Women's LifeStyle Magazine - December 2020 - Alita Kelly, Khara DeWit - Southeast Market

Grand Rapids|Holland|Grand Haven

DECEMBER 2020

Alita

Kelly

Khara

Dewit

FOOD

LOCAL WOMEN, INSPIRATION, LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY

FR EE

EQUITABLE

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Contents

DECEMBER 2020 ISSUE # 273

womenslifestyle.com

PUBLISHER Women’s LifeStyle, Inc CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

FEATURES 8

Andrea Wallace, Renaissance Woman

Danea Mather

10

South East Market, Equitable Food

Michelle Jokisch Polo

22

Everyday Athena - Erin Fisk

Allison Arnold

Ethnic and Cultural Festivals in Greater Grand Rapids EthnicFestivalsGR.com

Michelle Toren Ruth Vanstee

Steve Lasater, M.D.

FOOD & DINING 18

Vonnie Woodrick

Your Favorite Holiday Recipes — with a Healthy Twist

PHOTOGRAPHY August Nyson Kevin Huver

LEARN & DO 5

Join In!: Community Volunteer Opportunities

15

Her Legacy: Helen Aston Williams, Lady Newspaperman

17

Reader’s Lounge

Two Eagles Marcus WOMEN’S LIFESTYLE, INC PRESIDENT Two Eagles Marcus SALES sales@womenslifestyle.com (616) 951-5422

HEALTH 6

Accepting Change, Even When It’s Difficult

16

Ask The Doctor: Can You Explain What PRP is?

23

How to Develop Healthy Social Media Habits

CALL (616) 458-2121 EMAIL info@womenslifestyle.com MAIL 3500 3 Mile Rd NW, Ste A Grand Rapids, MI 49534

IN MEMORIAM Victoria Ann Upton Founder 1955 - 2018 To extend an uplifting, inclusive and vibrant invitation to enjoy life, every day, in our community.

ABOUT THE COVER Alita Kelly and Khara DeWit South East Market Photo by Two Eagles Marcus

4

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

Spotlight on Community Initiatives

Join In

Sponsored by Grand Rapids Community Foundation

Community Food Club

The Community Food Club helps increase food security on the Southeast Side of Grand Rapids. There are a variety of ways to get involved at the Community Food Club that supports our mission to promote food security in Kent County.

Volunteers are key to creating a shopping environment that is dignified, respectful, and safe for all. Visit, communityfoodclubgr.org.

Literacy Center of West Michigan

Volunteer with the Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities, an organization that seeks to “enrich the lives of neighborhood youth through diverse and engaging programs” through the Cook Art Center and Cook Library Center. There are opportunities to lead art, music or dance lessons, as well as assist students with homework and literacy, mentor, or lead STEM-related activities. To apply, visit gaah.org/volunteer.

Growing Roots

Work alongside an adult learner in our community as they improve their reading, writing and English language skills. Visit literacycenterwm.org/ volunteer to learn more.

Children’s Healing Center

Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities

The Children’s Healing Center works with local businesses, colleges and universities, medical centers and other nonprofits to create holistic services for sick kids. Volunteers are always needed, scheduled and on-call, at the center. To help out, visit childrenshealingcenter.org.

Growing Roots is a farm that provides a natural setting for those with developmental or cognitive challenges, such as autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental illness and cognitive impairments. There are many ways to volunteer on the farm, as well as donate money to the cause. The organization’s main needs, listed on the website, are help with spreading the word and funding for future programming. Head to wegrowroots.org to learn more and fill out a volunteer application.

Our future is bright.

Melanie Orozco-Zavala Union High School Class of 2020, Challenge Scholar

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

Hats off to all graduates who followed their dreams and are ready to become tomorrow's leaders.

Congratulations, Class of 2020! grfoundation.org 5

Accepting Change, Even When It’s Diff icult

BY VONNIE WOODRICK

“E

verything happens for a reason” was a phrase I heard much too often following the death of my husband. I knew people had good intentions, but that comment never sat well with me. I couldn’t rationalize many situations throughout my life, especially the reason as to why my kids had to grow up without their dad.

The one constant in life is change; life is continuously bringing us to where we are supposed to be. Sometimes that change can be incredible and exhilarating, such as when we fall in love, move to a new place, start a new job or when we become a parent.

The devastation of unexpected change can put you in a tailspin, leaving you not knowing which way is up, which direction to go or wondering how you will ever get through the pain. What do we do when we are sailing through life so smoothly, to suddenly meet a tsunami of change that cripples us emotionally, mentally and physically? How can one move through an unexpected announcement of divorce, financial devastation, watching a teen spiral downward? It’s at these times we question and are angered by the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason.”

6

Without change, there would be no growth.

were meant to live, even when it’s extremely difficult.

I think of the butterfly. In the process of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, the caterpillar is a homely creature that moves slowly into a dark and unfamiliar place. Yet, through time and change, it emerges as beautiful.

Most often, you will get through that difficult time, and you will grow in a way you never thought possible.

It’s hard to see the light when things feel so dark, but chances are there is light surrounding you. There are others who can help you through. There will be a day when the change you experienced will shine a light on you; clarity will come when you recognize the lesson. You will pass the lesson on to help someone else who needed to learn from you.

When we are experiencing that dark and unfamiliar place as humans, it is difficult to see where the beauty will emerge, or even believe that it will.

At times it may feel more comfortable to crawl into bed and snuggle up with a blanket than to accept the changes that have taken place. Those unexpected changes often bring us feelings of being uncomfortable, but butterflies that invade our stomachs with worry during those changes that are not meant to be controlled, but rather, accepted.

Many of us don’t want to grow emotionally; we are comfortable just where we are. When our world is shaken, we have a choice to stay stagnant, to stay inside our cocoon and become the victim of the circumstance, or we can accept it. Accepting your situation and your life is the key to growth, healing and living the life you

It is important to accept the life you have been given, to go through the changes necessary, to carry yourself with dignity, and keep your head held high. I hope you will understand and perceive the butterfly as I do: change can be beautiful.

Personally, I believe that everything happens for a reason, even though the reason may be very difficult to see at times. The unforeseen change does have a silver lining, a light at the end of the tunnel that brings much needed clarity to our ever-changing journey.

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

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Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

7

BY MICHELLE JOKISCH POLO PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN HUVER

Andrea Wallace:

Renaissance Woman

A

ndrea Wallace (aka Super Dre) is an entrepreneur, a software developer, a musician and a creative. Wallace wears many hats and that’s the way she prefers it. As a natural relationship builder, connections with people have taken her all over the United States from Los Angeles to Detroit and now back to Grand Rapids.

“I have been playing music since I was four years old,” Wallace said. “I was in concert band, marching band, jazz band. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do with music but I was going to do something.”

A couple of years after graduating from high school, Wallace bought a couple of turntables and some mixers started making electronic music and taught herself how to DJ. She first launched her career as a DJ in Grand Rapids after spending several years learning and mastering her craft.

Her first show was at an event in Grand Rapids Community College, and from there, her strategy was to connect with people.

“If there was a venue I really wanted to play at locally, I would just ask them and that’s how so many people got to know me here,” Wallace expressed.

At the time, she says there wasn’t a club where people could go and listen to house music, a genre of electronic dance, so she crafted these spaces and would invite people to join in what she called after-hours parties.

8

“Last year I was working a full-time job, I had just launched a full-time job, I was also coaching the Midwest UX conference, I was in a startup accelerator, and I was playing gigs and everything that I was doing was spanning the whole year.”

— ANDREA WALLACE

While it wasn’t always easy to get gigs, Wallace was persistent and eventually landed her first breakout concert opening up for a world-renowned American DJ and record producer, Bassnectar, at a local venue.

“After the show, I got to know them backstage and we developed a working relationship and they invited me to go on tour with them,” she said.

From there, Wallace’s career took off. She signed with West Coast Management Agency and went all over the country playing her music.

“Being in the music industry taught me there is an opportunity in the tech world to help growing artists,” she added.

And that’s exactly what Wallace has been doing when she’s not working fulltime as an innovation portfolio manager at Emergent Holdings. As a software developer and natural entrepreneur, Wallace saw the opportunity to use tech to help entertainers connect with answers in a meaningful and relevant way by relying on real data.

“Where Grand Rapids is right now, I feel like there is a lot I can do here,” she said. “There is a lot of opportunity here to have a startup that could actually provide an anchor to help develop the music industry here.”

Wallace created Fourtifeye, a data aggregation platform for musicians that uses machine learning to deliver insights on blended data from an artist’s social media, distribution, and delivery tools they use every day.

“In other words, it’s a platform to help artists quickly and easily understand their followers and make data-driven decisions, allowing them to focus on what they are good at: making music,” she said.

Wallace’s hard work has paid off; — last fall her idea won $20,000 at Start Garden’s Top 100 competition.

Since then she has spent the last several months developing her idea and pitching her platform to investors at Universal Music Group and Capitol Records in Los Angeles.

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

“I felt like I talked to half of L.A. ... but I got some really good feedback and made some great connections,” she explained.

Wallace plans to actively pursue investors to help fund Fourtifeye this summer, but in the meantime, she says she will focus her efforts in Motu Viget, a newly launched spirits company in which she’s a co-owner.

Time, Wallace says, is her most valuable resource and one she says she doesn’t have enough of.

OVER $200,000 WORTH OF COVID RELIEF AID

was shipped to Grand Rapids’ sister city, Zapopan, Mexico, on September 23rd.

“Last year I was working a full-time job, I had just launched a full-time job, I was also coaching the Midwest UX conference, I was in a startup accelerator, and I was playing gigs and everything that I was doing was spanning the whole year. It was crazy for a while and I really pushed myself probably too hard.”

She says she has learned to be very selective on where and how she’s investing her time.

Although she says she has very little free time, her intention for this coming year is to slow down and help other women entrepreneurs gain access to resources and support.

Get involved or Give online: amawithoutborders.org Text “AMA” to: 24365 Cash app: $AMAUSA ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.

Michelle Jokisch Polo is a Grand Rapidian transplant from El Salvador & Ecuador. She loves asking questions and will take any opportunity to do so. She is passionate about creating spaces where intersectionality is encouraged and marginalized voices are elevated.​Besides speaking Spanglish on a regular basis, she enjoys writing, drinking coffee, taking walks, reading poetry and riding her bike.

Read more online. womenslifestyle.com

Get Involved with ELNC at:

(616) 608-0754 info@elncgr.org

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

9

SOUTH EAST MARKET

EQUITABLE

FOOD

BY ALLISON ARNOLD PHOTOGRAPHY BY TWO EAGLES MARCUS

“I had this idea

and dream that there should be this little bodega in my neighborhood,” says Alita Kelly, founder of South East Market. “I just dreamed up this little store that had this cultural aspect to it too, and brought together the community around food.”

“A desert refers to a thriving ecosystem and so the term that we prefer to use is food apartheid, because it acknowledges the intentional separation of resources from this community.”

-ALITA KELLY

Kelly has a personal connection to healing through food and over the years, began building nutrition programs, eventually leading her to study environmental science and sustainable business at the University of Michigan.

While she had been developing this dream for years, it was graduating in the midst of COVID-19 that propelled her to turn it into reality.

Despite a lack of grocery stores in the south east neighborhood, Kelly says that market research shows that many large grocery stores have passed at the space that South East Market now occupies, despite knowing of the need.

This is why she uses the term food apartheid versus food desert.

“A desert refers to a thriving ecosystem and so the term that we prefer to use is food apartheid, because it acknowledges the intentional separation of resources from this community.”

Those without transportation have an increased disadvantage to accessing fresh and healthy food.

“We’ve also heard neighbors talk about shopping for their weekly groceries at the Walgreens up the street,” says Khara DeWit, co-founder of South East Market.

SIGN IN THE FRONT WINDOW OF SOUTH EAST MARKET

DeWit, who has her own relationshipbased accounting practice, originally met with Kelly about handling the accounting for the market, but after they discovered their bond of food as medicine and community, Kelly asked her to join the business as a partner. Similarly, DeWit also had a

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

healing journey with food. With help from a naturopath, she was able to use food and herbs to heal and reverse symptoms of Crohn’s disease and wean herself off medications.

“We see this being our time to lead as women of color and I was so grateful

11

for Alita to invite me into her dream and vision.”

In one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, Kelly and DeWit aim to provide culturally appropriate products for their neighbors. Products are sourced first from Black, brown and female businesses and farms. As far as produce, however, Kelly says that there’s not many Black producers in the U.S., or the world, due to the dispossession of land and systemic oppression, despite having the most indigenous agricultural knowledge.

Two current suppliers are Groundswell Community Farm, owned by a Black man, Bruce Michael, and Agape Organic Farm, which is run by a Black woman, Shara Trierweiler.

Customers can also find a variety of Pete’s Big Jerk sauces and elderberry syrup made by a local Black woman.

“And we’re not exclusive. A lot of people, they hear ‘oh, source first from black, brown, female, and then they think only,” says Kelly. “And so really, we’re centering our business around supporting those individuals, because we know that they have unique challenges and so in order to build equity within the food system, we have to make sure that we provide them some additional support that the current system we operate within does not.”

There’s a large philanthropic community in West Michigan, but Kelly says that the current system is more reactionary to poverty, not always addressing the root issues.

“We see these food pantries or these food giveaways to people that are financially challenged, but oftentimes, those methods of providing for increasing access don’t encompass the dignity that our neighbors deserve by picking their own groceries, by the food being culturally appropriate for them, by providing the food in a space where everyone can come together as far as different socio economic levels of people,” says Kelly.

Allison Arnold is a writer and avid adventurer who loves hiking, traveling and trying new foods. She loves writing about food and culture on her blog, For the Love of Tacos.

To address some of the root causes of the emergency food system and financial insecurity, the market’s pay it forward program allows customers to donate funds to subsidize the cost of some products for those that are financially challenged.

“We want to hold on to the dignity of the farmers who work so hard to grow this awesome local produce, and it costs more money because they’re on a smaller scale and so they still deserve, whatever they believe that their product is worth, they still deserve that amount,” says Kelly.

“And that food should still be accessible to people that live in our neighborhood.

South East Market isn’t open to everyone just yet, but is currently in a phased launch with a small cohort of customers. DeWit says that they are purposely holding off on opening to the broader public because they are waiting on their SNAP EBT approval, which will then allow them to be inclusive of all customers. They’re also using this time to work on their systems such as their e-commerce site, which current customers use to shop online, and building up their curbside and delivery system to further accessibility for the community.

It’s apparent that South East Market is more than just a place of transaction for nourishment, but it’s part of the sustainable solution to the barriers and injustices in our food system and in our community.

What we’re trying to do is provide a space where people that want to be a part of the solution and people that are oppressed by this system can come together, and we want the southeast market to be a vessel for that work,” says Kelly.

Invested in breast cancer research grants

Research grants funded relating to breast cancer

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Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

MAKING PROGRESS TOGETHER

Declining breast cancer mortality rates since 1989

13

SPONSORED

Wom_n: The Power Of Words

by Akansha Das

contains “men” in it and the word’s linguistic

for what the term can mean for someone. In

history denotes a dependency on men. In

its essence, it represents precisely what gender

a New York Times article, Harvard Sociology

theorists advocate for—for individuals rather

Professor Keridwen Luis says that the term

than society to mold and define their gender

can perpetuate the idea that men are the

and not the other way around. In a New York

cultural norm. Though some may argue that

Times article, Ebony Miranda, the organizer for

simply because the word’s history is rooted in

Seattle’s Womxn’s March that first proposed

dependency and the “default nature of men’’

using the term “womxn”, says that the term

doesn’t mean that this is the way the term is

encompasses “all who have been affected

used today, scientists may argue something

by misogyny and women-related issues.” In

different. In another New York Times article, UC

recent years, the Womxn’s March in Seattle and

Santa Barbara Cognitive Science professor Lera

the Womxn’s Energy Week at Kirkland College

Boroditsky argues that repeated use of a term

have popularized the term but the word’s

can subtly or implicitly tell our brains to draw a

inclusion in mainstream discourse has drawn

connection between gender and objects of

inevitable backlash. Most notably, in a BBC

subjects without any gender correlation. This

News article, London’s Welcome Collection in

could in turn strengthen a subtle correlation

2017 received rage from individuals saying that

between stereotypic gender roles and women’s

womxn’s inclusion of nonbinary and genderfluid

place in them through the use of “women.”

individuals is confusing as they don’t strive to fall into the traditional category of a “woman.”

Akansha Das, Premed student volunteer with Women’s Health Collective

T

erminology has an immense weight on its shoulders. A responsibility to convey an essence. A duty to encapsulate the various and often complex aspects of a

personality. An obligation to express to the world what is within. Words certainly have the ability to stretch the confines of their connotation through an individual’s personal relationship with them or society’s given connotation; yet sometimes, our current labels crack under that pressure, unable to bear the gravity on their small, unaccompanied shoulders. Whether we recognize it or not, terminology, labels and words have an immense power. In an effort to address this, The Women’s Health Collective logo includes a “+” after the word “women” to include individuals who use alternative spellings of the word - such as womxn, womyn, womin, wommin, wombyn, and more to recognize that though they may be different, each are equal

In an effort to be more independent, the term “wimmin’’ began floating around in the 1900s

We at the Women’s Health Collective recognize

to represent the pronunciation of the term

that this debate might be ongoing for a while

in different dialects. Womyn and wombyn

and validate the opinions and experiences of

enters the feminist timeline in the 1970s, most

individuals who adopt any of these spellings. We

notably with the Michigan Womyn’s Music

recognize that there may not be agreement on

Festival, a festival put on in attempt to answer

the topic and we encourage this discourse as

Woodstock in a feminist manner. However, this

it holds everyone accountable to actively think

term sparked rightful backlash when the Festival

about the terminology we use and its powerful

only permitted “womyn-born-womyn’’ and

effect on others. If an individual feels that a

therefore excluded many trangender women

specific term is able to carry on its shoulders

and members of the LGBTQ+ community

the burden of explaining their complex gender

from participating in the festival, giving the

expression, we welcome the opportunity for

term “womyn’’ a negative and exclusive

them to do so. At the end of the day, the

connotation. In today’s era, “womyn’’ has

Women’s Health Collective considers each of

conflicting views with some rebranding the term

these spellings valid and equal to each other

to be inclusive of trans women while others

and makes itself a safe space for an individual

claiming the term’s history prevents it from doing

to spell and define their gender-identifying

so.

category in any way they choose.

The most well-known and according to some, the most inclusive term, is “womxn.”

The difficulty in pronouncing womxn is often

in their own right and no one label is a “default.”

what draws individuals to it, forcing us to think

The rise of various spellings for the word

(as with its symbolism in math and common

“women” comes from the basis that “women’’

14

about what gender really means. The “x”

+

Nisha McKenzie PA-C 630 Kenmoor Ave. Ste 103 | Grand Rapids, MI 49546 | 616.600.4950 | info@whcollective.com

language) opens the door to many possibilities

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

Helen Aston Williams, Lady Newspaperman ARTICLE BY: RUTH VANSTEE FOR THE GREATER GRAND RAPIDS WOMEN’S HISTORY COUNCIL

In 1890, a Detroit daily reported that the “lady newspaper men” of Michigan met to organize “an association of their own.” Indeed, the new Michigan Women’s Press Association was surprised by the number of responses from women engaged in every aspect of newspaper work: editors, reporters, proofers, etc. Of the two Grand Rapids women attending, Etta Smith Wilson from the Grand Rapids Telegram/Herald would found women’s pages all across the state, and writer Claudia Murphy became the first secretary of the MWPA. During the 1890s, the association held annual conventions, selected delegates for national congresses and grew from 26 charter members to 100 in just six years. Over time, there were many members from Grand Rapids, including Helen Aston Williams who was elected president in 1919.

Details about the life of early newspaper woman Helen Aston Williams can be gleaned mostly from newspapers themselves—what she wrote herself and what was written about her. But, like most women of her period, the main images we have of her are from microfilmed print publications.

That so many women wrote for newspapers helps women’s history researchers, but the minor errors often found in daily publications can send us in wrong directions. The obituary of Aston Williams in 1948 kept us initially from locating her in the 1900 census. In fact, she had not lived in Grand Rapids for 52 years, but for 42, leaving us mystified about why we couldn’t find her.

Still, a clue in Aston Williams’ first publishing venture in 1908 Grand Rapids mentions that she had moved to Grand Rapids from Duluth, Minnesota, where she had been a “brilliant writer” whom they hated to lose. That single report opened a door into her record from 1903 to 1906 with the Duluth News Tribune and as eventual editor of its women’s pages. It also opened a door into her early career in suffrage work. As president of her Minnesota area’s suffrage association, Aston Williams made at least one incredible lecture to a resistant Women’s Christian Temperance Union audience that was reprinted in full in Labor World on March 3, 1906.

Helen Aston Williams first appears in Grand Rapids history as a founder and managing editor of the astonishing 1908 Woman: A Weekly Newspaper Of the Women, For the Women, By the Women. Founded by local newspaper women, it ran for ten issues guided by the editorial view that “women can do everything as well as any man, and most things better.” It featuring national news, social reform and consumer issues and gives us a good look at the concerns of early 20th-century Grand Rapids women.

After Woman, Williams officially reported for the Grand Rapids Herald, but on May 2nd, 1914, she joined twelve other suffragists to take over the Grand Rapids Press. She served as editorial and feature editor for the “Suffrage Edition” that highlighted the fight for equal rights that had dragged on for decades. In 1916, she was elected president of the Grand Rapids Equal Franchise Club and oversaw the state suffrage convention that year in Grand Rapids, where they focused on good organization

ILLUSTRATION BY KIM NGUYEN HEADER ILLUSTRATION BY LIBBY VANDERPLOEG

over good oratory. Afterwards, Aston Williams helped to organize suffrage groups all over Kent County.

At this point in her career with the Grand Rapids Herald, she wrote a weekly column titled “Woman and the Ballot” and was a featured speaker for many local suffrage clubs. After the success of universal suffrage, Williams lost a race for the city commission in 1922 but was on slates of delegates to county and state Republican conventions.

Aston Williams remained serious about her profession and served in its organizations in leadership positions: first, as a director for the Michigan Press and Printers’ Federation, then as its recording secretary in 1917.

During the early 1920s, she led the Michigan Woman’s Press Association as its president, after overseeing its 1919 state convention in Grand Rapids.

GGRWHC’s program year honoring the 19th Amendment centennial was interrupted by the coronavirus outbreak. We regret especially the loss of the August 26th celebration; but continue to follow us on Facebook, read our monthly features in Women’s Lifestyle Magazine, and sign up for our hard copy and electronic newsletters at ggrwhc.org!

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

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ASK THE DOCTOR:

Can you explain what PRP is?

BY STEVE LASATER, M.D.

A reader writes: Dr. Lasater, can you explain what PRP is? A friend had some treatments with this material, which she said is something in the blood, for rejuvenating her face. She was pleased with the results and soon afterwards went back to have the same treatment done in her breasts!

Then, a couple of months after that, she went back yet again, this time to have a third treatment with this same material for help with her bothersome problem of losing bladder control. In addition, she said that it had definitely helped “something else” in that area. When I asked her what she meant, she merely replied “Never mind!” and walked away smiling! What can you tell me about this PRP? — An intrigued reader Dear Intrigued, Your friend has evidently had injections with Platelet-Rich Plasma, or PRP for short. This is a concentrated form of the plasma, a clear part of the blood that does not contain the red blood cells after blood is spun down. The plasma contains most of the platelets, which are the small cell fragments that play a major role in stopping bleeding. The platelets contain complex molecules called growth factors, which can recruit and activate the body’s stem cells, which are cells that serve a number of functions in various tissues. When the Platelet-Rich Plasma is injected into areas such as the face or the breasts, the growth factors in the plasma recruit stem cells, which in turn stimulate fibroblasts, another kind of cell present in various tissues, to produce more collagen, which is a protein that gives fullness and substance to the face, the breasts and many other tissues throughout the body. (Please forgive me for this rather technical description, but it is not a simple thing to describe.) Without sufficient collagen, our faces would just resemble skulls with tissue paper draped over them! The stem cells also help fat cells to increase in size, but in a good way, helping to fill areas where facial or breast volume has been lost over the years.

Platelet-Rich Plasma has also been shown useful for helping regrowth of hair on the scalp, where a series of three or four injection sessions are performed over several months. Regrowth of and thickening of the hair can be significant, but it is best done before the person has lost most of their hair.

But its most interesting application, perhaps one that is somewhat controversial, is its use in the treatment of urinary incontinence due to insufficient bladder sphincter control. The PRP is placed around the urethra, through which the bladder empties. By increasing the volume of the tissues in this area, the woman regains control of her bladder and, because of how frustrating and embarrassing urinary incontinence can be, she can also thereby regain control of her life!

But what, you ask, is the additional benefit that your friend was referring to? During the PRP procedure, some of the PRP is injected by the clitoris, thereby helping to increase blood flow there. This helps significantly to improve sexual response. In fact, the name for the use of PRP in the woman’s genital area derives from this effect: it is known as the “O-Shot®.” And no, I’m not going to explain that – you’ll just have to guess. But remember – you did say that she walked away smiling!

Dr. Steve Lasater practices Age Management Medicine, with particular emphasis on bio-identical hormone replacement and the use of PlateletRich Plasma, at Optimal Wellness Medical Group in Grand Rapids.

The results from the use of Platelet-Rich Plasma are not immediate but take three or four months to be fully evident. It’s sort of like putting a slow-release fertilizer on the lawn. Compared to a product such as Botox®, Platelet-Rich Plasma used for facial rejuvenation will generally have a more dramatic and longer lasting effect. Botox® can help with wrinkles from overused muscles but cannot replace the volume which has been lost. PRP provides that volume. The most effective procedure for artistically improving the shape and fullness of the face consists of using a combination of PRP along with a modest amount of an injectable filler, a combination procedure called the Vampire Facelift®.

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Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

READER’S

by Michelle Toren This year, it may be difficult for families to get in the holiday spirit.

With gatherings and travel limited, it’s important to come up with some fun ideas for the immediate family to do together. Hopefully these books will help!

Taste of Home Handmade Christmas

by Taste of Home

Entertaining with Mary Berry Holiday Jubilee

by Charles Phoenix

Taste of Home Christmas

by Taste of Home This book is full of cute, fun ideas for Christmas! I love the gingerbread buddies on the cover (gingerbread men holding teddy bears). The recipe is easy enough for those of us that rarely bake and the kids will love decorating the gingerbread men. I tend to judge a cookbook by its pictures and this one has beautiful illustrations.

If you are feeling nostalgic or maybe you need a pick-me-up, this book is for you. It is full of retro pictures of holidays past and fun (funny) recipes—anyone for meatloaf Santa? I also learned what a flocked Christmas tree is and a cherpumple!

by Mary Berry For fans of “The Great British Baking Show,” this might be the book for you. This is a beautifully illustrated cookbook by one of the judges on the show. You can tell that Mary Berry is British from the recipes, such as for the mincemeat buns.

I saved this book for last because I am not a crafty person. The pictures give you a clear example of what the finished product should look like and the instructions are very straight forward. This would be a great book to use for a family holiday crafting project and I’ve always loved the Taste of Home cookbooks.

Michelle Toren is a librarian at the Walker Branch of the Kent District Library and a mother of three children, three dogs, one bunny and a cat.

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

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Your FavoriteHoliday Favorite Holiday Recipes— with a Healthy Twist

BY DANEA MATHER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUGUST NYSON

T

his month, we asked YOU, Women’s LifeStyle Magazine readers, for your favorite family holiday recipes, and how you would like to see them remixed for your modern palate. Here are four delicious, lifestyle friendly, seasonal dishes to try out and share at your next gathering.

CRANBERRY THYME SORBET Makes 3 cups of sorbet The request: A twist on Cranberry sauce, with less sugar and real fruit.

1 8 ounce bag of frozen cranberries, thawed 3 oranges, juice of 1 teaspoons orange zest 1 cup 100% cranberry juice 1/4 cup sugar, white or coconut 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Blend together cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and cranberry juice until completely pureed. Transfer to a large saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Whisk in sugar and thyme and continue until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain mixture into a freezer safe container and freeze for a minimum of four hours. Before scooping to serve, allow sorbet to soften at room temperature slightly.

Serve with an orange peel garnish, and maybe even a splash of gin over top for an extra festive twist!

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 20)

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Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

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Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

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(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20)

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE Makes: (1) 9X13” casserole

The request: Classic green bean casserole, made vegan and gluten-free.

1/4 cup dairy-free butter plus more for melting 8-10 ounces mushrooms, finely minced 1 large yellow onion 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 3 cups mushroom broth 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened 3 tablespoon ground flaxseed 1 pound green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces gluten-free breadcrumbs Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch green beans for 3-5 minutes, drain and rinse with cool water.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13-inch glass baking pan.

Add blanched green beans to pan in an even layer.

Cut yellow onion in half. Set one half aside and finely mince remaining onion.

In a medium saucepan, heat a small amount of oil or dairy free butter. Slice remaining yellow onion very thinly and add to pan.

Sauté, stirring often, until onion is wilted and browned. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove from pan and toss in gluten-free breadcrumbs. Set aside to use as a topping.

In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup dairy free butter. Add in mushrooms, minced onion, and garlic. Sauté until very soft and onions are transparent.

Stir in salt, pepper and mushroom broth.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid reduces by half.

Stir occasionally.

Slowly whisk in almond milk, then ground flaxseed. Allow to simmer, occasionally whisking, until sauce is very thick and holds to whisk. Pour sauce over green beans in baking pan. Gently press down with a spatula over green beans. Spread sautéed onions over casserole, then sprinkle remaining gluten-free bread crumbs over entire dish in a generous layer.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until bread crumbs are browned and edges of casserole are bubbling. Remove from oven and enjoy!

CHEESY SCALLOPED RUTABAGA Makes: (1) 8x10-inch casserole The request: My favorite dish to make is scalloped potatoes, but now I am on an Auto Immune Protocol diet. Please make anti-inflammatory version, with no potatoes and no dairy.

1 1 1 4 1/2 1 10 1/8 1

large rutabaga large yellow onion yellow skinned squash garlic cloves cup cashews, soaked minimum 2 hours tablespoon salt tablespoon nutritional yeast cup dairy free butter, melted medium white onion, diced garlic powder black pepper chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Rinse and peel rutabaga, then cut rutabaga into quarters, lengthwise.

Thinly slice rutabaga quarters until you have all triangular slices, about 1/8-inch thick. Blanch sliced rutabaga for 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Bring another pot of water to a boil. Peel and roughly cut down yellow onion.

Cut yellow squash, skin on, into large pieces. Add yellow onion, yellow squash

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and garlic cloves to boiling water.

Boil until very soft, then drain and transfer vegetables to a high-speed blender.

Add soaked cashews, salt and nutritional yeast to blender and blend on high until a smooth sauce is formed. Set aside.

Generously spray a baking dish, then layer half of the rutabaga slices in an overlapping pattern across the bottom of dish. Slowly drizzle half of the melted dairy free butter over rutabaga slices.

Add half of the minced white onion to pan, then sprinkle a generous layer of garlic powder, then black pepper, over onion.

Carefully pour a thick layer of cheese sauce over onions in baking dish and use a spatula to gently spread evenly.

Repeat these layers: rutabaga slices, melted butter, white onions, garlic powder, black pepper, and remaining cheese sauce. Spread top layer of sauce evenly over entire dish.

Place baking dish in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Dish is ready when edges are browned and bubbling and the top center of cheese sauce is golden in color. Cut and serve in slices, topped with fresh black pepper and chives.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 21)

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20)

THREE CHEESE WHITE CHICKEN LASAGNA

Makes (1) 9x13-inch pan of lasagna The request: This is my family’s favorite holiday dish. Make it dairy free, please!

Pine Nut Parmesan 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Tofu Ricotta 1 16 oz package extra firm tofu 1 cup cashews, soaked minimum 2 hours 3/4 cup almond milk 1 lemon, juice of, 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast 2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoon dried basil Dairy-free White Cheddar Sauce 3 tablespoon dairy free butter 3 tablespoon flour 4 cups almond milk 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 4 teaspoon nutritional yeast

Lasagna 3 layers of lasagna noodles, cooked, rinsed and set aside 2 10 ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained 1 pound cooked, shredded chicken breast fresh parsley, chopped Pine Nut Parmesan Add all ingredients to a food processor and carefully pulse until pine nuts are pulverized into small granules. Stop pulsing at this point. Do not pulse further, as pine nuts will become smooth. Set aside for garnish.

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

Tofu Ricotta: Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse, then blend until completely combined and slightly gritty. Stop blending before mixture becomes smooth. Set aside.

Dairy Free White Cheddar Sauce: In a large saucepan, melt dairy-free butter. Whisk in flour, 1 tablespoon at a time to combine with butter. This will form the base of a roux.

Continue to whisk and very slowly, begin to pour a slow stream of almond milk into pan, 1/4 cup at a time. Once almond milk is combined into roux, add another 1/4 cup until all 4 cups are added. Don’t add almond milk too fast, as this will prevent sauce from thickening.

Once sauce base is created, whisk in salt, garlic powder and nutritional yeast. Taste and adjust spices if need be.

Allow sauce to simmer lightly, whisking occasionally, until it is very thick and bubbly. If sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a few additional tablespoons of almond milk. Set aside to build lasagna.

Lasagna: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan. Add a thin layer of white cheddar sauce to the bottom of baking dish. Use a spatula to spread over base of dish. In this order, layer: 1 1/2 1 1 1/2 1/3

layer of cooked lasagna noodles tofu ricotta, gently spread with spatula bag of frozen spinach, loosely sprinkled tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, over spinach pound shredded chicken, loosely sprinkled white cheddar sauce, gently spread with spatula

Repeat these layers a second time, then top with final layer of lasagna noodles and remaining white cheddar sauce. Spread sauce evenly atop dish. Place lasagna in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until edges of pan are golden brown and center of white cheddar sauce is slightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and serve garnished with Pine Nut Parmesan and fresh parsley.

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Everyday Athena Erin Fisk Founder and principal consulant of Fisk Solutions A series spotlighting members of our community who epitomize the Athena standards and live by its principles. Readers will come to know these women, the companies they are representing and the forward thinking employers who have a commitment to elevating women and fairly compensating those women for their contributions in their workforce.

The Athena principles: LIVING AUTHENTICALLY LEARNING CONSTANTLY ADVOCATING FIERCELY ACTING COURAGEOUSLY FOSTERING COLLABORATION BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS GIVING BACK CELEBRATING

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine: Aligning our authentic-self with our work can be one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors. How does your work align with your authentic self?

Erin Fisk: I’ve always known that I was meant to help people. The ways that I’ve chosen to do that has evolved along with my career—and I suppose changing things up is a core part of who I am. I enjoy taking on new challenges and growing, personally and professionally, and seek adventure. So, starting my own business where I have flexibility on how I help others with their mental health has been an awesome experience!

WLM: When did you know that starting your own business was more in alignment with your authentic-self than continuing to work for others?

EF: I knew that I had more to offer than what my role in a corporate culture could promote. In my former role, I didn’t have the chance to invest in relationships as much as I do now. While I still have parts of my work that aren’t particularly thrilling, most of my time is spent creating connections with other people—which is my authentic jam. I love that the topic of mental health is something everyone can relate to, and I like to learn about what other people are searching for. I also really appreciate that I’m in control of the messaging I share around normalizing mental illness, struggle, treatment, loneliness, and recovery.

WLM: What are the challenges of living as your authentic self?

EF: Vulnerability. I support that vulnerable places are where we find greatest connection and growth—but sometimes it hurts! When I’m showing up and staying fully present, sharing the best I have to offer, and staying true to my values and it doesn’t go well—that’s a different kind of pain. But I’d rather take on the challenges of authenticity and vulnerability than feel the exhaustion of my old people-pleasing, chameleon ways. I used to cover up in an armor of what I thought other people wanted me to be. It was exhausting and I didn’t always know I was doing it. I used to think that if I could anticipate others’ needs and show up in a way that served them, then they’d validate my worth. Yuck! Hard to admit it but I know I’m not alone in having thought this was the way to succeed.

WLM: As a community of professional women, what can we do to create space and honor each other’s authentic selves?

EF: Allow each other to be versatile in our authenticity. I believe we have multiple versions of ourselves that can all be authentic. Depending on what’s going on in your life, you may show up differently. That’s ok—it doesn’t mean you’re not being genuine. In fact, giving permission for people to respond to their world and bring whatever’s happening forward without having to pretend that they’ve got it all together is more honorable of their authenticity.

WLM: How do you think living authentically impacts our ability to do meaningful work?

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ATHENA PRINCIPLE: LIVING AUTHENTICALLY EF: I think “meaningful” can be defined however it suits you, and when you know who you really are, you can spend time investing in work that brings you the greatest joy. If you’re living for other people—their expectations, style of leadership, approach to conflict resolution, even the way you structure your office or the career you choose—then you may miss the chance to do what really feeds your soul.

WLM: What advice do you have for anyone who might be struggling with aligning their authentic self?

EF: Take your time in learning who you are. When you feel like something is especially challenging or rewarding—take a few moments to think about the who, what, when, where and why of it. Who were you with when the experience happened? What were you talking about or doing at the time? How did you present your position? What time of day was it? How were you connecting? These moments give us clues into what we’re really living for. For example, I never thought I’d love being in front of large groups as much as I do, and recognizing that I feel so much fulfillment in those experiences has helped me shape my business.

If we allow ourselves to fly through these moments and move onto the next thing, struggles for alignment may keep popping up. The journey of alignment is never over. I don’t believe most humans reach that perfect apex where it’s all in balance. The practice of trying to find equilibrium is some of the most important work—not because of the destination, but because of what we learn along the way!

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

How to Develop Healthy Social Media Habits

BY MICHELLE JOCKISH POLO

I

t’s late at night, and you have already brushed your teeth, washed your face, and put on a clean pair of pajamas. You are getting ready to go to bed, but you want to wind down, so you pick up your phone and open up Instagram and begin scrolling. Scrolling through the cute cat videos, your friends’ best captured life moments, and photos of stunning places around the world from strangers you probably will never meet; and all of the sudden, you look up and realize an hour has passed since you laid down, and you are probably not going to get the eight hours of sleep you thought you were going to when you first got in bed.

If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone; most of us spend several hours after our workday scrolling on Instagram and Facebook or swiping from video to video on Snapchat. While using social media is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be a negative contributing factor to stress, anxiety and depression according to Christine Mushlock, licensed social worker, clinician and outpatient therapist at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

“It’s not about cutting out all social media, but it’s about finding a balance,” Mushlock added.

According to the Pew Research Center, finding that balance has become a priority for the majority of the 69% of the American population using social media today.

In order to find balance, Mushlocks adds that it’s important to question ones’ social media practices and behaviors. Is it to connect with others? Do I want to receive affirmation from what I post? Am I bored and want to fill up on spare time? Am I losing track of time when I am on social media? Are my friendships being affected by my use of social media? Do I have a hard time putting away my phone when I am with others, or when I am supposed to be working or sleeping?

“A lot of people use their phones before bed, and I know it can contribute to people having a hard time falling asleep and interrupting your sleep,” Mushlock added.

While Mushlock says healthy social media use will vary from person to person, its important to practice putting ones phone away during a period of one or two hours per day and noting if any anxiety or stress comes up.

“If there is significant stress that arises in a person when they put their phone away, then it’s important to examine those emotions and recognize that it might be a sign of unhealthy social media use,” Mushlock said.

Exhibiting healthy social media use involves setting limits on how one interacts with others on social media, what

Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • December 2020

kind of people or accounts we follow, and setting time limits.

“Being conscious of who and what you are following and how that’s affecting you emotionally, and putting limits on notifications can be really helpful,” Mushlock explained.

Examples of some limits can involve only using social media after work, or removing social media apps from ones’ phone, or using social media only in a personal phone or computer.

It’s important to practice some self-reflection on our own social media use. Each person is going to be the most knowledgeable about their use, but it’s important to ask ourselves what our motivation is by going online, and what are we hoping happens when we go online?

“If it comes down to feeling significant anxiety or stress when we don’t have enough followers, or likes on our posts then it’s time to set some stricter limits on social media use,” she added.

“If there is significant stress that arises in a person when they put their phone away, then it’s important to examine those emotions and recognize that it might be a sign of unhealthy social media use.”

— CHRISTINE MUSHLOCK, licensed social worker, clinician and outpatient therapist at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

Michelle Jokisch Polo is a Grand Rapidian transplant from El Salvador & Ecuador. She is passionate about creating spaces where intersectionality is encouraged and marginalized voices are elevated.

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FOOD, BEVERAGES & RESTAURANTS

■ Lindo Mexico Restaurante Mexicano ■ Aperitivo ■ Bistro Bella Vita ■ Brewery Vivant ■ Byron Center Meats ■ Essence Group ■ Ferris Coffee & Nut ■ Field & Fire ■ Grand Rapids Cheesecake Company ■ Grove ■ Malamiah Juice Bar ■ Railside Golf Club ■ Reserve Wine & Food ■ Terra GR ■ The B.O.B. ■ The Cheese Lady Grand Rapids - CHZ Enterprise ■ The Green Well

AUTOMOTIVE

■ Arie Nol Auto Center ■ Community Automotive Repair ■ Harvey Automotive, Cadillac, Lexus, Auto Outlet ■ Pfeiffer Lincoln

SHOPPING & RETAIL

■ Art of the Table ■ Bill & Paulʼs Sporthaus ■ Frames Unlimited ■ Schuler Books ■ Spirit Dreams ■ Stonesthrow ■ Supermercado Mexico ■ Switchback Gear Exchange ■ The Shade Shop

HOME PRODUCTS & SERVICES

■ A-1 Locksmith ■ EPS Security ■ Gerritʼs Appliance ■ Gordon Water ■ Morris Builders ■ Nawara Brothers Home Store ■ Rockford Construction ■ Tazzia Lawn Care ■ Verhey Carpets

BUSINESS SERVICES

■ Innereactive ■ The Image Shoppe ■ Womenʼs LifeStyle Magazine

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

■ Grand Rapids Community Media Center (GRCMC) ■ Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW) ■ Grand Rapids Public Library ■ Neighbors Development ■ Slow Food West Michigan ■ The Rapid ■ West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC)

PET PRODUCTS & SERVICES ■ Chow Hound Pet Supplies

HEALTH, BEAUTY & WELLNESS

■ AgeWise Eldercare Solutions ■ Design 1 Salon Spa ■ Grand Rapids Center for Mindfulness ■ Grand Rapids Wellness ■ Grand Ridge Orthodontics ■ Mommas Home ■ The hairport ■ The Village Doula GR

FINANCIAL & LEGAL ■ Lucy Shair Financial ■ United Bank

TRAVEL & LODGING ■ Breton Travel ■ Countryside Tours ■ Witte Travel

When you support a locally owned business, more resources stay in the community and get reinvested in the economy.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ■ Celebration Cinema ■ Community Circle Theatre ■ Frames Unlimited ■ Glitter Booth Photo Booth ■ Grand Rapids Art Museum ■ Grand Rapids Civic Theatre ■ Grand Rapids Public Museum ■ LaFontsee Galleries ■ LowellArts ■ River City Improv ■ ShowSpan, Inc. ■ The Ruse Escape Room ■ Triumph Music Academy

FLORAL & GARDEN

LOCAL FIRST means PEOPLE FIRST Communities thrive when the economy puts people first.

■ Ball Park Floral & Gifts ■ Eastern Floral ■ Romence Gardens

Local First •345 Fuller Avenue NE • GR, MI 49503 • (616) 808-3788 • www.localfirst.com