When The 'Healthy Living' Train Goes Off The Track

I've readily admitted my tendency to skip a workout or chuck my diet every now and then—I've never professed to be perfect. As a matter of fact, as I type this entry, I am quietly debating whether or not I want to engage in yoga now or hold off on doing anything at all until tomorrow. What can I say, it's been a long day.

My philosophy on exercise continues to be one of utter simplicity: Do 60 or more minutes each day and try to stay as close to 1,700 good calories as possible (lots of whole grains, plenty of water, and little to no sugar or processed foods). I don't eat as much meat as I used to, and I try extremely hard to get 6-8 hours of sleep each night—although I fail at that more often than not. 

That said, I have days where chocolate seems a better stand in for breakfast than steel cut oatmeal, and Twinkies can take the place of tofu on a day where I simply don't feel like making dinner for myself. Those days don't happen often, but I am guilty of living through a few of them and I try not to beat myself up about them too much.

The truth is, I'm a mother, a wife, and a fairly self-involved individual where my body is concerned. I love looking phenomenal for my husband and waking up with the knowledge that on most days my jeans fit better than that of most women my age. If that sounds utterly superficial and vain, I make no apologies because I work pretty hard to be able to say so. 

It won't be easy to stick to the plan everyday, but the important thing is that you stick to it. Don't give up on yourself or your health because, in the end, a healthy lifestyle is a commitment that deserves more than 30-days of your utmost attention and then complete abandonment.

Hmmm...think I will do that yoga now.

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Should I Buy A Juicer or Not?

While reading my most recent issue of "Natural Health" magazine, I ran across an article extolling the numerous health benefits of 'juicing'—making juice from fruits and vegetables. It was something that intrigued me almost immediately, but I wasn't sure I had the time, money, or wherewithal to do it without slowing down the flow of my already busy life.

That said, it's difficult to overlook the many advantages one can derive by simply juicing it up: improved cardiovascular and heart health, detoxification of the liver, healthier skin, nails, and hair, as well as increased energy levels. You can find out more of it's benefits here, but that was enough to get me seriously thinking about buying a juicer this week!

Of course the most pressing question for anyone who might be a little pessimistic about introducing such a change to their lifestyle has to be 1) who wants to drink their vegetables, and 2) why not just buy a readily available item like V-8 and spare yourself the money and the trouble?

As much as I can get on board with the thought process behind either one of those questions, I can also understand the premise behind making your own juices versus buying them ready-made. For one, the problem with store-bought vegetable drinks is they have far too much sodium, and the nutrients which remain in them—after manufacturers have done all they can to preserve their shelf life—is not nearly enough to satisfy the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need to get the most out of drinking them in the first place.

Even more, those who are avid juicers will tell you that it's better to concoct your drinks from organic fruits and vegetables, as their skins of the are key to getting the most bang for your buck. You simply cannot do that with non-organic fruits and veggies because of the numerous chemicals and pesticides used to grow them.

The verdict is still out on whether or not I will actually start juicing in the near future, but I am definitely considering giving it a whirl just to see the difference it can make in my overall lifestyle.

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Charity Spotlight: FashionABLE Looks To Make A Stylish Difference

fashionABLE is a non-profit organization focused on helping Ethiopian women rebuild their lives through offering them the opportunity to maintain a sustainable business creating beautiful scarves. The scarves are handmade and available for purchase now through the fashionABLE website.

Below is a video giving more insight into the mission of fashionABLE, and you can click here to both see the scarves as well as read more about the women their cause is helping.

"Cars 2", Here We Come

I cannot tell you how excited my six-year old son is to see this latest installment of one of his all-time favorite Disney movies, Cars. It's been a long time since he's seen Lightning McQueen "ka-chow" his way onto the screen, and I expect mass chaos this weekend when we, amongst millions of other parents, escort him to see Cars 2.

It should be a blast for all of us and I hope it's as enjoyable as the first one—even minus the great Hudson Hornet.

So, this entry will be short and sweet as it's all about Cars today in honor of my baby boy. Happy driving, everyone!!



My son loves that one, ka-chow!

Goal-Setting: Tackling My Summer Reading List

I set a goal this summer to read 18 novels. The fact is, I don't read nearly enough. I peruse the web, devour my Yoga, Natural Health, and Whole Living magazines, and remain a steadfast devotee of just about all things college football, but it's a tough sell for me to sit down and read a novel without becoming distracted and abandoning it at some point. To this day I am only halfway through Anna Karenina and can't find the patience to even begin The Invisible Man. 

On the other hand, I have read Atlas Shrugged...and loved it! So go figure.

But, back to my summer reading list. It's, as I said, 18 novels long. Some of the titles that pepper this list are classics like 1984, Song of Solomon, and Catcher in the Rye. All of which I am excited to read, but have yet to get to because of my third book on the list. See, I wrongly figured if I read the books in the order they appear on my list, I would remain more focused. I was doing just famously—finishing the first two novels inside of a week—until I reached my third selection, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.

Ugh, what a tough read! I thought I would be able to keep pace with his style of writing, which can only be described as a runaway train, but it's tough to be engaged in a novel when you aren't sure what the heck is going on–the characters, the timeline, and the sequence of events seems completely disjointed. I feel I might have a better understanding of the book if I were on acid as I read, but I refuse to remain anything but drug free.

So, sufficeth to say, I have yet to make it to the midway point of this book and have allowed better than three weeks to pass without reading it or anything else much at all.

Did I mention my goal was to read 18 books by Labor Day? That said, I've decided to move on to another title, perhaps revisit Faulkner a bit later.

My latest adventure involves one of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck. I loved, loved, loved East of Eden, and took great pleasure in reading The Grapes of Wrath, so I am hoping to get back on track by finishing The Winter of Our Discontent before the weekend is over—fingers crossed.

I plan to check in often here to let you all know how I'm coming along, perhaps that will keep me on the right track. So, look for an entry next week to see how I'm doing.

Happy reading!

What About Your Friends?

You are reborn as a woman once you become a mother. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that our view of the world changes the moment we look into our child's eyes and know that we are responsible for the success of that life. For me, at least, it was an overwhelming moment of excitement, love, and fear because there had been nothing in my life, prior to that point, that could have prepared me for the utter helplessness I felt at that moment.

It's an amazing feeling that I have been blessed to experience twice, and it's something that I often tell friends they have to go through personally to understand.

That said, many of us find that in becoming this new person—oft times as a result of childbirth or marriage—with new responsibilities, and a more focused sense of purpose, we feel pressured to re-evaluate the place others hold in our lives—particularly where friendships with single, childless, individuals are concerned.

Some of us automatically come to the conclusion that those people are no longer relevant in our lives in the way they were before, and we slowly—sometimes without intention—begin to eliminate them from our inner circle. We either forget how to be their friend, or assume they no longer want to be friends with us.

It's a mistake that is often made and, more times than not, those friendships are impossible to repair once they're broken.

Understand this, just because a person has chosen to live a life devoid of a spouse, a child, or both, that does not mean they will be unwilling to accept your new life, and your new experiences in that life.

Any person who has been with you through the good and the bad will likely be game for an adjustment in how your friendship is defined and they will, hopefully, be open to taking the steps it requires to respect the "death" of the carefree, unrestricted person that you were in order to  get acquainted with the harried, slightly flaky person you are likely to become. So you, in turn, should make the effort to be inclusive and allow them the chance to show you how much of your new world they want to be a part of before you make the decision to exclude them altogether.

If they are willing to bend and work with you, and the new demands in your life (demands that will often make calling, spending time with, and being a good friend to them difficult from time to time), then you will find that your friendship will grow and become an even more rewarding part of your new life.

However, if they pull away and distance themselves from you, then you know they weren't meant to continue the journey with you, and you will have to bid them a painful goodbye.

Either way, it takes two to make a friendship work, so don't leave your friend without a say. Good friends don't do such things.

The Importance of Scheduling Your Workouts

I would not describe myself as an exercise fanatic, but I will say that my exercise regimen is something of great importance in my life. A typical week consists of about 300 minutes worth of scheduled physical activity (60 minutes of strength training, 120 minutes of yoga, 120 minutes of aerobics/cardio).
I make time each day for these things because I know that they are of great value to me—physically and mentally.  So, the message I wish to convey here is a simple one: schedule your workouts.

So much of our days are filled with family, professional, and social commitments, that we often aren't able to find the time to exercise. Of course, if you've read enough of these posts, you already know how I feel about making excuses. Even so, I recognize that it's tough for most of us to keep the momentum going once the thrill of seeing results has passed us by.

However, never forget that complacency is the mother of failure where attaining your fitness goals are concerned, so it's of the utmost importance that you evaluate each day and try to find time to where fit in a workout—even it's only a 15 or 30 minute one.

A solution that has worked well for me has been to either offer myself a make-up day or the option of  adding in a second workout on an otherwise uneventful day.

For example, if I find that I will not meet my 60-minute goal on Monday, I resolve to move that session to another day during the week. That might mean taking an early morning bike ride on what might have otherwise been my off-day or opting to participate in a late evening yoga session on a day I normally would only do cardio.

These are adjustments I am willing to make in order to keep my fitness goals on track.

That doesn't mean that I haven't encountered a week or two, here and there, where I miss multiple days or completely flake out on a workout session—I have my days of complacency too—but the point is to not allow one missed day to become a habit for the next string of days, weeks, or months.

Schedule time for meeting your fitness goals and make them a part of your day-to-day life.

Don't Linger In Negativity

I have bad days—days where I feel worthless, unfit to be a mother/wife, and completely dismayed that the path I've set myself on is one that will lead me straight into the bowels of hell—I am not unlike anyone in that regard, as we all have days where we question our purpose.

However, once I pull myself out of that pit of despair and self-loathing, I remember I am a good person, with a good heart, and I try to view such moments of negative thinking as personal challenges to my resolve as opposed to signs that things are about to get worse.

Even so, many of us have a problem doing the latter and we interpret these moments not as challenges, but as chores, and in so doing greet the roadblocks placed in our way by such momentary losses of confidence with disdain—they're just "one more thing" thrown on top of an already crappy day.

I empathize with those of you who feel that way—I used to feel much the same—but after marriage and children, I no longer feel I have the luxury of lingering in negativity for too long because it leads to a lack of productivity and I have too many responsibilities to be unproductive. 

So, what I try to do each day is reaffirm my strengths. I remind myself that I can handle anything and if I can't handle it right then, I try to move beyond it—save it for meditation and reflection at a later time if necessary—but my ultimate goal is not to emotionally linger inside that negativity.

Now, I know what you're saying, that approach doesn't always work in a job situation. Sometimes you're assigned a task that spells misery from the start and will be miserable until you get the job done. I understand that, but notice I said "don't emotionally linger"?

There is a difference.

Even the work day ends at some point, right? So, the question you have to answer is do you leave the misery at its source or do you carry it home with you?

If the answer is the latter, then there is your problem. You cannot be effective at home, with friends, in relationships, or anywhere else if you never detach from the negativity and frustrations that often play a major hand in laying the foundation for the self-loathing I spoke of at the start.

All of us are going to be faced with moments where we feel poorly, inside and out, but the choice to keep and carry those things around versus letting them go belongs to you as an individual and you should never place that power in the hands of another. 

Be cognizant of what you internalize so that you can refocus your energy on enhancing the things that fill you with a greater sense of purpose and joy as opposed to holding onto the things that are suffocating you and making your life, as well as those around you, less rewarding.

Personal Reflections on this Father's Day Weekend

My husband is currently the same age my father was at the time of his death. I'm floored by that realization because it's a subtle reminder to me of just how young my father was when he passed. I cannot imagine my husband not being here now to share in this life we've made so beautifully together. It's not something I want to ever have to endure as it would break the hearts of both me and our children irreparably.

As many of you who read this blog already know, I am the product of a single-parent household. My father was present in our lives, but he didn't live with us, eat, with us, share holidays, or participate in the ideal way many of us imagine fathers should. He had far too many demons to escape and those demons made it difficult for him to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

By the time he died it was clear to most of us that his illness was something that he could mentally and physically never overcome without the support and presence of something more powerful in his life. The battle was his, but he didn't have the strength to fight it, and in the end it was all of us who bore the pain of his struggle.

So, as this Father's Day weekend approaches, I feel a bit of sadness at the fact that I cannot call or see my father, but blessed in the knowledge that I have a man in my life who is both a wonderful father and husband. It's a bittersweet trade-off to be certain, but I understand the deeper meaning hidden behind it all and feel fortunate that I was able to accept this gift no matter the circumstances wrapped around the box.

Each of us have a father and a mother. It's the common thread that binds us all. Whether those parents are good or not, we each have a story woven within us that will become the foundation of who we are. Acknowledge it or don't, but the experience you have of either growing up with or without the presence of your father has been one of the driving forces for everything you have done to this point in life.

I know, without question, that the absence of my father is the reason it was so important for me to find a man who was the very opposite of his bad, but the very embodiment of all his good. I found a few duds along the way, but in the end I was delivered a man with whom my life could feel complete and favored beyond my wildest dreams.

That said I still feel an incredible amount of empathy for my younger brother who never had the opportunity to know our father, develop his own opinion of the kind of man he was, nor have the chance to see and remember him for both the good and the bad parts of who he was to many of us. It's a relationship that never had the chance to be created and I feel the sadness as deeply for my father as I do for my brother because he missed out on a little boy who became one very handsome, well-educated, talented, and most importantly, good young man.

Happy Father's Day to all of you as you reminisce, celebrate, and continue to understand the men who make, love, and become the fabric by which all of us are clothed.

Money, Money, Money

I'm terrible with money. I'm not saying I can't make decisions on where to put it, how to spend it, or who to give it to, but only that where money is concerned I am terrible about negating my priority as a mother in favor of helping out the pockets or lifestyle of a friend or family member.

My theory as far as money is concerned is fairly straightforward: live your life and I'll live mine.  While I am fully aware that this goes against the philosophy I espouse here on how life is about creating unity amongst each other and tossing out material notions, I am also quite content holding this ideal because I feel my family comes first—I won't jeopardize their comfort or needs simply to prove I am not selfish or superficial.

As children growing up in a single-parent household, my mother's main concern was that we have the privileges she never had growing up as the eldest of nine children. She didn't always have the opportunity to get the things she wanted, when she wanted them, but that feeling of 'want' embedded within her the desire to educate and place herself in a position to where when she had children of her own, they would have more than she ever could have imagined for herself—and we did.

My goal is to carry that standard forward for my children. I want them to see things I've never seen, do things I've never done, and experience life in a way that makes them know how big this world is and how much of a right they have to make their place in it be a special one. And, to be honest, it takes money to do many of those things.

So, when a person (family member, friend, or otherwise) asks me for money that is outside of my comfort level, I have no trouble saying no because I have to consider the repercussions of that decision, on my family and our life, beyond just that moment. That's the honest truth.

Does that mean I don't lend money to those in need? No, it doesn't, it just means I know there's a difference between being helpful and giving your money away. I choose to be helpful when and where I can, but I never do it without considering my priorities first and that should never be considered as a form of selfishness—in my opinion.

You Have To Get Uncomfortable To Grow

Why do so many people believe life is supposed to be easy? The only thing this life has promised us is an earthly body. The quality and quantity of the life granted by that body is not guaranteed and if you have chosen to live your life based on some misguided notion of entitlement, then you could be selling yourself short.

It's important to realize that the blessing of life isn't in the receiving of riches, but in the molding of a life based on the pieces that can't possibly hold a price tag: your family, your children, your spouse, your friendships, etc. Those are the people on whom your impact is most precious and most beneficial to the world around you.

You must begin to realize, at some point, that you are part of something bigger and greater in this world and in order to grow into a person of true worth, sometimes it's necessary for life to get a little uncomfortable. You have to be tested, pounded, broken down, and even sometimes pushed to the very limits of what you feel your spirit can tolerate—then pushed one step further—before you can begin to appreciate and decipher the lesson you're being taught.

Does that mean the trials and tribulations you endure will be fair? No, because we are all meant to be tested differently, for different reasons, and at different times.

My father died when I was 11 years old and my relationship with him at the time of his death was contentious at best, estranged at worst. I never had the opportunity to know and understand him as the woman I am now and I struggle with that on a daily basis. However, the experience of him dying made me a stronger, more grateful, person because it made me appreciate early on the value of a life lived with purpose and love.

Perhaps if my father had been more in-tuned with the one (love), he might have been better equipped to fix the other (purpose), and maybe he would be with us today—but then would I still be the woman I am now?

Don't get me wrong, there's not a day that goes by where I don't think of my father and wish he were here to offer me the value of his experience—he'll never know his grandchildren or my husband, he wasn't there to walk me down the aisle, give me advice, or keep away the bad guys I encountered in my youth—but I understand that the plan God had for me required that I go through that experience to get to where I am now. My faith in Him won't allow me to question His purpose for that plan.

The blessings I've had, the choices I've made, and the people I've let in as a result of going through the pain of such a loss played a key role in making me the person I am.

Growth is an inevitable part of life but that growth cannot come without being tested. Forget the part where you think life is supposed to be easy and remember only this: life is a moment to moment conglomeration of everything you both are and can become, and to be tested is a blessing because it means God still knows you can get stronger. He has a plan for you, even if you can't see it yet, and whatever you are going through is His way of saying "I see you. I'm with you. Trust Me".

Related articles

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Stay Committed, Stay True, Stay Toned

I fall and fail as much as I get up and succeed. This is my truth and it applies to everything in my life—including my workouts. I often ask myself on any given day, particularly on the days where the biggest challenge can be just getting out of bed, "what is my motivation?". It's a fair enough question, wouldn't you say?

Each of us whether we realize it or not, begins our journey towards a better body or sense of self for a reason: to get into that pair of skinny jeans, to look good for an upcoming social event, or because we are tired of looking in the mirror and not loving the body we see. In all of those cases, there is something external to motivate us. We have something material we can look at and work towards to keep us on the right track.

But, what happens when that thing no longer exists? Where do you find the internal motivation once you reach your goal?

As easy as you consider the answer to this question to be, please understand that it is much harder than you think. We all to some extent become satisfied enough with our progress to start making allowances for our actions.

It may start with an act as simple as eating a slice of pie or skipping a workout. Before you know it you're justifying eating out and cutting back on your cardio because "one day won't hurt me"—believe me, I've been there, and it's a miserable feeling to wallow in the guilt you feel when your "one day" turns into one week, one month, and so on.

You have to commit everyday to being the person who is dedicated to keeping his/her workout regimen in tact. If you don't, you run the risk of seeing all your hard work go down the drain.

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Finding Balance Without Losing Your Center

Here's a true fact about me: I am typically all the way to one side or the other where serious matters are concerned. I can find the so-called grey area, but I don't often subscribe to it because I feel that to be a woman of conviction, you actually need to have convictions.

That said, the inherent danger in never allowing yourself to see the other side, or at least empathize with the person from whom it's coming, is you might find it difficult to later feel the compassion your heart needs to make the necessary connections to causes outside of your own.

I struggle daily with my ability to see the other side of the coin because I have made it my personal goal to be strong in my beliefs and not allow the outside world to twist or manipulate those ideals in any way. However, by that same token, I also know that I should not allow my beliefs to be so pervasive that I fail to understand the beliefs of  others. I know the golden rule of life—or at least as it pertains to my life—'as easily as that can be one person's plight, it could be mine also'.

Keeping the latter in mind, I treat everyone with the same level of respect that I would want for myself. It's only fair. We don't have to agree to have an intelligent conversation, we just need to understand that we each come to the table with our own theory of what's best.

To live life in the middle can be a good thing, but don't go overboard. Have convictions of your own and remain open to the discussions of those who hold the opposite point of view. Your life has to be about something more than just nodding your head in agreement with every new idea you are given. Find your truth and let it guide your life.

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Fiber: Are You Getting Enough?

I bet when most people hear the word 'fiber' they think of bran cereals, prunes, and wheat germ—items that essentially don't bring much excitement to the palate—and, honestly, it's not hard to understand such an association. Those types of foods are precisely what the general public is directed towards when fiber is referenced in the media and that leads many people to take a pass on this misunderstood element—what a mistake!

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for fiber is 20-25 grams per day (or about 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables), but the more you can squeeze into your diet, the better (personally I manage to intake 45-50 grams per day). That said, I would caution anyone against starting off with too much fiber if your body isn't use to such high quantities as it might cause you to spend a little more time in the loo (or potty) than you are comfortable.

That said, the types of foods you can find fiber in aren't just the obvious ones named at the outset but other less mentioned foods as well.  Raspberries, apples, celery, pears, cabbage, broccoli, beans, whole grain breads and pastas, oranges, bananas, cauliflower, and avocados (although be careful here as avocados are also extremely high in fat) are all good sources of fiber and can easily be incorporated into your daily diet. 

Fiber's purpose is simple: it helps you feel full (which means you eat less and lose weight) and aids in maintaining a healthy digestive system.

Furthermore, anytime you resolve to add more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet, you can be assured of also reaping other health benefits as well—i.e. lowering cholesterol, decreasing your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers, and lowering blood sugar levels (a factor that is of great importance to those who struggle with diabetes).

Never underestimate the value of fiber in helping you to both maintain and attain a healthy body weight. Start finding ways to make this element a more prominent part of your diet and see what a difference it can make. Below are just a few suggestions on how you might do so:

• Sprinkle blueberries or raspberries over your pancakes or waffles.
• Eat an apple a day. It truly does keep the doctor at bay.
• Sprinkle a 1/2 cup of bran cereal into your yogurt (that's nearly 15 grams of fiber!)
• Double up on salads and vegetables at dinner and lunch—skip the rice (unless it's brown).
• Like pasta? Skip the white pasta and make a b-line for the whole grain variety.
• Almonds are not only a healthy snack, but they also offer 3 grams of fiber per serving. 

Lastly, when increasing your intake of fiber, be mindful to also do the same with your water intake. Fiber can be a real drag if there isn't anything to help dissolve and flush it out of your system. 8-12 cups a day is the RDA but, as with fiber, too much water is not necessarily a bad thing.

Related articles

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The Most Important Part of Your Exercise Routine Is Y-O-U

I'll admit that one of the hardest parts of getting into a fitness routine is actually starting one. Many of us look in the mirror and make a mental judgment of how much we have to do in order to get to our "ideal" size and we feel overwhelmed. It is in that moment we manage to kill any chance we have at succeeding because we have already decided the outcome won't be positive or quick enough in coming.

It's an easy train of thought to fall into when you've spent years neglecting your body.

However, trust me when I tell you that there's not a woman or man alive who wants to look in the mirror and not like what they see. We are all vain in that aspect, and none of us wish to feel as if the beautiful canvas God gave us is somehow marred.

That said the solution to the above problem is a simple one—although many of us fail to recognize it—stop self-sabotaging your goals.

Does that sound too easy? Too cliche'? Sorry, but it's the plain truth.

We all make far too many excuses for why we choose (and understand in most instances it is a choice) not to exercise: no time, no money, no energy, no space, etc. Give. Me. A. Break!

Two things are required to cultivate a successful exercise routine: you and your body's weight. All of the special gadgets you see others using (weights, mats, bikes, elliptical machines, gyms, etc.) are just aids. Those things might help give you focus when deciding how to personalize your personal routine, but none of them are necessary for you to reach your goals.

Your body weight gives you the best challenge to building strength because you have to be able to control it as well as execute the moves. I can lift a 25 pound dumbbell 10 times with no problem, but if you challenge me to do 20 push-ups, I might need a break. Why? Because you not only have to concentrate on lifting it, but doing so with proper form as well—and that's not easy.

If you're worried about a lack of cardio, how about running in place while watching your favorite television show or doing mountain climbers in 30-second intervals. Have some stairs in or just outside of your home, use them as your stairmaster.

Want to build better buns? Try lunges...with weights.

Creativity is a great asset to developing a challenging routine that can bring you great results.

Don't believe me, just take a look at this guy...no weights, no gym, and no supplements. He's a work of art and he formed the foundation for that body by using whatever he had in and around his home. Oh and, by the way, he's almost 50.

My point is simple, there is no excuse for not exercising. If you can move, you can lose. It is that simple. And while I don't expect any of us to be able to duplicate what Herschel Walker was able to do, his dedication to doing a body weight workout everyday should serve as an inspiration for those of you still struggling to get off the sofa.

Now, get out there and move something!

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Fighting The Demons Within You

This life isn't particularly kind to everyone. I recall being especially unhappy as a high school student with little-to-no social life, a less than stellar boyfriend, and a contentious relationship with my mother. The only thing I wanted to do was escape it all and reinvent myself as a woman of some importance—at least in my own mind—and be free of the pain and loneliness that seemed to frame my life at that time.

Back then, like many girls my age, I was envious of the popularity, good looks, and overall charmed existence of the "popular" girls. Why couldn't I be more like them? Where was my superstar boyfriend (AKA sports hero)? My invitation to all the hot parties? Why wasn't I living the "good life"?

Well, it didn't take me too long to figure out that I was asking and hoping for all the wrong things and,
as a result, it became necessary for me to start sorting out the woman I wanted to be—in this body I felt endlessly uncomfortable living in—with this soul that was sorely lacking in both direction and nourishment.

Now, a number of years later, I reflect upon that time as a moment in my life where I was too centered on the superficial aspects of living to appreciate all the good things I was blessed to have. I was too busy being shallow to understand what characteristics truly mattered in a person—their faith in Christ, their poise, their integrity, and their virtue.

It's a lesson I had to learn in order to "grow up" and become the woman I am today: one who has
so much more to give to those around her because she can see both sides of the battle. I understand what it feels like both to be accepted and to wonder what acceptance feels like.  And, though I'm still evolving on a daily basis, I feel more comfortable living and loving in the beautiful body the good Lord blessed me to have than I did 20 years ago.

Don't get me wrong, that 15-year old, lost, girl with low self-esteem is still a very real part of my story—she still makes an appearance here and there in those moments I find reason to doubt myself—she's just no longer the title character in the movie.

Related articles

• How to Battle Low Self-Esteem (everydayhealth.com)
• Loneliness & Poor Self-Esteem: Understanding the Connection (via ♦Woman to Woman♦) (woman2womansite.wordpress.com)
• Living with Fears (12images.wordpress.com)

Video of the Week: This Guy Must Have Been Really Hot

Ya know, if I saw a naked man running around in my neighborhood, I might not video his jaunt for the sake of YouTube or the local news, but rather I'd be inclined to quickly call the law.  Because, let's face it, if he's crazy enough to run naked through a suburban neighborhood, filled with housewives and children, and jump his naked self into their community pool, then he might be a bit more than just naked—try crazy as all heck!

However, in this day and age, even the person holding the phone to video the act is due the obligatory 15 minutes so why not indulge them a bit, right?



Perhaps his neighbors should all chip in and buy him a pool—for his backyard of course.

The FDA Needs More Money, Not Less, You Ridiculously Stupid Politiciains

Have you ever watched the documentary Food Inc? Well, I have—twice—and it's disturbing to see the lack of value the federal government appears to have in policing the quality of the food that comes across our kitchen tables every night.

So, when it came to my attention that some of the geniuses responsible for passing laws in this country were putting the wheels in motion to not only renege on the promise of more money for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but to cut them back another $87 million, I was a bit perplexed—quite frankly outraged—by the sheer irresponsibility of it all.

Here is a snippet of an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle which explains the initial plan, the subsequent take-back, and the logic behind the new plan:

Budget cuts proposed by House Republicans to the Food and Drug Administration would undermine the agency's ability to carry out a historic food-safety law passed by Congress just five months ago, food-safety supporters say.


The legislation, passed in December, is the first major change to the nation's food-safety laws since 1938. It calls for the FDA to significantly step up scrutiny of domestic and imported food and devise a new system to prevent the kind of contamination that sickens 1 in 6 Americans every year.


The law, which received bipartisan support, followed years of cutbacks at the FDA and waves of national food-borne illnesses linked to foods as varied as spinach, peanuts and cookie dough.


To carry out the new law, President Obama is seeking $955 million for food safety at the FDA in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.


Last week, the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the FDA pared back that amount to $750 million, which is $87 million less than the figure the agency is currently receiving for food safety.

...the agency will not be able to meet many requirements of the new law, including increased inspections of food manufacturing plants, better coordination with state health departments and development of the capability to more respond quickly to food-borne illnesses to reduce their impact.

Richard D. Saunders, deputy director of Virginia's Division of Animal and Food Industry Services, questions the wisdom of passing the law " if you're going to turn around and cut FDA's funding ... FDA has never had enough funding to begin with."

I don't give a flip what party you belong to, you have to wonder about the genius behind any think-tank that feels we, as American citizens, can get by with less where food safety is concerned. It's just idiotic as all heck to believe we are okay with the status quo when there are increasingly more outbreaks of E. Coli, salmonella, and various other food borne illnesses around the globe.

If anything, they should be giving more to the cause, not less.

Perhaps the House subcommittee needs an outbreak to come there way at one of their lunch sessions so that they can grasp the urgency of this matter because it seems to me that they aren't taking any of this seriously enough.

Ay yi yi. Here's an idea for those morons we've entrusted to help "run this country", how about you actually start making laws that protect us, eh? I mean, I know that the money from all those big corporations help fund your yearly vacations, but I would like to be able to go into a supermarket, pick up some romaine lettuce or peanut butter and know that I won't die.

Just a thought.

Related articles

• Food Safety Overhaul Faces Defunding (opencongress.org)
• Be Smart About Food Safety (everydayhealth.com)
• You aren't what you eat: GOP challenges healthy eating rules (capitolhillblue.com)