Epicurean Salon, an interactive culinary event company. http://theepicureansalon.com
Pasta with Mustard Greens, Shredded Chicken and Smokey Cream Sauce
Serves 4-6
2 big onions, thinly sliced 3-4 tablespoons olive oil Splash of balsamic vinegar 1 lb. mustard greens 1 lb. penne pasta 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup cream 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (from thighs is good) ½ teaspoon chipotle powder or 1 teaspoon hot sauce
1. In a sauté pan, heat the onions in olive oil. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then but not too much. Once the onions are brown, add a teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar. 2. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. 3. Cut and clean the mustard greens. 4. Add garlic to the onions, and add the cream and the stock. Boil 5 minutes. Add the chicken and set aside. 5. Boil the pasta about 8 minutes. When it is done, add the mustard greens and stir. Drain right away. Add pasta and greens back to the pot. 6. Add the onion and chicken mixture to the pot. Add chipotle powder or hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste and season. Recipe from Didi Emmons, executive director of “Take Back the Kitchen,” a youth cooking program at Haley House Bakery.
*Note: Shredded turkey can be used as a substitute for chicken. exhalelifestyle.com
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Delectable Healthy Soul Food Recipes
Oven-Fried Catfish with Creamy Orange Dipping Sauce 2 teaspoons salt-free Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, or 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon salt
Serves 4; 3 ounces fish and 2 tablespoons sauce per serving Fish 4 catfish fillets (about 4 ounces each), rinsed and patted dry Cooking spray ½ cup low-fat buttermilk ½ cup yellow cornmeal
Garden Patch Soup Serves 8; 1 cup per serving 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 14.5-ounce cans fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth 4 ounces collard greens, thinly sliced 2 medium carrots, very thinly sliced crosswise 1 cup frozen lima beans ½ cup dried whole-wheat elbow macaroni (about 2 ounces) 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley 2 medium garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
Chewy Apple Pie Serves 8; 1 slice per serving Cooking spray ¾ cup sugar 2 large egg whites 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup diced peeled apples ½ cup chopped walnuts, dry-roasted Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8-inch pie pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on
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Sauce ¼ teaspoon grated orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 3 tablespoons fat-free sour cream 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice ½ teaspoon grated peeled ginger root 2 tablespoons snipped fresh mint or cilantro (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. Pour the buttermilk into a medium shallow dish. In a pie pan, stir together the cornmeal and seasoning blend. Set the dish, pie pan and baking sheet in a row, assembly-line fashion. Dip one piece of fish in the
buttermilk, turning to coat and letting any excess drip off. Dip in the cornmeal mixture, turning to coat and gently shaking off any excess. Place on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops of the fish with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the fish is golden brown and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with the salt. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Refrigerate until serving time. Sprinkle the fish with the mint. Serve the sauce on the side. Cook’s Tip: Lightly spraying the fish with cooking spray causes the cornmeal coating to turn a richer, more golden color and adds a bit of crispness. Nutrients Per Serving:
Calories 211; Total Fat 4.5 g; Saturated 1 g; Trans 0 g; Polyunsaturated 1.5 g; Monounsaturated 1.5 g; Cholesterol 69 mg; Sodium 245 mg; Carbohydrates 22 g; Fiber 1 g; Sugars 6 g; Protein 21 g
Dietary Exchanges:
1 starch; ½ carbohydrate; 3 very lean meat
¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the onion for 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Nutrients per Serving:
Calories 102; Total Fat 3.5 g; Saturated 0.5 g; Trans 0 g; Polyunsaturated 0.5 g; Monounsaturated 2.5 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 171 mg; Carbohydrates 14 g; Fiber 3 g; Sugars 3 g; Protein 4 g
Dietary Exchanges: 1 starch; 1/2 fat
medium speed, beat the sugar, egg whites, baking powder and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the flour until smooth and well blended. Stir in the apples and nuts. Transfer to the pie pan. Bake for 30 minutes. The batter will puff up slightly as it bakes, then collapse as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature. Nutrients per Serving:
Calories 163; Total Fat 5 g; Saturated 0.5 g; Trans 0 g; Polyunsaturated 3.5 g; Monounsaturated 0.5 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 64 mg; Carbohydrates 28 g; Fiber 1 g; Sugars 21 g; Protein 3 g
Dietary Exchanges: 2 carbohydrate; 1 fat
Food to warm your heart and soul this fall Chicken Gumbo Serves 4; 1 cup per serving 2 tablespoons canola or corn oil 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth or water 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (all visible fat discarded), cut into bite-size pieces 1 cup frozen cut okra, thawed 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 2 medium dried bay leaves 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (lowest sodium available) ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce or red hot-pepper sauce
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Stir in the flour. Cook for 3 minutes, or until dark brown, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes with liquid, broth, chicken, okra, onion, bell pepper, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until the okra is very tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt. Discard the bay leaves. Ladle the gumbo into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with the hot sauce. Cook’s Tip: If possible, make the gumbo the day before you plan to eat it so the flavors have more time to blend. Nutrients per Serving: Calories 197; Total Fat 8 g; Saturated 0.5 g; Trans 0 g; Polyunsaturated 2 g; Monounsaturated 4.5 g; Cholesterol 33 mg; Sodium 275 mg; Carbohydrates 15 g; Fiber 4 g; Sugars 8 g; Protein 16 g
Dietary Exchanges: 3 vegetable; 2 lean meat; ½ fat All recipes are reprinted with permission from Healthy Soul Food Recipes, Copyright © 2010 by the American Heart Association. Published by Publications International, Ltd. exhalelifestyle.com
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About 10 years ago, a little salsa was added to the chowder of Boston politics when Giovanna Negretti took the helm of ¿Oiste?, a fledgling Latino political organization. Up until then, the election of Hispanics to a handful of Massachusetts municipal posts and a Dorchester seat in the Statehouse didn’t come close to reflecting the potential electoral clout of the state’s fastest-growing minority. Voter registration was tepid, political interest low. In many heavily Latino precincts, election officials failed to provide polls with bilingual ballots. Negretti, trained in acting at Emerson College and in politics at home, immediately made the pasty suit-and-tie set a little hot under the collar with her picante style of charm. Sweeping into a room in heels, hoop earrings and honeyblonde hair, the 5-foot-2 dynamo from Puerto Rico was unafraid of turning up the temperature until the halls of power were muy caliente. ¿Oiste? is usually translated as “Have you heard?” but that hardly captures the urgency of Negretti’s “Didja hear?” style of leadership. After a decade of campaigning, candidate recruitment, leadership training and high-wire legal challenges, Latino voting turnout has increased steadily, more Hispanics have been elected to office, and ¿Oiste?, with 10,000 members statewide, has become a routine stop for outreach to Spanishspeaking constituencies by city and state officials.
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“What Giovanna really brought to the organization is that she’s gutsy and strong-willed and will tell the truth about an issue no matter what,” says Kelly Bates, who worked with Negretti on leadership development through the nonprofit Access Strategies Fund. “She was a leader who was effective in getting things done without worrying about being popular.” Her organizing and leadership skills inevitably drew attention from beyond local area codes, taking her to Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East as a training consultant primarily to emerging women’s political groups. It came as little surprise to those who’ve watched her career that this past September’s 10th anniversary celebration of ¿Oiste? was Negretti’s last turn at the wheel of the organization. She won a coveted Eisenhower Fellowship to travel to Chile and Australia to study how issues of identity shape political outlooks and choices for people of color. Lydia Lowe, executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association, a Boston-based grassroots group that worked with ¿Oiste? on ballot reforms following a federal voting rights suit against the city, predicts a role in national politics for Negretti. “She has incredible political savvy that she puts to use to stand up for the rights of linguistic minorities to equal political access,” says Lowe. “She was always very charming but always very strong.” p p. 32
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B
efore stepping down from ¿Oiste?, Negretti described the path that led her from the blue ballast-stone streets of Old San Juan to the cobblestones of Boston. Negretti arrives at ¿Oiste?’s spare Temple Place office in a bright summer top, ivory capris and gladiator sandals, adding a splash of color and style to the utilitarian space. Folding chairs and tables line the walls of the high-ceilinged office, located a short walk across Boston Common from the Statehouse. It’s barely 9 a.m. and the phones are already ringing steadily. “Let’s get some coffee,” says Negretti, more accustomed to late night politicking than early morning interviews. She skillfully turns a short walk to a nearby coffee shop into an interview, her interest in a new acquaintance serving as an effective species of flattery. When the talk turns to her own background, Negretti shifts from her usually voluble style. “I’m the daughter of a single mother who is tough as nails,” she says with careful deliberation. “She is a journalist, a political journalist who was proindependence for Puerto Rico at a time it was not popular. She was principled and determined to speak the truth through the media.” Vionette Negretti wrote for such mainstream newspapers as “El Mundo,” hosted a radio show, worked as a newscaster for a local TV station and published historic novels featuring heroes of the independence movement. “Her pro-independence views in those days,” says Negretti, “were sometimes taken to mean anti-American and pro-communist. I grew up learning to fight for the truth no matter what the consequences.” She doesn’t talk much to her mother about work but senses that Señora Negretti thinks her daughter might better use her skills for the battles at home in preparation for the 2012 referendum on Puerto Rico’s status. “She might have mixed emotions that I’m not doing what I’m doing here back home, but she accepts the choices I’ve made.” Giovanna and her two brothers spent their earliest years in Vieques, a coastal town near a munitions range used for decades by the U.S. Navy until recent protests shut it down, and moved with their mother to the capital after her father abandoned the family. She attended Catholic schools and spent two years at the University of Puerto Rico before transferring to Emerson College — a move that was inspired by a visit to Boston with her brother, who was then studying at the University of Bridgeport. “I was in love with Robert Parish from the Celtics and decided I wanted to go to school here.” Not just because of the Big Green, but for politics and art — the masks of drama and political science. The cold climate and cool reception at first dimmed her ardor for the codfish capital. “It was really not welcoming when I came here. I worked three jobs, had no friends, no money and was way behind in my language skills. It was incredibly lonely.” But she stuck it out, dragging herself back to the Hub after infrequent visits to the narrow calles and sea-swept 32
Exhale • Fall 2010
aromas of San Juan. “I was getting packed and ready to leave Boston for good when two things changed my life,” she says. “The first was a call from Sen. Dianne Wilkerson offering me a job as a legislative aide. The second was that I had been planning to take exams to go to law school in Puerto Rico but I mixed up the date and ended up missing any chance to take the test.” Negretti’s work with Wilkerson taught her the basic blocking and tackling of the political process, both in the legislature and out on the streets. Her experience at the Statehouse and in grassroots political organizing made her a natural choice for ¿Oiste?’s founding director when a group of Latinos, concerned about the
I’ve also had to learn when to hold it back.” Her willingness to go to the media to press her cause didn’t always win friends, but she used the tool effectively and in the process became one of the few boldfaced names in Latino politics in Massachusetts. By 2005, Negretti had earned a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, served on the executive committee of the National Boricua Human Rights Network, and coordinated humanitarian delegation visits to El Salvador, Ecuador and Cuba. But it was her work training women in Serbia, Macedonia, the Dominican Republic, Malaysia and Iran that most inspired the current phase of her career. During a surreptitious visit to Tehran in 2008, she met women activists in basements to share her insights into political organizing. “They didn’t have any funds but I jumped at the opportunity, paying for the trip myself,” says Negretti, who slipped into the country posing as a tourist. “We couldn’t have more than 10 people in a room at the same time. It was very dangerous. Many of them had been jailed and tortured for such things as just collecting signatures for a petition.” Many of the women she met with were active in the protests that broke out in Tehran last year. For all her curiosity about other people’s lives, Negretti says little of her current social life, other than to acknowledge that she recently married and went on a quiet honeymoon with a spouse she’d rather not name. She readily acknowledges her love
lack of Hispanic civic participation in the Bay State, launched the organization in 1999. Negretti eased ¿Oiste? into the political process by starting off with non-partisan candidate trainings for Latinos, then ramped up to provide leadership development and advocacy efforts. In 2002, Negretti formed six regional councils in cities with large Latino populations. ¿Oiste? channeled resources into 12-week training sessions — called “Despierta” (“wake up”) — to teach members about the political process. Its success drew outside resources to form the Initiative for Diversity in Civic Leadership. In cooperation with Suffolk University, ¿Oiste? offered 16-week sessions in the nuts and bolts of campaigning and holding public office. Negretti took to the harder edge of politics by joining challenges to the 2002 districting plan led by then House Speaker Thomas Finneran and filing a federal voting rights lawsuit against the city of Lawrence — one of seven such successful actions filed by ¿Oiste? under her tenure. “I learned from my mother how to hold a glove to the face,” she says, “but
of dance — especially the old school “Nuyorican” salsa of Hector Lavoe and Ismael Rivera, with its big band rhythms and narrative lyrics — and admits to an interest in running for office some day. With the emphasis on some day. “Giovanna has had a huge impact on not just Latinos but on politics in general in Massachusetts,” says Avi Green, executive director of MassVOTE, a partner with ¿Oiste? in a number of voting rights and organizing efforts. “She’ll continue to have an impact wherever she goes.” “This is a woman who went to Iran at her own expense to teach Iranian women how to stand up to their government,” adds Bates. “They risked their lives and she risked her life to strengthen their ability to seek justice. Giovanna will continue doing that for other communities around the world. But at some point, I expect to see her running for office.” Negretti’s gold hoop earrings shake back and forth. “Who knows?” she asks with a dismissive laugh and the unstudied gaze of an around-the-way girl. “There’s plenty of time for that.” ◊
& Communities
Committee on
Women
Healthy
By Brian Wright O’Connor
T
he number one reason for teenage girls dropping out of school is pregnancy. In this tightening economy, with education more than ever determining social stability, the lack of a high school diploma consigns young mothers to lives of limited choices. Initiatives to keep young women in school, particularly urban teens who face the toughest challenges of all, are simply not keeping up with the times. Boston’s teen-pregnancy rate, after a decade of declining or remaining flat, has inched up by close to 4 percent in the past few years. But the teen-parenting policy for the Boston Public Schools pre-dates the fall of the Berlin Wall. The guiding document, consisting of a three-page directive from Court Street, encourages school-age parents to continue their education but does little to provide the counseling and resources needed to 34
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keep young mothers in the classroom. After Ayanna Pressley was elected to an at-large seat on the Boston City Council last fall, she rounded up support from fellow councilors to launch a new committee to address gaps in city policy relating to such critical issues as teen parenting, access to comprehensive health care, substance abuse, mental health and domestic violence. The new standing panel, the Committee for Women and Healthy Communities, launched its first hearing in the spring with an examination of Boston’s teen-parenting policies. The objective was to propose a detailed overhaul of school-based approaches to keeping young mothers on the pathway to a diploma. In the usually staid council chamber at City Hall, more than 100 young women, family advocates, school administrators and medical professionals stacked the gallery to speak out for an expansion of services to expectant teens.
The chamber sat hushed as Tameisha Daniel, who got pregnant at 16, described the challenges of becoming a young mother and getting an education. “I didn’t know I was pregnant until I was two-and-a-half months along and I’m not the person who figured it out,” she said. “My mother came home from work one day with a pregnancy test in tow. She knew before I did and [I] still don’t really know how.” Fortunately for Daniel, she had her mother’s support and a Boston Medical Center program called “Teens and Tots” to help see her through the birth of a healthy daughter. Others are not so lucky. The girls who fall in between the cracks, who face daunting new responsibilities largely alone, are the focus of the committee’s planned reforms. “In the midst of a major education overhaul, it was irresponsible not to address teen pregnancy,” says Pressley, the first woman of color elected to a citywide seat. “Because of a lack of guidance counselors and social workers in the schools, teens often drop out before anyone even knows they’re pregnant and then they’re sent into a tailspin.” Nationally, one third of female students who drop out of school cite pregnancy as a reason. The incidence is highest among Latinas. Hispanic teens in Massachusetts give birth to six times as many babies as whites. Young mothers, who often
get pregnant for the wrong reasons, are less likely to have sufficient family and community support systems to keep them in school and are more likely to end up on public assistance. Pregnant girls, often alienated from their parents, abandoned by their boyfriends and ostracized
by their peers, soon discover that expectant motherhood — and maternity itself — can be more of a challenge than a blessing from heaven. Especially when going at it alone, getting adequate pre-natal care, paying for diapers, formula, clothes and other necessities, and having a plan for life beyond birth are stumbling blocks that grown
women with partners often find troubling. Support programs exist in the schools, but they’re scattered and poorly coordinated. Comprehensive sex education addresses prevention but not retention, particularly in cases where girls drop out before anyone knows they’re pregnant. A report from the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy calls for a fresh approach to family engagement for young mothers, for whom even a small boost in self-esteem can provide sufficient motivation to return to school. “We have to reach out to the drop-outs and not focus just on the girls still in the classrooms,” insists Pressley. “We need re-engagement centers within the schools to track down and reach out to the girls who have left the classroom in order to bring them back in.” The committee has received a commitment from the Boston Public Schools to work together to reshape, refine and re-focus scholastic teen-parenting policies. The battle for resources to add substance and not just rhetoric to the new approach has yet to be fought. “Ayanna is not going to give up,” says City Councilor John Connolly of his committee colleague. “When it comes to a vision for empowering women and helping the families of our city, she is a true champion.”
a healing
By Sandra Larson
Quilting has long been known as a uniquely American tradition, but for one Haitian-born doctor it’s become a way of life Ten years ago, Boston physician Michele David had to interrupt a busy career after she was diagnosed with a rare and debilitating illness. “I couldn’t really work,” David, 54, said. “I couldn’t write, or even read, because I was too ill. It was very scary.” But it was during that two-year period that she discovered a joyful pursuit. Not accustomed to being idle — even in illness — she enrolled in a quilting class. She learned to sew as a child in her native Haiti, but had never tried quilting before, in part because the traditional American folk art had not attracted much attention on the Caribbean island. She took to the craft with the same sort of commitment that has earned her several academic degrees — and the amazement of her friends and colleagues. On one of the first days of the class, David recalls, the instructor advised the students to keep realistic goals. “This is a class for beginners,” David recalls the instructor telling 36
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the class. “No one can make a large quilt.” Quite naturally, David made a large quilt. “You can see how competitive I am!” she said as her low voice gave way to a deep, hearty laugh. “I guess that’s why I went into medicine.” Around that time, an exhibit called “Oxymoron” at the New England Quilt Museum opened her eyes to the world of contemporary art quilts, and she was hooked. More important, quilting helped her heal. “I wanted to do handwork because I couldn’t think, I couldn’t concentrate,” she said. “That process [of making a quilt], I think, helps your brain heal faster when you have difficulty concentrating, so you can come back to your full self. Within two years I was able to regain everything back.” She returned to full-time medical work, and even expanded her roles to health care advocacy and youth mentoring — but never stopped quilting. Her quilts have been exhibited in more than 30 shows locally and nationally.
art therapy coordinator and professor at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., a leading institution for art therapy training. She said more than 100 Lesley students are now engaged in art therapy internships in the Boston area, working in schools, community centers and hospitals. Byers, a licensed mental health counselor, cited the ongoing AIDS Quilt project as one of the most well-known examples of creative expression in a time of loss. “[Quilting] heals because it’s soothing, meaningful and insightful,” she said. “I think of it as reconnecting fragmented parts.” While David does not formally merge her artistic and medical work, she recommends artistic pursuits to her patients on occasion, and recently advised an ill friend to “make a quilt, from start to finish” to help regain mental strength, she said. And she described a community-building project in which she helped sixth-graders create a quilt together. “That was also very healing,” she said. “One of the children, who had had a lot
This fall, six of David’s quilts are part of an exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell. “African-American Quilts Today: A Celebration of Motherhood, Sisterhood & the Matriarchs” is curated by Dr. Pearlie Johnson, professor of Africana Studies at University of Missouri-Kansas City and an expert in the history of African American quilts. Johnson said she was attracted to David’s quilt “Church Ladies,” that shows four women in elaborate hats. “I look at the traditions that have developed wherever black people landed, and the aesthetic similarities,” she said. “Michele really brings it home in terms of the Atlantic diaspora. She may be in the States now, but her frame of reference has been shaped by the traditions of Haiti.” The quilters in this show may not know each
other, Johnson said, but they have similarities in what their work is about: “Black women dressing up, feeling good about themselves, really being the women they actually are and feeling free to do that in church, no matter what they do for a living.”
A healing art
David discovered the healing power of art firsthand, but the idea is not a new one. Art therapy is a tool increasingly employed in mental health and medical fields. And a number of prisons in the United States and England run quilting programs to reduce anger and foster a sense of accomplishment in inmates. Art therapy is expanding especially fast in areas of trauma and aging, said Dr. Julia Byers,
of trauma in Haiti, never talked. I was teaching him to make a self-portrait in the quilt — and the largest feature was his mouth. That made the principal realize the boy really wanted to talk.” David left Haiti as a teenager in 1974 to attend college and medical school in Chicago. After a residency in New York, she came to Boston in 1991 for a post-doctoral fellowship and has lived here ever since. But the ties with her homeland remain strong. Many of her quilts recall the bright colors of Haiti; the designs are often sparked by childhood memories. “Grandma in the Yard,” for instance, depicts an apron-clad woman using a wooden pestle outside a big house. “It reminds me of how I grew up in Haiti,” she explained, “where you have the chickens in the yard, and you’re cooking something on the fire.” Her work is focused on reducing health disparities in minority groups, and she has spearheaded many projects to increase access to culturally competent health care for the estimated 80,000 Haitians living in Massachusetts. And when the devastating earthquake rocked Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, David joined her fellow Haitians in fear and grief. p p.38 exhalelifestyle.com
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“I
Michele David is an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, an internist and director of community health programs at Boston University Center for Excellence in Women’s Health and co-director of the Haitian Health Institute at Boston Medical Center. She has worked on health policy as a member of the state’s Public Health Council and the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Universal Health Access Task Force, and on patient advocacy training as a Soros Fellow with Health Care for All. She also chairs the board of Youth and Family Enrichment Services. She holds a medical degree from University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine as well as a master’s in public health from Harvard Graduate School of Public Health and a master’s in business administration from University of Illinois. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Quilt on page 37 is “Erzulie Dantor II.” Quilts on this page are “Market Day,” (top) and “Creation: and God Created the Earth.”
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Exhale • Fall 2010
t was heartbreaking,” said David quietly, her voice cracking a little. “I was frantic, trying to call Haiti. It took three weeks to hear about all my family. And we kept hearing about the extent of the damage, so that was mind-boggling.” But she saw clearly that for others, it was worse. “I had patients coming, who were losing family members, or whole families — mother, father, siblings, children — dead,” she continues. “So I was trying to provide support for that. People were calling our offices, frantic for help. And I’m a member of an organization of Haitian physicians, here and in Canada, so we were organizing physicians to cope with the medical disaster.” A few weeks after the quake, and again in August, she put aside her own grief and traveled to Haiti to provide medical care in the midst of chaos. Earlier this year, David was honored with the 2010 William A. Hinton Award. Named for the first black professor at Harvard Medical School, the annual award by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health honors leaders in
into an inviting gallery, with every wall holding paintings or quilts. The paintings she purchased on trips to Haiti. The quilts are, of course, her own creations. “Yes, they’re all over,” she said, chuckling at the over-abundance. She offered freshly brewed tea, then a tour. “I call this one ‘Market Day,’ because it reminds me of the market women in Haiti,” she said, turning to a quilt whose design sprang from a square of fabric crowded with dark-skinned female figures. “The fabric tells me what it wants to be.” She does not readily talk about herself — a common trait of Haitian people, she explained — but her quilts reveal pieces of her life: people, nature, favorite landscapes, political leanings. A small quilt she created in response to the Iraq war includes the phrase “Dissent is patriotic” along with a lovely bouquet of flowers. She said she typically makes four to six quilts per year, each one taking “a few days to quite a few months,” depending on the details. With a full schedule of treating patients,
improving health care to communities of color. “Michele David has more degrees, and credentials, and awards … than a large family of people would normally have,” said Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach, before enumerating her credentials and accomplishments at the May 13 award ceremony. Among the audience was a small fan club of David’s friends from the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Brookline, including Madeline Fine, an artist who has collaborated with David on artistic and service projects for the church. “She’s a hero to me,” said Fine. “I’ve known her for 15 years, but I had no idea how deeply involved she is in so many things.” She described David as “quietly vocal” in the church about social causes such as women’s and Haitian issues but humble about her achievements. “And I love her laugh,” Fine added. “Her laugh embodies her. She’s got gusto for life.” At the end of the award presentation, Auerbach gestured toward an array of quilts covering the table and podium. “In addition to all her other credentials, she is the artist who created these,” he said, and the audience broke into applause.
teaching, working on policy issues and mentoring Haitian teens, it’s hard to fathom where she finds time to create. And indeed, in this year of crisis in Haiti, she’s made only a single quilt so far — one she had promised for a June exhibit in Henderson, Ky. But she can’t push art aside completely. For her, it’s not a luxury. Without quilting, she might be unable to go on healing others. “My work is really intense, and the quilt centers me and calms me down,” she said. “I get in a zone when I quilt, almost a Zen-like state. It’s my meditation. “That’s why I’m still able to work.” While David isn’t aware of any formal art therapy in place right now for trauma survivors in Haiti, an American-run quilting program has turned out to be of some small help. PeaceQuilts is a Massachusetts-based organization founded in 2006 to help Haitian women gain economic self-sufficiency by teaching them to make quilts and sell them to customers in the U.S. and Canada. The organization’s director, Jeanne Staples, reports that after the earthquake, quilting served an additional purpose. “We found that quilting in the aftermath of the quake has been very therapeutic,” Staples said. “For the women to come together, to work together on a task they are jointly involved with — it has been a sort of support group.”◊
“The fabric tells me what it wants to be.”
A new Haitian tradition?
Quilting has become a significant part of David’s life. She has turned her modern townhouse
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Exhale • Fall 2010
Photography by Ian Justice, www.ianjustice.com wonderfulmachine.com • Makeup Mariolga, Team Artist Representive
Playwright
Lydia R. Diamond
A Chicago transplant talks about her transition to the East Coast, her mission as a writer, and the challenges of juggling a creative career with
motherhood.
By Sandra Larson Playwright Lydia R. Diamond dazzled local theatre audiences and critics last spring with “Stick Fly” at Boston’s Huntington Theatre, in a production extended by popular demand, following on the heels of “Harriet Jacobs” at Underground Railway Theatre in Cambridge. On the surface, the two plays couldn’t be more different. “Harriet Jacobs” is historical, a chilling window into a slave girl’s life, based on slave Harriet Jacobs’ actual autobiography. “Stick Fly” is contemporary, a razor-sharp comedy of manners set in the summer home of an affluent African American family, the LeVays. Over a weekend, the patriarch, his two sons, their girlfriends — one black, one white — and the daughter of the family maid hash out issues of race and class at a furious pace. But no matter what the setting, Diamond’s scripts bring people of color to the stage, and through their conversation, examine the themes that impassion her: race, class, gender and sexual dynamics. Many of her characters are thoughtful, smart African American women with a flair for words. They are not unlike Diamond herself, an assistant professor of Theatre Arts at Boston University with a degree from Northwestern University and a resume that lists some 40 productions of seven different plays over the past decade — with an array of awards for most of them. On a muggy summer morning, Diamond stood tall and lean in a black sundress in the kitchen of her Cambridge condominium, waiting for a tray of croissants to warm in the oven. Her husband John, a Harvard professor, finished brewing a pot of coffee and exited the scene. They had just sent their 6-year-old son Baylor off to a day at summer camp. Pouring coffee, the playwright pondered a question: Does she see herself in her characters? “They’re all little pieces of me and of people I love,” she said over the clink of spoons and cups. “I see myself mostly in their flaws. And I can celebrate the flaws in a way I can’t do in life.” p page 42
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“Stick Fly”
protagonist Taylor, for one, the fiancée of the younger LeVay brother, is a passionate, educated young black woman raised by a college-professor single mother. Taylor is sensitive, and a thinker, but harbors deep resentments and occasionally blurts out brutally frank diatribes even against people with good intentions, such as the other brother’s white girlfriend, Kimber. While Diamond sees herself in Taylor — not least in the fact that Taylor has found a kind, intelligent, gentle black man to marry — she can let Taylor rant aloud in a way Diamond says she’s never done. Settling on a living room sofa, long legs tucked under her, she talked about growing up with her college-professor mother, moving from one university town to another after her parents divorced when she was 3 years old. An only child, Diamond loved to read, especially
“My mother and I used to read to each other. We read “Roots,” and we’d say, ‘As soon as it gets better, we’ll go to sleep. ” She said, ruefully, “We were up until midnight a lot of nights.” aloud.
She also read to her dolls, who served as early tools for the future writer. On stage recently with other local playwrights in a panel discussion at Lesley University, Diamond told the audience she learned to create dialogue by having her Barbie dolls talk to each other. Even now, she said, “I have people talking in my head, and I transcribe it.” She grew up steeped in the value of reading, education and music. Her grandparents had master’s degrees and were teachers and musicians, she said, gesturing to their pictures on the piano. The array of family photos new and old also includes one of a great-grandfather who was a slave and a minister. At Northwestern, Diamond studied acting before finding her calling in playwriting, earning a degree in theatre and performance studies in 1991. She met her husband-to-be shortly after, as he was earning his Ph.D. in sociology there. They married and lived in Chicago, where she began her theatrical career. The couple moved east in 2004 when John took a teaching job at Harvard. By that time, Diamond’s plays had already been produced in prominent Chicago theatres. But in Boston, she had to start anew, working to gain recognition in the local theatre scene and at the same time caring for 6-month-old Baylor. It was a difficult and isolating transition. “I went from being playwright-about-town and educator to being faculty wife and new mother, without the buffer of my own community and my 42
Exhale • Fall 2010
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very close girlfriends,” she recalled. She soon broke into the local scene. The Huntington Theatre selected her for their 2006 Playwriting Fellows program. She began teaching at Boston University’s School of Theatre. And Company One, a Boston theatre company known for its focus on diversity, approached her to produce “The Bluest Eye,” her adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel of a
black girl in 1941 Ohio yearning for the blue eyes that would make her visible to the society around her. “Lydia is a real treasure in Boston,” said Shawn Lacount, Company One’s artistic director. “She mixes a sense of high academia with beautiful storytelling.” Company One also produced Diamond’s “Voyeurs de Venus” in 2008, in which a young black anthropologist examines the infamous exploitation of Saartjie Baartman, a 19th century African woman brought to Europe to be a sideshow attraction. “We’re interested in serving a young, urban, diverse population, and her work speaks to that group,” said Lacount. “She’s so smart, her work is so rich and layered and complicated — and she’s so funny.” Diamond doesn’t always mean to be so funny. But it seems she can’t help it, eliciting laughs at post-show talkbacks and panel discussions as well as through her scripts. With “Stick Fly,” she was dismayed by the laughter.
“I remember opening night, I realized, ‘I think I’ve written a comedy!’ I thought I had written a multi-layer, searing investigation of family dynamics and class and race, in a structure that was much more traditional than anything I’d written,” she said. “And then I thought, wow, this is really a comedy — and then I felt misunderstood.”
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But critics saw both the wit and the wisdom; the Boston Globe called the play “thrillingly substantial” and “acutely observant, laugh-outloud funny, achingly painful, and complicated as only real human stories can be;” the Boston Phoenix compared it to a cocktail of “equal parts Cosby and cultural anthropology, with a splash of [Eugene] O’Neill.” While Diamond garnered professional recognition in Boston, at home she was adjusting to the discovery that her son is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. It was an “emotionally challenging” struggle, she said. Diamond rarely discusses the autism publicly, but realizes that being open about it could help other parents. “I was just getting the diagnosis when Holly Robinson Peete was featured in a magazine, talking about her son’s
autism,” she said. “It was the first time I’d heard a celebrity talk about it, and that was hugely comforting to me.” Like anyone juggling work with motherhood, Diamond negotiates a constant balancing act — and harbors occasional guilt. Her “mommy guilt,” she said, is largely about having a career that requires travel. “It’s hard,” she said, lightly brushing her fingers against the hollow of her throat as she spoke, her brow furrowing, “It’s just weird to get on a plane and travel in a direction opposite from your kid. It never feels right.” It helps that her husband is a full partner in childrearing, she said, and that their work schedules are relatively flexible. “Another thing that’s been helpful to me is being transparent about [parent duties] with people I’m working with,” she says. “And not being apologetic.” Several years ago she was invited to a writers’ retreat and she arranged to bring the baby and a nanny along. “They put them up in an apartment across the street,” she explained. Pause. “It was actually fabulously not successful,” she said, perfectly deadpan before bursting into heartfelt laughter. “It didn’t work so well! … but it was a good lesson in knowing what to ask for.” During these years of relocation and transition, she has been less prolific in her playwriting. This frightened her, but she’s starting to see the dip as a natural progression. “Part of it is just growing up,” she said. “I think I just got old enough to know that I don’t know everything.” She laughed at this, and then sobered. “My plays, which came out of this great sense of conviction, have to come from somewhere else, and I’ve had to grow into what that other place is.” She’s even changed her look to mirror her rebirth of sorts. Last year, she cut off her waistlength dreadlocks. She went straight to the extreme opposite, to her current close-cropped cap of hair. The transformation was practical, as the heavy locks threatened to thin her hair, but also very symbolic. “I’d had the locks for 20 years, and there was an almost frightening feeling of euphoria when I cut it all off,” she said. “Spiritually, there was something good about cutting off the last five years. It felt liberating to kind of start over.” It struck her recently that at 41, she has already outgrown her protagonists. So she’s revising her mission to match that reality. “I want to put grown-up black women on stage with really meaty stuff to play — sexy, complicated, flawed, funny,” she said. “We have amazing women who happen to be over 40 and I want to write some roles for them.” ◊ exhalelifestyle.com
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VOL. 4 • NO. 8
Against the odds Thanks to significant medical advances over the years, Americans diagnosed with cancer are living longer with the once dreaded disease.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AUGUSTA WILLIAMS
Say this about Augusta Williams: she is fearless. Like the time she faced down a robber who invaded the beauty parlor where she stopped to have her hair done. Williams is equally combative when it comes to her health. Diagnosed with bone cancer in 1984 and breast cancer four years later, Williams plans to celebrate her 70th birthday — and almost 30 years of survival — next year in Australia. But don’t ask her about being a “survivor” of two different forms of often fatal cancers. “I’m a thriver,” she said. “I’m at a level of happiness and joy that I had not experienced before. I’m moving on with my life.” Indeed, thriving appears to be an operative word these days when it comes to living with cancer. As one of the most feared diseases, cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. Because of significant medical advances, survival rates have improved dramatically over the years. As of January 2006, for instance, the National Cancer Institute Augusta Williams insists she is not a cancer survivor; she is a (NCI) estimated that more than 11 million people — or almost 4 percent of the population — had survived cancer. thriver. Williams battled both bone and breast cancers more than 20 years ago — and won. Furthermore, roughly 14 percent of those survivors had lived 20 years or more after their diagnosis. Cancer is still no joke. It is the second leading cause of sachusetts is 10 percent higher than that for whites, and death in this country and is now the leading cause of death roughly twice the rate for Hispanics and Asians. in Massachusetts. Blacks are the hardest hit by the disease. The numbers on disparity are similar across the counThe death rate from cancer in African Americans in Mastry. Blacks have the highest death rates in the four most
A radical solution
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© April 2010
common cancers — lung, breast, prostate and colorectal — as well as several less common cancers. The causes of the disparity are many — lack of access to good care, lack of insurance, delayed diagnoses, fear and denial. And, unfortunately, misperceptions. A recent survey conducted by the American Cancer Society found that as many as 41 percent of the respondents clung to myths that pain medications were ineffective in treating cancer; that surgery caused the cancer to spread throughout the body; and that there is a conspiracy to withhold a cure in order to allow medical institutions to continue earning profits. Though generally considered to be more in tune with their bodies, women are also prone to misperceptions. Ask them to name the leading cause of death among women and they are likely to respond “breast cancer.” But that is incorrect. In fact, more women die of coronary heart disease — the leading cause of death — than the top ten cancers in women combined. But heart disease doesn’t have the same negative cloud that surrounds cancer. It’s so bad that many refuse to say the word “cancer,” and prefer terms like “the Big C” or “the C word.” Dr. Christopher Lathan, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute specializing in lung cancer, admits he gets a bit frustrated. What’s worse than the misperceptions, Lathan says, is that blacks are less inclined to seek timely treatment for cancer and are slower to recognize the symptoms or understand how to prevent it. His recent research bore that out. Lathan and his coresearchers found that blacks are less likely to link lung cancer with smoking and think that pain or other symptoms must occur before a positive diagnosis can be made. There is one problem with these perceptions — they are all wrong. “At least 85 percent of all lung cancers are caused by tobacco,” said Lathan. “And lung cancer is the number one cancer killer.” Furthermore, while many cancers are silent for years Williams, continued to page 4
is completely different from the cancer detected in the colon. As a matter of fact, there are more than 100 different cancers; breast cancer alone has more than seven. Put simply, cancer is an unnecessary proliferation of cells, the body’s basic unit of life. Normally, cells grow and divide in an orderly fashion to keep the body sound. Even a scratch or cut sets this process into motion to replace the damaged goods. Cells also grow old and die. But every now and then problems arise. New cells form when the body does not need them or old cells refuse to go when their time is up. These extra cells form tumors. Some of them are benign, which means they can grow but do not spread to other parts of the body. Once removed, they seldom come back. A malignant tumor, on the other hand, is cancerous. These cells grow out of control, and invade and destroy tissues around them. What’s worse, they can break off, travel through the bloodstream and wreak havoc on other parts of the body. While overweight, obesity and lack of exercise are highly correlated to several types of cancers, including postmenopausal breast, endometrial (uterine) and colon cancer, the importance of healthy eating cannot be overlooked. Certain foods are protective for overall good health. The reason for this protection is a bit radical — literally. There is a constant process of building, dismantling and re-building of molecules to help the body function properly. Sometimes the process goes awry and results in an unstable molecule — or free radical — that hunts around for an acceptable partner to bond. The problem is that the free radical can do its share of damage during the search, most notably to the DNA, the body’s blueprint. A damaged DNA can result in a mutation, which can in turn result in cancer. But all’s not lost. The body has a defense system to stabilize the free radicals. A cadre of organisms called antioxidants devours the free radicals. Radicals, continued to page 4
© May 2010
Osteoporosis:
run in families. Osteoporosis, or porous bones, is characterized by a decrease in bone density that leaves those affected more vulnerable to lifethreatening fractures. Bone density refers to the amount of calcium, other minerals and protein packed in bone. According to Dr. Sherri-Ann M. Burnett-Bowie, an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, on average, black women have a higher bone density than white women, but that does not offer complete immunity. The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) has determined that 5 percent of black women aged 50 and older as compared to 20 percent of white and Asian women aged 50 and older are estimated to have osteoporosis. But Burnett-Bowie cautioned that some experts estimate the prevalence among black women is closer to 11 percent. The frequency in men is smaller — 4 percent and 7 percent in black and white men, respectively.
Aging bones need youthful attention
On average, black women have a higher bone density than white women, but that does not offer complete immunity.
Dr. Sherri-Ann M. Burnett-Bowie
As side effects go, this one flew below the radar. Hope White, 45, knew she needed strong doses of steroids to wage her battle against a particularly virulent case of lupus. But she didn’t give much thought to the fact that those treatments to combat her auto-immune disease would make her susceptible to weakened bones. In fact, when her doctor suggested that she — a young black woman — could acquire osteoporosis — a condition that hits mostly aging, white women — she was almost amused. “I’m too young,” White remembers saying after her doctor recommended a bone density test to check for the disease. “I’m not white, and I’m not frail.” Fortunately, her doctor insisted and ordered the first of three bone tests. Sure enough, White was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Like most people, White didn’t pay much attention to the
Hope White, shown above and with her son, Narai (left) was diagnosed with osteoporosis after longterm treatment with steroids for lupus. (Ernesto Arroyo photos) health of her bones. Fortunately, the Surgeon General did and in 2004 delivered a sobering report that more than 10 million people across the country had osteoporosis and another 34 million were at risk. And the costs were — and remain — significant. Treatment for fractures resulting from osteoporosis amounts to about $18 billion a year, and fractures are just the beginning of the medical problems. Twenty percent of older people who sustain osteoporosis-related hip fractures die within a year, and those who survive can experience a downward spiral in their health. Most at risk are thin, older white and Asian women, but men and black women are not exempt. Although more prevalent in people over the age of 50, osteoporosis can strike at any age. The disease also tends to
The threat of osteoporosis is greater in blacks than expected, White learned, largely because of the long-term use of medications, such as steroids, to treat illnesses prevalent among African Americans. Asthma, arthritis, lupus and some cancers are examples of diseases where some of the treatments increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. Indeed, there’s not much amusing about osteoporosis at all. Studies have indicated that death rates following osteoporosis-related hip fractures are higher in blacks than in whites. Complications of pneumonia, blood clots and poor circulation take a hefty toll. Misperceptions are part of the problem. Because many blacks believe that osteoporosis is not a threat, they are not looking for it, and worse, some doctors aren’t looking for it either. In one study, doctors from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that significantly fewer African American women were tested for osteoporosis than their white counterparts, a surprising statistic given that both groups evaluated shared similar risks. Another group of researchers found more bad news. Many blacks treated at Howard University Hospital were not tested for the disease — even in the presence of bone fractures commonly associated with osteoporosis. Bone is composed of collagen — a type of protein — and calcium, which combine to give bones strength and flexibility. White, continued to page 4
More calcium, vitamin D key to healthy bones Dr. Sherri-Ann M. Burnett-Bowie, an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, readily admits aging bones come with the territory. “If we live long enough,” BurnettBowie said, “chances are we will eventually suffer some bone loss.” And that means trouble for those who choose to ignore the risks and fail to take preventive measures to combat osteoporosis, or low bone density, and other bone diseases. The key is to start early in life when bones are developing in strength and size. To further that goal, the federal Office on Women’s Health, for instance, has developed a program called “Best Bones Forever!” that encourages girls to get active
in their health at an early age and consume foods high in calcium and vitamin D to maintain healthy bones throughout their lives. That’s because one of the biggest culprits in bone deterioration — and one of the most modifiable — is the lack of calcium and vitamin D. National nutrition surveys indicate that most people consume less than half of the minimum recommendations. “Both men and women should consume enough calcium and vitamin D throughout life,” Burnett-Bowie said. “Not just when you get older. Additionally, while osteoporosis affects women predominantly, roughly one-third of broken bones due to osteoporosis occur in men.” Calcium is the most common mineral Bones, continued to page 4
Active Growth
Children and teens
Slow Loss Mid-30s
Rapid Loss
After menopause
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Less Rapid Loss Seniors
After about age 30, you begin to slowly lose bone mass. This loss accelerates the first few years following menopause, and continues at a slower pace in older men and women.
Bone Growth/Loss
As a registered dietitian at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Stacy Kennedy has heard it all before. She knows most people are busy. She knows processed foods are convenient and cheaper. But she also knows that a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables can help prevent cancer and ultimately, save lives. “Eating certain foods may decrease the risk of cancer or the aggressiveness of a current cancer,” Kennedy says. When it comes to fighting cancer, lifestyles matter. Just ask the Washington, D.C.-based American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). The Institute contends that eating a plantbased diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, can help ward off many cancers. Add exercise and weight control to the mix and one third of all cancers each year in this country could be avoided, according to the AICR. Dr. Christopher Lathan, an oncologist at DFCI agrees. “There are certain lifestyle choices we can make to benefit us,” he said. “But you can still do those things and get cancer.” He stresses, however, that when a person follows a healthy lifestyle, “the odds are in your favor.” Though shrouded in many misperceptions, the science on cancer has become clearer over the years. First of all, it is not one disease. The cancer detected in the prostate
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Women’s Health
‘I thought I was safe...’ higher rate of cervical cancer, this visit has Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Sanchez the potential to really benefit these teens.” had heard about human papillomavirus The HPVs are a group of over 100 — HPV — but didn’t think much about the types, each of which is designated by a sexually transmitted virus. What she didn’t know is that by adultsingular number. HPVs cause warts, or hood, over 80 percent of women are or papillomas, and are very common. have been infected with the virus at some It is estimated that over 6 million point in their lives. people are infected each year in the United What is more States. More than 50 percent of the alarming is that Sanpeople who have chez wouldn’t even had sex will at some have known about point have the virus, HPV’s high infecand the majority of tion rate unless she those people will be had attended a forum designed to make between 15 and 25 young women aware years old. of HPV and its link The numbers are to cervical cancer. more troublesome for Sanchez and — Natasha Labbe young women. Dr. Bigby pointed out 22 other women that girls who begin from Teen Voices, having intercourse a Boston-based before the age of 16 are twice as likely to denonprofit girls’ organization, learned a great deal about HPV after their recent visit velop HPV than those who have intercourse to Brigham and Women’s Hospital with Dr. after age 20. She also explained that women who JudyAnn Bigby. “I wanted [the girls] to get engaged have more than five sexual partners in their lifetimes are much more likely to contract in a relevant health topic,” said Dr. Bigby, who is the director of community health HPV as well. “I thought I was safe,” said Natasha programs at Brigham and Women’s. “And Labbe, a recent graduate of Boston Latin with African American women having a
“
Why isn’t there more awareness about HPV? Why did I never know about this?
”
Breast Cancer Ollie Cunningham took every precaution she could. Given her family history, she knew she was at a higher risk to contract cancer. Her mother and two of her sisters had already been diagnosed with some form of the disease. Cunningham didn’t wait until she turned 40 years old to have an annual mammogram, as recommended by the American Cancer Society. She started her testing at the age of 25 and, for the next 35 years, she was vigilant
Two women struggle for survival
with her self-examinations and annual screenings. She knew that mammograms could often find lumps too small to detect by hand. She also knew if cancers were found at this stage, the chances of recovery were more successful. Last January, 60-year-old Cunningham went to her screening and received the news that she had been dreading for decades: she had a lump in her breast. “The doctors told me I would not have found [the lump] on my own because it was so small,” she recalls. “If
The Breast and Cervical Cancer Gap Breast Cancer
School who has not been sexually active. “Why isn’t there more awareness about HPV? Why did I never know about this?” Closing the information gap is a major priority for Dr. Bigby, and, as A member of Teen Voices studies HPV under a microscope. such, the next stop for the teens was the cytology lab. Cytology is the branch of biol- Cases of cervical cancer in the developed ogy that deals with the study of cells. world have dropped from one of the top For the most part, HPVs are harmcancer killers to under two percent of all less and look worse than any real medical estimated cancer deaths in women in 2006. threat. But some HPVs, specifically HPV Between 1975 and 2003 alone, the strains No. 16 and 18, can lead to cerviage-adjusted incidence and mortality rates cal cancer. The Pap smear is one effective for cervical cancer dropped by 200 percent screening test for finding HPV. for white women and over 300 percent for black women. Developed in the 1920s by Dr. George The key is early screenings. In many Papanicolaou, Pap smears enable doctors to underdeveloped countries, where Pap detect and diagnose suspicious cells before they become cancerous. If left unchecked, the smears and condom use are not readily suspicious cells can turn to cancer and cancer available, cervical cancer remains a leading could then invade other parts of the body. cause of death in women, causing more At the time, the medical community than 270,000 deaths annually. was slow to embrace Dr. Papanicolaou’s The statistics in the United States are findings. But the use of Pap smears survived also illustrative of the importance of early the initial scrutiny and its use over the years diagnosis. The five-year survival rate of has resulted in an incredible medical feat. continued to page 4
Cervical Cancer
White women
Black women
White women
Black women
Incidence Rates
146.7
116.3
6.2
13.5
Death Rates
27.7
31.0
1.8
4.5
Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. Standard Population, per 100,000 Source: Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Massachusetts 1998-2002: Statewide Report, Center for Health Information, Statistics, Research and Evaluation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, May 2005
I wasn’t having regular mammograms, I might not have found it until it was at an advanced stage.” Doctors ordered an ultrasound and a biopsy that revealed that Cunningham did indeed have breast cancer. “I was not okay,” she says struggling through tears. “The first thing I thought was ‘This is it. I’m going to die.’ My sister died of breast cancer and this is how I thought I would die too.” Cunningham’s fears were not unfounded. Cancer is the second highest cause of death in this country. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with a death rate second only to that for lung cancer. Because Cunningham’s tumor was found at an early stage, she was eligible for a lumpectomy, a breast conserving surgery in which only the tumor and surrounding tissue are removed. Cunningham had her surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and then completed her treatment of radiation and hormone therapy at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It was not easy, but so far
it seems that the treatment has been successful. Cunningham had her first normal mammogram and is in remission. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2006 roughly 275,000 new breast cancers will be diagnosed in this country, and that 15 percent of all female deaths from cancer will be attributed to breast cancer. The racial disparities are startling. While the incidence of breast cancer nationwide is 21 percent higher in white women, the death rates are 34 percent higher in black women. The statistics in Boston are similar — 95.3 percent of black women over the age of 40 report having had a mammogram compared to 91.7 percent of white women. Yet, black women had a 14 percent higher death rate from breast cancer. The reasons for the disparity between white and black women are under investigation. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that some young black women with certain genetic traits
continued to page 4
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Be Healthy is designed to help you take charge of your health. It’s up to you to know what screening tests you should have based on your age, gender, race and family history. And what it takes for a healthy lifestyle — exercise, a healthy eating plan and weight control.
Your health depends on You. For more information about Be Healthy, contact Karen Miller, Health Editor, at 617-261-4600 or kmiller@bannerpub.com
The Bay State Banner is committed to bringing reliable and understandable health information to our community to help end racial health disparities in Massachusetts.
WCVB-TV5 Newswomen Star in Staged Reading of ‘The MOMologues: Pink Ribbon Overdoseâ€? in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 100% of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Ellie Fund. Wednesday, October 27 6:00pm Hard Rock CafĂŠ Boston Cavern Club For Ticket Information: www.elliefund.org/pinkribbon or www.MOMologues.com
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Beauty Tips
Eyes
To get this look you will need a cream base eye shadow. For Lydia’s look I used Indelible eye cream in Moon Walk from define:beauty. Apply from the lash line to the crest. You can also add a pop of gold on top of the ball of the eye to open the eye a little. Follow with black eye liner along the lash line and plenty of black mascara.
Amazing day! My work is defined by taking a serious and brave look at the human contradictions that define us. As a team of skilled artists transformed me into a much glossier version of myself, I had to wonder at the contradictions. Most of my work, the writing, happens in a solitary space and is not glamorous in the least. Would images of me, grinning in a sequined dress and cowboy boots somehow undermine this work that I take very seriously? It was a fleeting concern, I mean, look at how much fun I’m having! I assure you one hour later I was back at my computer, and surprisingly still relatively deep, make-up and all. I did buy the leopard print coat. I will wear it when I give a talk at the Toni Morrison conference in Paris this fall.
Lydia R. Diamond
Lips
I used a nude/brown lip liner to add a little color to get lips full and topped it with lip gloss called Papaya from define:beauty line.
Cheeks
I prefer cream blushes. I like makeup that melts into the skin instead of sitting on top of the skin. For this look I used cream blush in Feisty from define:beauty. Apply on the apples of your cheeks and blend out toward your ears. For her skin I used a creme foundation Duo in Tan, using the lighter shade to highlight and the darker to contour. This foundation has a cream to powder finish that gives you enough coverage without the heavy feeling.
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Exhale • Fall 2010
Mariolga is not only a makeup art she’s develo ist, but ped her ow n line of ma — define:b keup eauty — th at can be fo Loft Salon u nd at The on Newbury Street.
Beauty Tips
Dr. Jeffrey S. Dover, M.D., FRCPC is a practicing dermatologist at SkinCare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and he is an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. He is also the author of the “Youth Equation.”
5. Stick with well-known brands 1. Cleanse
Brands like Olay, Neutrogena and L’Oreal Paris are a few of the well-tested and well-supported skin care lines.
Cleanse every morning and every evening with a cleanser of your choice. Never go to bed at night without removing your makeup.
6. Hats, sun protection are even more important than sunscreen
2. Prevent
Remember the old expression that I’ve taken liberty with: “Sunscreen is a girl’s best friend.”
Wear at least an SPF 30 every day and in the summer months re-apply at least every four hours. The sun is the worst offender when it comes to skin aging. You can’t do much to change your skin-aging genes (at least for now), but you can do a lot to prevent sun-induced skin damage.
3. Treat Don’t let any 12-hour period pass by without applying an anti-aging cream. In the morning, this can be done in combination with your sunscreen. At night apply a prescription retinoid (tretinoin); either Retin A or Renova. These creams have been shown to improve and reverse the skin aging process. While not magical, over time, they will produce significant and pleasing improvements in color, fine wrinkles, skin roughness, luster and overall texture.
4. Don’t chase every skin care pot of gold The price of a skin care cream is in no way reflective of quality. Some of the best skin care products are available at your local pharmacies or department stores for under $40 and in many instances under $20. Don’t be fooled by fancy marketing and expensive sales pitches.
7. Antioxidants, peptides, glycolic acid, growth factors & vitamin C Other than prescription retinoids, look for these other effective anti-aging ingredients.
8.Wear sunscreen & moisturize In the fall and winter months, don’t forget to wear sunscreen and keep your skin nice and moist as the cold air and central heating dry it out.
9. Sunglasses Help to protect the sensitive skin around the eyes from sun exposure. Be sure the lenses are UV protective. They also prevent cataract formation.
10. Don‘t be fooled by skin care myths Recent studies have shown that there is no need to drink eight glasses of water a day. Another myth is that self-tanners produce a tan that protects you from future sun exposure; they don’t. Facial exercises don’t make skin look younger. And finally, though they are fun and feel good, facials are not a replacement for good daily skin care.
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Quick Getaways
Exploring the Northeast by
Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia, PA
Boston, MA
Celebrate American history – and the fantastic views along the way – while visiting Amtrak Vacations’ most popular destinations in the Northeast. From the fascinating museums of Washington, D.C. to a family history lesson at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to Ellis Island in New York to the North End of Boston, spending the time to explore the historical cities of the Northeast is a great way to bring the history books alive!
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Exhale • Fall 2010
Washington, D.C.
Just over 400 miles south of Boston, and a six-and-ahalf hour ride aboard Amtrak’s hi-speed Acela Express, Washington, D.C. is a must see for all Americans. Though historic Union Station is the most visited tourism attraction in the District of Columbia, our nation’s capital is most known for its wide selection of monuments, memorials and museums. The best part: Most of the landmarks are free! The National Mall is an essential stop for any visitor, and is host to nearly a dozen Smithsonian Museums. Marvel at Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis at the Air & Space Museum. Tap away next to Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers at the Museum of American History. Explore the Butterfly Habitat at the Museum of Natural History. Just a short walk from the Smithsonian Museums are many of the country’s most beloved monuments and memorials. From the dizzying heights of the Washington Monument to the splendor of the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the unprecedented Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the inspiring World War II Memorial, these landmarks are sure to inspire. And don’t forget a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, the National Cathedral or the National Zoo. Washington, D.C. offers so much to see!
Philadelphia, PA
Just 90 minutes north of Washington, D.C. by Acela Express, Philadelphia served as our nation’s capital from 1790 – 1800, and is famous as the birthplace of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Independence Visitor Center is the perfect place to begin your visit. Here you’ll find maps, schedules of attractions, great places to eat and explore and a great family event every Saturday — “Breakfast with Ben” — where you enjoy a buffet breakfast hosted by Dr. Franklin himself! At the Adventure Aquarium, you can explore nearly 200,000 square feet of sea life and wildlife. Visit a West African River featuring hippopotamuses, crocodiles, porcupines and more than 20 species of African birds in a free-flight aviary. Surround yourself with sharks in a suspended 40-foot walk-through tunnel. Experience the wonders of the deep sea in the Jules Verne Gallery. And that’s all before visiting the Philadelphia Zoo, the oldest zoo in the United States. In an ironic twist, one of Philadelphia’s newest historic attractions is also one of its oldest. Franklin Square, one of the five public squares that William Penn laid out in his original plan for the city, has undergone a dramatic renovation. The park now boasts several all new, family-friendly attractions, including a miniature golf course, a classic carousel, storytelling benches, a picnic area and more. As you will see for yourself, Philadelphia offers so much more than cobblestone streets and historical landmarks, as cultural, culinary, artistic and ethnic treasures abound!
New York, N.Y.
Another 90 minutes north from Philadelphia brings you to “The Big Apple.” With a skyline that’s recognizable worldwide and more than eight million people from all corners of the globe who call it home, New York City is a one-of-a-kind destination. Whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth, there’s always something new to see and do. From world-class dining to shopping to nightlife to culture, New York City’s streets pulsate with an unmistakable rhythm that attracts more than 45 million visitors annually. A number of iconic stops belong on any visitors’ to-do list. The Empire State Building, Central Park, the Top of the Rock Observation Deck and the South Street Seaport — to name just a few — never fail to dazzle. Wall Street, Chinatown, Little Italy and Greenwich Village offer windows into the city’s past. For your photo op with the Statue of Liberty or a family history lesson at Ellis Island, take Statue Cruise’s official Liberty Island ferry. No trip to New York City is complete without sampling its cultural offerings at such world-class museums as the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Enjoy classical music, opera and ballet at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall or get your groove on at a Harlem jazz club. And, of course, don’t miss the chance to see the bright lights of Times Square and take in a Broadway show in the Theatre District. Aside from all of the above, New York is also a shopper’s paradise and features more than 20,000 restaurants! With so much to do, no wonder New York is known as the city that never sleeps!
Boston, MA
Just a three-and-a-half hour journey northeast from New York aboard the Acela Express, along the beautiful shores of southern Connecticut and through the quaint towns of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, brings us home to Boston. Opportunities for day trips abound from most local towns and cities. However, when was the last time you truly explored what Boston has to offer? Hop on a Duck Tour at the Museum of Science for fantastic views of both Boston and Cambridge from the Charles River. Experience Boston’s darker side on a Ghosts & Gravestones Tour. Walk the Freedom Trail with the help of a historically dressed guide. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the Boston Common. Take a tour of Fenway Park. With so much to see and do in our state’s capital, why not book a hotel and stay a night?
For more information and to plan your Amtrak vacation, visit www.AmtrakVacations.com. Paul O’Meara is Amtrak Vacations vice-president of sales & marketing.
Hell Gate Bridge image courtesy of Amtrak. Washington image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com/serengeti130. Philadelphia image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com/tongshan. Boston image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com_coleong.
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Financial Freedom
How
Planning Can Help You Fly to Where You Want to Go By Marcel V. Quiroga In his book “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World,” John Woods tells about his desire to use the financial success he has earned to build schools in developing countries and bring books to children in remote places where the opportunity for education is slim, if it exists at all. While undergoing this transformation from a high-powered executive to a full-time philanthropist, Woods is living with Sophie. An ambitious and talented woman, Sophie does not share Woods’ desire to be philanthropic. Her interest is to enjoy the world, not change it. Despite this difference in their objectives, Woods and Sophie share one common understanding — they both will need financial success to attain their goals. Woods points out in his book that financial success can be used and enjoyed in many different ways. The decisions we make about how to live our lives and how to spend our hard earned money reflect our values, priorities and interests. Of course it is essential to have sufficient funds to enjoy the freedom to live out our dreams. Both Woods and Sophie did well financially because of hard work and their participation in profitable opportunities. Most people would like to have the financial freedom to do the things they like and that are important to them. The wings to fly when and where you’d like to go are created by taking care of your financial health throughout your income producing years, and monitoring your financial condition thereafter.
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The Accumulation Stage
At every stage of a person’s financial life, meeting the basic needs is a common requirement. In the early years of our working lives it is also necessary to accumulate funds for retirement. Whether we want to travel when we retire or whether we want to help others, both goals require funds. During the accumulation stage, the focus is to save and to manage risk. In addition to financial market risks and concern for the economic environment, there is also the risk of becoming disabled or losing a spouse. When Woods was planning his life as a philanthropist, he was still working at Microsoft. He frequently reviewed his finances to determine how long he could live on the financial resources he had accumulated. At one point, after leaving his secure job, the price of Microsoft stock dropped from $40 to $20. As might be expected, this caused Woods to question the soundness of his plan. Unlike Woods, not many of us are in a position to leave our jobs before retirement age in pursuit of other interests. We might never be in that position. Most people are simply working hard to reach a point of financial independence that will allow them to retire or work less, and still live comfortably. Reaching financial independence is a turning point in people’s lives, where they go from living off a salary, to living off of savings and investments. With a holistic and dynamic financial plan in place, the probability of success increases many fold. The likelihood of running out of money decreases substantially.
A Financial Plan
A financial plan is a living document that helps people know when they can expect to become financially independent and what steps they can take to protect themselves on the journey towards their independence, as well as afterwards. During the accumulation stage, it also helps them prioritize things like delaying a vacation in Paris, in order to contribute the maximum allowable amount to their retirement account. Likewise, during the preservation and control stage, the one that comes once financial independence has been reached, a plan is a guide for decisions like buying a second or third home, giving away assets now rather than later, and setting up strategies to minimize taxes. The
financial impact of needing long term care is also considered at this time. Without a plan, people often take the “I’ll worry about that later” attitude, without realizing that “later” is really just around the corner. The level of planning needed varies with where we are in our lives. Those in Woods’ situation would plan to see if and when they would need to start making a salary again, what means they can count on for future retirement, and how they can leave the legacy they have been building in the care of the right people, and directed towards the causes that are most important for them. For those in the earlier stages of their career or a new profession, planning might be more focused on quantifying future after-tax annual spending needs, along with how much money is required to meet those needs for the rest of their lives, once they retire.
Financial Independence Most people will follow this financial timeline throughout their lives. They will begin by accumulating assets, and work for as many years as necessary to reach the point of financial independence. At this time, preserving the capital they need to live is a priority. Once they know that they are not going to run out of money, people are then ready to start directing their wealth to those persons, causes and organizations that are most important to them. Creating the legacy you want to leave behind is possible during this stage. You can actually design the kind of fingerprint you want to leave on this world. John Woods will no doubt be remembered for making a difference in the lives of thousands of children through his organization, Room to Read. For others, a legacy is giving their own children a college education, and not being a burden for them during old age. With a solid, yet flexible, financial plan that is updated regularly to reflect the changes in a person’s life, in the economy and in the markets, the possibilities are endless. Healthy finances are like a health body, they allow us to do what we dream of, to change our lives, and the lives of others. If you are financially fit, you might choose to fly to Paris or to climb the Himalayas. John Woods chose the latter.
Reaching f inancial independence is a turning point in people’s lives, where they go from living off a salary to living off of savings and investments. With a holistic and dynamic f inancial plan in place, the probability of success increases many fold.
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Delectable Recipes
Flour’s Famous Banana Bread
Joanne Chang Pastry Chef/Owner of
Flour Bakery + Café shares some of her delectable recipes from her upcoming cookbook Flour’s Famous Banana Bread Makes one 9-inch loaf
I remember grocery shopping with my mom and toting home large bags of overripe bananas when we found them on special for 10 cents a pound. Most of the time they were brown and spotty, but they were still pretty good for snacking. The problem was that they only stayed good for a day or two before they became too ripe to eat. Knowing this, my mom would encourage my brother, my dad, and me to “have a banana!” every time we were near the kitchen. My brother and I began to avoid the kitchen for fear of being accosted by Mom and her banana entreaties. In time, I developed this banana bread as a protection device for us. We loved it so much we sometimes found ourselves buying more bananas just to make it. I’ve continued to refine it since then, and today it is one of the hottest sellers at Flour Bakery + Café. It’s filled with lots of bananas and crème fraîche, and we bake it at a low temperature so it stays supermoist. We can hardly make it fast enough to keep up with demand. (And I’m sure our customers appreciate that we never ask them to eat our extra mushy bananas.)
1 ½ cups (210 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 60
Exhale • Fall 2010
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (230 grams) sugar 2 eggs ½ cup canola oil 3 ½ very ripe, medium bananas, peeled and mashed (about 340 grams or 1 ¹/³ cups mashed) 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup (75 grams) walnut halves, toasted and chopped Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or a handheld mixer), beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. (If you use a handheld mixer, this same step will take about 8 minutes.) On low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil. Don’t pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn’t deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. It should take about 1 minute. Add the bananas, crème fraîche, and vanilla and continue to mix on low speed just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture and nuts
just until thoroughly combined. No flour streaks should be visible, and the nuts should be evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours, or until golden brown on top and the center springs back when you press it. If your finger sinks when you poke the bread, it needs to bake a little longer. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then pop it out of the pan to let finish cooling. The banana bread can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, it can be well wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 weeks; thaw overnight at room temperature for serving.
Toasted-Coconut Cream Pie with Lime Whipped Cream Makes one 9-inch pie (serves 8) Flour is not a pie bakery (much to the dismay of my husband, who is a pie addict), but every year during the holidays we pull out all the stops and make pies in almost every flavor. This one is a late addition to our holiday roster that was prompted by the dessert menu at Myers+Chang, our pan-Asian restaurant. Coconut and lime are common Southeast Asian flavors, so I combined them in a made-to-order tart that has
off of the stove and pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof pitcher. Whisk in the vanilla, salt, and 3/4 cup (90 grams) of the toasted coconut. Pour into the baked pie shell, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until the filling is set. Pour the lime zest–cream mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium bowl) Stir in the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch. Fit the mixer with the whip attachment (or whisk by hand) and whip until stiff peaks form. Pile the whipped cream on top of the coconut filling, spreading it to the edges of the pie. Decorate the pie with the remaining 1/4 cup (30 grams) toasted coconut. The pie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Pâte Sucrée
Toasted-Coconut Cream Pie with Lime Whipped Cream Pastry Chef Joanne Chang opened Flour Bakery + Café in Boston’s South End in 2000. Since then she has opened branches in Fort Point Channel and Central Square. She is excited to be publishing her first cookbook featuring the best pastries from Flour and her other experiences. For more of her great recipes, buy her book at www.Amazon.com or www.Chroniclebooks.com.
become the most popular dessert at the restaurant. I adapted the tart for this pie, and it became one of the most popular holiday pies at Flour. As when making the tart, the components of the pie can be made in advance and then easily combined the day you want to eat it. That makes a great pie even better.
1 ¼ cups (300 grams) heavy cream 1 teaspoon lime zest (about ½ lime) 1 (14-ounce/392-gram) can coconut milk ½ cup (120 grams) milk ²/³ cup (140 grams) granulated sugar ¹/³ cup (40 grams) cake flour 1 egg 4 egg yolks ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup (120 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted Pâte Sucrée 9-inch pie shell 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch In a small saucepan, combine the cream and lime zest over medium-high heat and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat, pour into a small airtight container, let cool, and
refrigerate overnight. In a medium saucepan, scald the coconut milk and milk over medium-high heat (bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan, but the liquid is not boiling). While the milks are heating, in a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and flour. (Mixing the flour with the sugar will prevent the flour from clumping when you add it to the eggs.) In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the sugar-flour mixture. The mixture will be thick and pasty. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg-sugar mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly. When all of the milk mixture has been incorporated, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan, and return the saucepan to medium heat. Cook, whisking vigorously and continuously, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Make sure you get the whisk into the corners of the saucepan and that you are scraping the bottom often. First, the mixture will be thin and frothy; as it gets hotter and the eggs start to cook, it will get thicker and start to steam. Eventually it will start to boil, but because you will be whisking continuously (don’t forget to do that!) and because the mixture is so thick, it will be hard for you to know when it is boiling. Once it is thick, stop whisking for a few seconds and watch the surface to see if it starts to blub up. If it goes blub blub, you will know it has come to a boil. When that happens, whisk even more vigorously for 30 seconds, then immediately take the custard
Makes enough for one 9-inch pie shell ½ cup (1 stick; 112 grams) unsalted butter ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup (140 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 egg yolk Heat the oven to 350 degrees In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter, sugar, and salt together for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and light. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and paddle on low speed for about 30 seconds until the flour mixes in with the butter-sugar mixture. It will look like wet sand. Add the yolk to the dough with the mixer on low speed and mix until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. (At this point the dough can be tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If frozen, defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight before using.) Remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead it slightly to make it malleable if it feels stiff. Using a rolling pin, press the dough to flatten it into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Generously flour your work surface and the dough disk and carefully roll out the disk into a circle 10 to 11 inches in diameter. Make sure the surface you are rolling on is well floured so the dough does not stick to it; likewise make sure the disk itself is floured well enough to keep your rolling pin from sticking to it. Roll from the center of the disk outward and gently rotate the disk a quarter turn after each roll to ensure that the disk gets stretched out evenly into a nice circle. Don’t worry if the dough breaks a bit, especially towards the edges. You can easily patch these tears up once you’ve lined the pie pan. Once the dough circle is 10 to 11 inches in diameter, roll it around the pin and then unfurl it on top of a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough well into the bottom and sides of the pie pan and use any scraps or odd pieces to patch up any tears or missing bits. Make sure the entire pie pan is completely covered with dough and press one last time all the way around to ensure that any holes have been patched up. Trim the edge of the dough to make it even with the edge of the pie plate. Place the pie shell in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (and up to 1 day, well wrapped in plastic wrap, or up to 2 weeks in the freezer) to let the dough rest. Bake for 35 minutes, until the shell is golden brown all around. ◊ exhalelifestyle.com
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Managing Modern Relationships
with Cassandra M. Clay, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W I have a friend who always says she is stressed. She has a lot on her plate with a full-time job, single parenting two pre-teens, waiting for her divorce to be final and helping out her mom who has a chronic illness. I hear a lot of my friends use the word “stress.” How do you know when there is too much stress?
Stress is a normal physical and emotional response to events that either upset our balance in some way or make us feel threatened. Stress is not always bad. In small doses, it can get us to complete tasks we have been putting off, force us to study harder for an exam or mobilize us to take action against a social injustice. However, both stress overload and chronic stress are more problematic. Your friend sounds like she could be suffering from stress overload, which results when too many events have upset our usual balance. Stress overload can disrupt systems in our body causing both physical and emotional changes. We cannot make all stressful events go away. The key is learning both how to identify and manage the stress. People handle or manage stress differently. Some research has shown that those who are most successful at managing stressful situations have the following: • A strong network of supportive family and friends — the more isolated you are, the greater vulnerability to stress. • A sense of confidence in yourself and your ability to influence events — the more you feel or experience your life being controlled by others, the more vulnerable you are to stress. • An ability to tune into one’s emotions — those who are able to identify the mind-body connection seem able to move more quickly to stress reduction strategies. • Stress tolerant individuals have been found to have optimistic attitudes — in addition, research indicates they often have a sense of humor, accept change as a part of life and believe in a higher power or purpose. • Knowledge and preparation — the more information you can get about a stressful situation, such as a medical diagnosis, divorce proceedings or holiday with extended family, the better you can prepare in advance and have some sense of what to expect.
My sister-in-law recently had a miscarriage. She did not come to the family reunion with my brother this year. She says it is hard being around the family, particularly those of us who have children. I don’t think it is a good idea for her to avoid being with her family. I am hoping to visit with her soon. What can I say to her to get her to change her mind? A miscarriage is a profound loss and is taxing both physically and emotionally. While the physical healing may take a few weeks, the emotional healing usually takes much longer. Often after a pregnancy loss, a woman may have numerous feelings including sadness, disbelief, jealousy and anger toward other pregnant women or couples with children. These are normal emotions associated with loss. Often in the case of miscarriage, there are not the usual types of rituals associated with death, such as wakes, funerals and services to honor the deceased. These types of rituals generally provide an opportunity for the family to grieve and support each
other as an extended family unit in a more public manner. Pregnancy loss on the other hand is often done quite privately leaving the woman or couple feeling isolated and alone. • Avoid telling your sister-in-law that she needs to move on, that she can always have other children, that everything will be fine the next time, that this was God’s plan. These comments have a way of diminishing the pregnancy loss. • Ask if there is anything you or other family members can do to honor the loss of the child. • Short e-mail or text check-ins to your sister-in-law might be easier for her to respond to than phone calls or visits. • Be mindful that grieving and healing takes time and everybody goes through this experience differently and in a different time frame. • Avoid giving her advice on how she should grieve and let her have the space to work through her feelings. exhalelifestyle.com
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Cultural Calendar 64
October 14-17
Thru October 17
“WICKED” The Musical
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One is born with emerald green skin, while the other is beautiful, ambitious and popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for “the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time” (USA Today). Boston Opera House 800-982-2787 www.broadwayacrossamerica. com/boston
Photo courtesy of Gene Shiavone
Mark Morris Dance Group
Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus
October 6-17
Thru October 9
Program includes world premiere commission and Q&A with Mark Morris will follow Friday performance. Cutler Majestic Theatre www.celebrityseries.org
October 15
Belle & Sebastian “Alice Vs. Wonderland”
American Repertory Theatre 617-547-8300 www.americanrepertorytheater.org
October 9 Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus
“ROCK OF AGES” A New Musical
A small town girl meets a big city rocker and in LA’s most famous rock club, they fall in love to the greatest songs of the 80s. Don’t miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on! Boston’s Colonial Theatre 800-982-2787 www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/boston
October 7
MUSIC - The Boston Conservatory String Ensemble Andrew Mark, conductor Corelli: Concerto Grosso, op. 6, No.4 in D Major Mendelssohn: Sinfonia No. 2, D Major Vivian Fine: Romantic Ode Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings Boston Conservatory Theater, FREE 8 p.m. www.bostonconservatory.edu/tickets
October 7-10
Girls Night: The Musical
The Wilbur Theatre 246 Tremont St., Boston Thurs., Fri., Sun., at 7:30 p.m., Sat at 4 p.m. Tickets $45-65 800-745-3000 www.ticketmaster.com
Exhale • Fall 2010
Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre 617-482-9393 www.citicenter.org
October 15
Hugh Masekela - legendary trumpeter from South Africa
“One of the most thrilling live performers around!” - Rolling Stone Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston 8 p.m. www.worldmusic.org
October 15-17
The Fall Boston Home Show
Celtic Thunder
The Bayside Expo Center 800-533-0229 www.thebostonhomeshow.com/generalinformation/default.asp
Celtic Thunder features five male vocalists from Ireland and Scotland who perform powerful ballads, heartwarming songs of love and loss from across the Celtic music spectrum — Irish, Scottish, traditional and contemporary. Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre 617-482-9393 www.citicenter.org
Oct. 15-November 14
October 10
October 16
Featuring live entertainment and hundreds of street vendors. Harvard Square, Cambridge www.harvardsquare.com/Events/2010/ October/The-Thirty-First-Annual-Oktoberfestand-Honk-Festi.aspx
A children’s opera by John Davies set to the music of Offenbach and Rossini. Kirsten Z. Cairns, director. The Boston Conservatory Seully Hall, FREE Noon and 2 p.m. www.bostonconservatory.edu/tickets
The Thirty-First Annual Oktoberfest and Honk Festival
“CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION” A New Comedy
Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts 617-426-5000 www.bcaonline.org
OPERA - Children’s Opera: Little Red’s Most Unusual Day
October 16
October 23-24
Dr. William Cutter (Chorale) and Michael McGaghie (Women’s Chorus), conductors Barber: Under the Willow Tree Barber: To be Sung on the Water Brahms: Liebeslieder Waltzes Seully Hall, FREE 8 p.m. www.bostonconservatory.edu/tickets
617- 868-6200 www.hocr.org
MUSIC - The Boston Conservatory Combined Chorus
The 46th Head of the Charles Regatta
October 26
October 17
“Bus Stop”
The Huntington Theatre 617-266-0800 www.huntingtontheatre.org
October 20
Exchange: Artist Talk (FREE)
The curator of La Galeria and participating artists will discuss their work and participation in EXCHANGE, a collaboratively curated exhibition of works in a variety of media including sculpture, ceramic, pain, print, collage, drawing, sound, and video. Themes such as identity, culture, art history, modes of communications, technologies, artistic processes, and collaboration will be explored. Villa Victoria Center for the Arts 85 West Newton Street, Boston 6-8 p.m. 617-927-1742 www.VillaVictoriaArts.org
October 22-24
Thru October 29
“CABARET” The Musical
American Repertory Theatre 617-547-8300 http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org
Mummenschanz
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts 2 Southbridge Street, Worcester 508-770-0374
October 27-31
October 30
The 23rd Annual Steppin’ Out for Dimock Gala
The evening will feature internationally renowned and locally celebrated artists from R&B, Jazz, Gospel, Latin, Folk, Bluegrass, Swing and Big Band. Westin Copley Place 101 Huntington Avenue, Boston www.dimock.org/steppinout
October 31 Rubberbanddance Group
“An authentic, serious new voice in dance … an exciting, seemingly improbable fusion of hip-hop, ballet and modern dance.” – Los Angeles Times Institute of Contemporary Art 100 Northern Avenue, Boston www.worldmusic.org
October 23
Photo courtesy of John Marcus
Aftermath (Boston Premiere)
A compelling look at the changed lives of Iraqi civilians who escaped in the wake of the United States invasion of Iraq. Jessica Bland and Erik Jensen, award winning creators of The Exonerated, traveled to Jordan to find interview 35 people who fled the chaos and violence. Paramount Theatre www.artsemerson.org
October 28 Buika
Hailed as the “Flamenco Queen,” Concha Buika is the daughter of political refugees from African nation of Equatorial Guinea and grew up in a Gypsy neighborhood on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston www.worldmusic.org
Chucho Valdes with The Afro-Cuban Jazz Messengers
Multi Grammy Award-winner and founder of the rhythmically innovative Latin jazz bank Irakere, pianist Chucho Valdes has been hailed by the New York Times as the “dean of Latin jazz” and “one of the world’s great virtuosic pianists.” Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston 8 p.m. www.celebrityseries.org
Djavan
Recognized as one of Brazil’s biggest musical stars, he fusses bossa nova, samba and Bahian rhythms with jazz, pop, funk and R&B. Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston www.worldmusic.org
November-mid-March Skating at Frog Pond
www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org
Frog Pond Skating School
www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org/skating_school.htm
Skating birthday parties at Frog Pond
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Cultural Calendar 66
November 11
Veteran’s Day Parade
Come view the patriotic parade complete with local marching bands and citizen floats. The parade will begin at the corner of Beacon and Tremont Streets at the Boston Common.
November 12-December 12 “Vengeance Is the Lord’s” The Huntington Theatre 617-266-0800 http://www.huntingtontheatre.org
November 11- 21
Petrushka (Boston Premiere)
November 18 - December 23
Master Puppeteer and Guggenheim Fellow Basil Twist spins new magic around the legendary Ballets Russes production. It’s the story of a tragic love triangle between three magical creatures; the clown Petrushka, the alluring Ballerina and the dashing Moor.
Paredes En Fuego: The 2010 IBA-Cacique Youth Art Show
Paramount Theatre www.artsemerson.org
Exhale • Fall 2010
Photo courtesy of Richard Termine
Paredes En Fuego is an annual exhibition dedicated to showcasing voices of the young artists from the IBA Cacique Youth Learning Center. In this exhibition, works range from technology-based designs to fine art techniques, while exploring issues such as social awareness and personal identity. This show will further engage the participation of the artists in the curatorial process. Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, Opening Reception (FREE) 85 West Newton Street, Boston 6-9 p.m.
617-927-1742 www.VillaVictoriaArts.org
November 19
William Cepeda & Puerto Rican Explosion (FREE)
Composer, arranger, producer, trombonist and “cultural daredevil” William Cepeda brings his Puerto Rican Explosion to Boston for an evening of exciting ancestral traditions and explosive Jazzinfused Puerto Rican Funk. Born to the legendary Cepeda family, he’s considered musical icon, known for his cross-cultural musical experiments and his deeply-rooted commitment to AfroPuerto Rican culture. Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, FREE 85 West Newton Street, Boston 8 p.m. 617-927-1742 www.VillaVictoriaArts.org
November 19, 2010 - March 13, 2011 Mark Bradford Institute of Contemporary Art
Bradford’s collage-layered paintings poetically express the energy and poetry of life in the city, particularly L.A. www.icaboston.org
November 20-February 13
Fresh Ink: Ten Takes on Chinese Tradition
Contemporary Chinese ink painters engage in dialogue with classical artworks from China’s past. Museum of Fine Arts
Scullers Jazz Club Cambridge, MA • www.ScullersJazz.com
October 8-9 NAJEE
October 14-15
ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY
November 26-27
ARTURO SANDOVAL
December 3-4
WALTER BEASLEY
Radio City Christmas Spectacular
November 20
Straight No Chaser Originally formed more than a dozen years ago, this male a capella group has reassembled and reemerged as a phenomenon with a massive fan base. Straight No Chaser is the real deal – the captivating sound of 10 unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense … and with a sense of humor. Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre 617-482-9393 www.citicenter.org
November 26-December 31
Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” The Opera House 617-695-6950 www.bostonballet.org
Direct from New York, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the world-famous Rockettes, makes a triumphant return to Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre! Most famous for their eye high kicks and precision dancing, the Radio City Rockettes thrilled over 350,000 Bostonians in 2004 and 2006. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this glamorous production. Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre 617-482-9393 www.citicenter.org
December 5
The Everyone Loves Latkes Party Harvard Square, Cambridge www.artsboston.org/event/detail/52049
December 11
Blind Boys of Alabama
December 1-January 8 “The Blue Flower”
American Repertory Theatre 617-547-8300 www.americanrepertorytheater.org
Since meeting at the Talladega Institute for the Blind in 1939, the Blind Boys of Alabama have thrilled audiences worldwide with their gospel songs. Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston www.worldmusic.org
December 16-January 30
Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus
“JERSEY BOYS” The Musical
“TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!” raves the New York Post for JERSEY BOYS, the 2006 Tony Award®winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide — all before they were 30! Boston’s Colonial Theatre 800-982-2787 www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/boston
December 3-19
First Night Boston, the original citywide festival of art and culture, is the country’s oldest and largest New Year’s Eve celebration. On Friday, December 31, 2010 from noon to midnight, First Night presents its 35th annual day-long festival of art, music, dance, ice sculpture, and more. First Night is an alcohol-free event that welcomes children, families and revelers of all ages to celebrate community and unity through the arts. Photo courtesy of Petr Metlicka
Urban Nutcracker 10th Anniversary
Urban Nutcracker captures the essence of a multicultural blending of sound and movement with its interpretation of the 19th century fairy tale classic. Urban Nutcracker’s cast of professional dancers and richly talented and diverse youth of Boston, seamlessly combine ballet, swing, hip hop, step and urban tap with the classical score of Tchaikovsky and the unforgettable beat of Duke Ellington. Wheelock Family Theatre. www.balletrox.org
Visit us at Decemberexhalelifestyle.com 3-29
Some of the exciting activities you can expect to see at First Night 2008 include: • Over 1000 artists and 250 performances at over 40 venues throughout the city; • Large-scale outdoor performances and displays, such as interactive/visual installations, including Commissioned Sculptures, Performance, Visual Arts and much more; • The Family Festival at the Hynes Auditorium, featuring entertainment for kids, including face painting, interactive installations, storytelling, music, dance and performances. • Performance and visual arts programming, including music, theatre, dance, poetry, film, outdoor artwork and multimedia installations throughout Boston; • Cultural institutions open to people with First Night buttons. Past participants include Old State House Museum, Children's Museum, Harrison Gray Otis House, ICA, MFA, Museum of Science, New England Aquarium; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; • Dozens of evening concerts and dance parties featuring live performances by notable jazz, popular, classical, folk, country, rock and world music artists. • A dazzling midnight fireworks display over Boston Harbor All First Night outdoor events are free, though supported by sales of the First Night button, which is the ticket for admission to all indoor events. Buttons are $18 (children under 4 admitted free) and will be available at Boston-area Shaw’s and Star Markets and dozens of other locations. For a complete list of advance sale locations or to buy buttons online, visit www.firstnight.org. Buttons are available at a special web price of $15 at www.firstnight.org through Dec. 24. For more information, visit www.firstnight.org.
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resource Directory HEALTHCenters
Allston / Brighton ST. ELIZABETH’S HEALTH CARE AT BRIGHTON MARINE HEALTH CENTER
77 Warren Street Brighton 02135 617-562-5200 http://www.caritas-semc.com JOSEPH M. SMITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
287 Western Avenue Allston 02134 617-783-0500 http://www.josephsmith.org
Boston BOSTON HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS PROGRAM
780 Albany Street Boston 02118 857-654-1000 http://www.bhchp.org FENWAY HEALTH
1340 Boylston Street Boston 02215 617-267-0900 http://www.fenwayhealth.org MGH BACK BAY HEALTHCARE CENTER
388 Commonwealth Avenue Boston 02215 617-267-7171 http://www.massgeneral.org/backbay MGH NORTH END COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
332 Hanover Street Boston 02113 617-643-8000 http://www.massgeneral.org/northend
SIDNEY BORUM JR. HEALTH CENTER
CODMAN SQUARE HEALTH CENTER
130 Boylston Street Boston 02116 617-457-8140 http://www.sidneyborum.org
637 Washington Street Dorchester 02124 617-825-9660 http://www.codman.org
Brockton
DORCHESTER HOUSE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER
Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
1353 Dorchester Avenue Dorchester 02122 617-288-3230 http://www.dorchesterhouse.org
63 Main Street Brockton 02301
Cambridge Cambridge Health Alliance Women’s Health Center
1493 Cambridge Street Cambridge 02139 617- 665-2800
Charlestown MGH CHARLESTOWN HEALTHCARE CENTER
73 High Street Charlestown 02129 617-724-8135 http://www.massgeneral.org/ctweb
Chinatown SOUTH COVE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
885 Washington Street Boston 02111 617-482-7555 http://www.scchc.org
GEIGER-GIBSON COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER Harbor Health Services Inc.
250 Mount Vernon Street Dorchester 02125 617-288-1140 HARVARD STREET NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER
632 Blue Hill Avenue Dorchester 02121 617-825-3400 http://www.harvardstreet.org NEPONSET HEALTH CENTER Harbor Health Services Inc.
398 Neponset Avenue Dorchester 02122 617-282-3200 UPHAM’S CORNER HEALTH CENTER
415 Columbia Road Dorchester 02125 617-287-8000 http://www.uphamscornerhealthctr.com
Dorchester
East Boston
BOWDOIN STREET COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
EAST BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER
230 Bowdoin Street Dorchester 02122 617-754-0100 http://www.bowdoinstreethealth.org
10 Gove Street East Boston 02128 617-569-5800 http://www.ebnhc.org
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resource Directory Framingham
ROXBURY COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
Framingham Community Health Center
435 Warren Street Roxbury 02119 617-442-7400
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/ heart/other/chdblack/cooking.pdf http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/ heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
WHITTIER STREET HEALTH CENTER
Alliance Foundation for Community Health/ Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge
19 Concord Street Framingham 01702 508-370-0113
Jamaica Plain BROOKSIDE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
3297 Washington Street Jamaica Plain 02130 617-522-4700 http://www.brighamandwomens.org/ primarycare/offices/brookside.aspx MARTHA ELIOT HEALTH CENTER
75 Bickford Street Jamaica Plain 02130 617-971-2100 http://www.childrenshospital.org/locations SOUTHERN JAMAICA PLAIN HEALTH CENTER
640 Centre Street Jamaica Plain 02130 617-983-4100 http://www.brighamandwomens.org/ primarycare/offices/sjphc.aspx Mattapan MATTAPAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
1125 Tremont Street Roxbury 02120 617-427-1000 http://www.wshc.org
South End
http://www.challiance.org Boston Medical Center
http://www.bmc.org Community Servings, Boston
http://www.servings.org
SOUTH END COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
Haitian Public Health Initiative, Boston
1601 Washington Street Boston 02118 617-425-2000 http://www.sechc.org
http://newroutes.org/haphi
Springfield
Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, Dorchester
Caring Health Center
1145 Main Street Springfield 01103 413-739-1100
Worcester
Hallmark Health Systems, Malden
http://www.hallmarkhealth.org
http://www.harvardstreet.org Massachusetts General Hospital
http://www.mgh.harvard.edu Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), Boston
http://www.maps-inc.org
Family Health Center of Worcester
26 Queen Street Worcester 01610 http://www.fhcw.org
1425 Blue Hill Avenue Mattapan 02126 617-296-0061 http://www.mattapanchc.org
Roslindale
Healthy Eating
CHOLESTEROL National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health
HEALTHREsources
MedlinePlus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus American Heart Association
Greater Roslindale Medical and Dental Center
http://www.heart.org
4199 Washington Street Roslindale 02131
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
Roxbury THE DIMOCK CENTER
55 Dimock Street Roxbury 02119 617-442-8800 http://www.dimock.org
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Interactive Tools and Tutorials
BLOOD PRESSURE National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/ heart/other/chdblack MedlinePlus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov
Healthy Eating
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/ heart/other/chdblack
DIABETES Centers for Disease Control And Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/ index.htm
resource Directory National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
Massachusetts Community Health
Holyoke Health Center, Springfield
http://www.hhcinc.org
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov
Services, Brockton
http://www.massleague.org
Risk Tests for Diabetes
http://www.diabetes.org/risk-test.jsp http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/ hccpquiz.pl?lang=english&func=home &quiz=diabetes Video: Blood sugar and insulin
Steppingstone Incorporated
http://www.steppingstoneinc.org Baystate Medical Center Comprehensive Breast Center, Springfield
http://baystatehealth.com
http://www.ndep.nih.gov
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
http://www.komenmass.org Mercy Medical Center, Springfield
http://mercycares.com North Adams Regional Hospital/Reach
http://www.mayoclinic.com African Americans and Diabetes
Massachusetts Affiliate of
Gandara Center, Springfield
Community Health, North Adams
http://gandaracenter.org
http://nbhealth.org
CANCERREsources
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
http://www.komen.org Whittier Street Health Center, Roxbury
http://www.wshc.org YWCA Boston
http://www.ywcaboston.org YWCA Malden
http://www.ywcamalden.org Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc.
http://fhcw.org Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Inc.
http://www.glfhc.org Lowell General Hospital
http://www.lowellgeneral.org Lynn Community Health Center
http://lchcnet.org YWCA of Greater Lawrence
http://www.ywcalawrence.org
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resource Directory Women’s Imaging at Berkshires
Mayo Clinic
Medical Center, Pittsfield
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ breast-cancer/DS00328
http://www.berkshire healthsystems.org National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/ cancertopics Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
http://www.dana-farber.org/pat/ adult/breast-cancer
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/index.htm
CERVICAL CANCER
http://www.massgeneral.org Risk assessment of breast cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool Siteman Cancer Center
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervicalcancer
http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl. edu
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Centers for Disease Control
American Cancer Society
and Prevention
http://www.cancer.org 800-ACS-2345 (227-2345) 617-565-7400
National Cancer Institute
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast MedlinePlus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ medlineplus
National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov 800-4-CANCER (422-6237)
www.dana-farber.org/cervicalcancer http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/cervical Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical Prevent Cancer Foundation
http://preventcancer.org/education2c.aspx?id=1828 Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
http://www.massgeneral.org/conditions/condition. aspx?ID=88&type=conditions Brigham and Women’s Hospital
http://www.brighamandwomens.org
COLORECTAL CANCER American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/colonandrectumcancer/ index Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
http://www.dana-farber.org/pat/adult/ gastrointestinal-cancer/default.html National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal 800-4-CANCER MedlinePlus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/ coloncancer/htm/index.htm
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resource Directory Tutorials Colonoscopy
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/ colonoscopy/htm/index.htm http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colonoscopy/ MM00010 Digestive System
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/digestive-system/ DG00021
EXERCISE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ everyone/guidelines/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ everyone/getactive/index.html
Come and
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ everyone/measuring/index.html
experienCe the power of Stott pilateS
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ everyone/health/index.html Videos for Strength Training
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ everyone/videos/index.html Strength Training for Older Adults
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ growingstronger/index.html Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
http://www.dana-farber.org/can/monthlyspotlights/cancer-and-exercise American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com The Basics of Exercise
http://www.myexerciseplan.com/assessment
At three locations within: • Boston Athletic Club, 653 Summer Street, MA 02210 • Dedham Health & Athletic Complex, 200 Providence Highway, Dedham, MA 02026 • Healthtrax, 100 Simsbury Road, Avon, CT 06001 www.C2Pilates.com
Mention this ad and receive an additional 10% off Introductory Package
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Women Organizations Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts serves more than 45,000 girls ages 517 and 17,000 adult volunteers in the 178 communities we serve in Eastern Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.hergirlscouts.org or call 888-9-Girl Scout.
Healthworks Foundation The Healthworks Foundation is dedicated to providing high-quality fitness opportunities for women and children in Boston’s lowincome communities to prevent and treat lifestyle-related chronic illness and promote overall health and well-being. The Foundation also partners with community health centers and other nonprofit organizations in the Greater Boston region, which address the needs of women and children in the areas of health, wellness and athletics; violence prevention and survival; and economic empowerment through financial contributions and volunteer efforts. For more information, please visit www.healthworksfoundation.org.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure Massachusetts The Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is committed to 100 percent screening and 100 percent access to care for all in the Commonwealth. At this time education, screening and treatment are the best tools we have to reduce mortality from breast cancer. We are focused on meeting the needs of those who are underserved and/or lacking insurance. Our success is made possible through the passion, dedication and generosity of our many supporters. To learn more, please visit www.komenmass.org.
The women’s center The Women’s Center is a community resource, to be used and contributed to by as many women as possible. The Center’s goals are to foster empowerment and social justice in a multicultural space that is safe, warm, respectful and comforting to all women and their children. We strive to provide healing opportunities; celebrate women’s voices, victories and survival; and encourage women to become advocates for themselves and others. To learn more, please visit us at 46 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 or www.cambridgewomenscenter.org.
YWCA Founded in 1866, YWCA Boston is America’s first YWCA. For more than 140 years, YWCA Boston has worked to eliminate racism and empower women. Today’s YWCA provides critical services in the community. They include mobile health and wellness education for women and girls; breast cancer survivor support; adult interracial community dialogues; youth/police dialogues; and financial literacy programs for women. YWCA Boston sponsor’s Boston’s Academy of Women Achievers and an annual, city-wide, Stand Against Racism Day. YWCA provides housing for single women at its Berkeley Residence. To learn more about YWCA Boston, please visit www.ywcaboston.org or follow the organization on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Young Black Women’s Society The Young Black Women’s Society, Inc. (YBWS) leads and empowers women and girls of color, helping them to develop their personal and professional lives by providing tools and access through social activities, professional development, civic engagement, leadership development and mentoring. YBWS currently has 70 active members from the Greater Boston Area, ranging from ages 24-44 years old, representing a wide variety of professions and industries. For more information, please visit www.ybws.org or email info@ybws.org. 74
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