For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Dec. 18, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 22

In this Issue:
We will transcend, ladies.

Dear Friends,

We have snow on the ground, and freezing temperatures – amazing for Portland, Oregon, where a green and drippy wet Christmas is more the norm. When I learned my brother and nephews are coming from Missouri for the holidays and heard that the arctic blast was coming, we ran right out and cut a Christmas tree. Last night, I amazed myself and stood in the kitchen for two hours cutting out Christmas cookies – my favorite holiday baking. Now for the best part — decorating them, and that I can do sitting down.

It has been quite a year getting through two knee replacement surgeries, 30 physical therapy appointments, and all of the unknowns. I have a ways to go to get where I want to be in terms of strength and stamina, but finally feel I’m on my way to dancing and hiking and moving fluently and with ease – well, and maybe a little clicking. Ahhhh…the anticipation.

Kelly Corrigan: We Will Transcend, Ladies

Kelly Corrigan

In light of my year and all of the sweet friends who sent prayers, presents and encouragement, the best thing I thought I could share with you in this last e-news for 2008 is this amazing reading by one of our newest speakers, Kelly Corrigan.

She wrote it for all the great women in her life, and so it is my pleasure to share her reading of it with all of the great women in my life.

It’s called “Transcending: Words on Women and Strength” and like all of Kelly’s writing, it’s poignant, funny, and insightful, and she delivers it in her  charming and forthright style. It’s a touching tribute to the support and compassion women give each other in good times and bad. It’s just five minutes and well worth every word and minute.  I’m certain you’ll want to share it with all of your girlfriends.

Anne Turner of Sparks Regional Medical Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, turned me on to Kelly and her New York Times best-selling book, “The Middle Place,” after she spoke for their annual Woman to Woman event this fall. Anne couldn’t say enough good things about Kelly’s presence and her message – she received a standing ovation.  Please visit our website for more about Kelly. http://www.speakwellbeing.com/kelly-corrigan.php

The essay is also a bonus in the paperback edition of “The Middle Place,” due in bookstores Dec. 23.  So, if you still have girlfriends on your Christmas list, this book would make a great gift.

Until next time, and take care of yourself, for your well being and those you love.  In Kelly’s words, together,  “We will transcend, ladies!”

Gratefully,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Dec. 4, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 21

In this Issue:
Born to Do this Work

Dear Friends,

Heaven knows we can all use more laughter and levity in the midst of the uncertainty and chaos that we hear about daily. One thing that restores my joyful spirit, is listening to music with positive lyrics. And, happily that music has led me to musicians who are fabulous speakers as well.  Who knew this would be good for my blood vessels, too?

A study was presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions last month, suggesting that laughing and listening to joyful music can help to improve blood vessel function. While the volunteers were listening to the music, the researchers measured how well their blood vessels responded to a sudden increase in blood flow caused by the release of a blood pressure cuff. Results showed that when the volunteers listened to music that made them feel joyful, their blood vessels dilated by 26%. In comparison, listening to music that made the volunteers feel anxious caused blood vessels to dilate by 6%. Laughter was also found to improve blood flow. Listening to a comedy tape caused blood vessels to dilate by 19%.

I love it when research proves what we intuitively know –  joyful music and laughter not only make us feel good, they’re good for us.  That makes me triply happy to report that singer-songwriter, humorist and speaker Jana Stanfield is returning from her world travels – 8 countries — to resume her keynote concerts in the U.S.

Jana Stanfield: Born to Do This Work

Jana Stanfield

“It feels good to be back at my job,” Jana says. “After this year of travel, I realized that using music and humor to inspire and encourage large groups of caring people is my dharma.

“Joseph Campbell said that the way to follow your bliss is to do what you care about,” she continued. “It’s comforting to think that in addition to being fitted with our unique aptitudes and abilities, we were also given our unique set of interests. By following the path of what we care about, we can look back and say, ‘I was born to do this work in the world.’  In India, they’d call that your dharma, your life’s work. Being on a constant quest to understand life better, and sharing those lessons in an entertaining way, is my life’s work. I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned this year in a way that’s helpful to others.”

Jana particularly likes to work in the caring professions – healthcare and education (her mom was an elementary school music teacher) – where she has a compassionate way of appreciating their hard work, alleviating stress and promoting well being.  That’s all done with a lot of laughter.

You may not know that in addition to being entertaining, her programs can be approved for CEU credits in healthcare and education. Her program, “I’m Not Lost, I’m Exploring: An Adventurer’s Guide to Change,” is a fun-filled stress reduction session, where participants walk away with improved coping skills that can be applied to stress reduction, endorphin elevation, and mental health maintenance. It’s the power of musical repetition that helps participants memorize key points so that they can be applied to everyday work and life challenges.

In another workshop, “Laugh ‘Til You Leak With Laugh-Ter-Robics,” Jana uses her training as a C.L.L. – Certified Laugh Leader – to teach people laughter skills. She says that those who work in the helping professions need to develop laughter skills for simple self-defense as well as stress reduction and endorphin elevation.  In this workshop, they learn three kinds of laughter, many ways to induce laughter without jokes, and how to create a "secret laugh handshake" that can be taught to colleagues for an instant laugh anytime it’s needed.

And it’s not too early to plan a nurses week appreciation program with Jana. The question for nurses week is often, “How can you give the greatest number of nurses the greatest amount of inspiration, laughter and appreciation?”  Between cracking your nurses up with her famous “Call-Light Song” and touching their hearts with stories, Jana expresses gratitude to your nurses for being angels among us. Since nurses eat and run to allow others on their shift to get a meal break, Jana’s “Angels Among Us” program can be presented as a come-and-go show throughout the day. For more information, ask about the program, “Angels Among Us: For Call-Light Answerers and Other Difference-Makers.”

Using her unique Keynote Concert style, Jana always provides entertainment, inspiration and encouragement –  lifting spirits with joy, laughter, and spirited interaction. For more information, visit Jana Stanfield on our website or give us a call at 503-699-5031.

Oh, and those joyful CD’s of hers are on sale for Christmas.  Half Price!
Choose any FOUR CDs or ONE COMPLETE BOXED SET for $50.00. Purchase Jana’s CD(s) online here. At check-out, simply enter the coupon code: 4for50 to receive your 50% off!

Sharing a Good Idea
Girlfriends Insta-Totes

At this year’s Go Red for Women luncheon in Portland, each attendee received a fabulous goody bag at her seat.  Not only was it full of fun girlie stuff, including red nail polish and some Liquid Passion Anti-aging Lotion (can’t we all use some of that?), I thought the bag was darling and very practical. In fact, I noticed all of the women around me picking them up admiringly. Imprinted with the words Girl Friends and decorated with girls in red dresses, the design was perfect for the Go Red Event.  Better yet, the bags are made from 100% recycled water bottles, and are 100% recyclable again.

I looked up the Patty Reed website and found there are other designs, styles, and sizes and was very pleasantly impressed by the price.  The lunch bag size  (10” x 12” x 5”) with inner pocket to hold a beverage, that we received, is just $2.50 each (plus S&H). Three styles are available: the Reusable Shopping Tote (perfect for groceries), the Zippered Tote Bag (ideal for travel), and the Lunch Tote. The larger shopping and zippered styles run $5.00. For bulk orders, you can get even better prices. The Insta-Totes bags are lightweight yet super-strong, with a virtually indestructible waterproof surface that can be wiped clean and reused indefinitely. I know that many of you are looking for high value give-away and appreciation gifts at good prices, for your conference attendees. These bags were created by two entrepreneurial women, are environmentally friendly, attractive and girlfriendy.  Check out their website here.

Celebrating 10 Years
Memory Lane – Part 5

This has been fun for me  — reflecting on the last 10 years, both personally and professionally, as they are so intertwined. In our last installment, after explaining my entry and interest in health and wellness, and move to Oregon, I left you with the orange cones.  You know, the ones that mark caution, construction zone.  Well, I don’t know about you, but my life and this business always seem to be under construction! That’s why Jana’s song, “I’m Not Lost, I’m Exploring,” rang true to me the very first time I heard it.  It’s that honest irony that I relate to.

One of my biggest leaps was to start publishing this e-news a little over 5 years ago, every other week, with a few breaks for holidays – my wedding — and this year, those pesky knee operations. Thank you for staying with me. I value your time and strive to bring you information that will help you in your job and in life, with a little levity to keep us all sane.  I feel very fortunate for the people I’ve met, the experiences – including the stumbles, but most of all, for so many long-time relationships with both clients and speakers.  I love hearing from you, even if you just write to say, “Hi.”
 
Until next time, pay attention to the orange cones and take care of yourself, for your well being and those you love.

Gratefully,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Nov. 20, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 20

In this Issue:
Gratitude – A Three-Way Street

Dear Friends,

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’m going to take a little detour from my trip down memory lane today, to share a letter of gratitude. I am always pleased to get emails and letters of thanks from event planners. After all of the planning, marketing, and taking care of details, details, and more details, it’s satisfying for all of us to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.

This particular letter, however, came to me from one of our speakers, Sue Kirby. It was beautifully handwritten, totally unexpected, and while it’s a thank you to me, it’s really a unique glimpse of a speaker’s perspective. We usually think in terms of the speaker and their message and what they bring to you. This is a peek at her experience traveling around the country and what the experience of being a speaker and visiting a community, brings to her life. And, in a sense, it is an expression of gratitude to all the event planners and coordinators we work with year in and year out. Gratitude – it’s a three-way street.

Sue Kirby

“Gratitude”
by Sue Kirby

I know I speak for all the speakers who Barbara (The Speak Well Being Group) represents, when I say, “Thank you!”

I used to believe that my message was important and the affect it had on the audience was what I carried home with me. Now, after many travels I realize more and more, the real joy of this speaking profession is the people! Their pride, their passion, their purpose.

Just returning from North Platte, Nebraska, I came home with a very happy heart. These are some of the wonderful people we are privileged to meet. They welcome you into their town and their lives! They teach you about real Americans. They are the heart of our country. And . . . the entire time they honor the speaker for coming.

So again, thank you, Barbara, for being the connection. Consider us all humbly grateful.

Thankfully,
Sue Kirby

Behind the Scenes
Sue always brings home great stories about the places she visits – it obviously has something to do with the big-hearted person she is. But this particular experience in North Platte crystallized that effect for her; she was privileged to be included in the town’s expression of honor for their homecoming heroes, and it made her realize that everything we do enables us to participate in the lives of the people we reach out to and how much we receive back in the process – a realization we don’t often see so clearly in the press of daily life.

So what exactly happened in North Platte? Sue was there last year, to speak at the “Women’s Head 2 Toe Expo.” It was this experience off stage that really moved her.

“Everyone in the office gathered around as they shared a video with me – one they’d all seen many, many times,” Sue told me. “The entire town was lining the streets, and I mean everyone. The streets were packed with people cheering and waving flags, as they welcomed their soldiers home. From the airport to the community college where they all met in the gym, it was a mass of enthusiastic men, women and children. There wasn’t a dry eye in the gym, or in the room where they shared that memory with me. I thought I knew what I was talking about, but they showed me a spirit of gratitude that I took home and it changed me forever.”

And she ended her gratitude letter with this quote:

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude, of those who have lighted the flame within us!” – Albert Schweitzer

Thank YOU, Sue. It is an honor and pleasure to work with YOU, and all of the fabulous, talented, heartful speakers we get to know and introduce to others. 

Eleanor Pella, RD, MS, LDN

Introducing Nutrition Enthusiast
Eleanor Pella . . .
And a Pumpkin Pie Recipe

We’re always on the lookout for bright, up and coming speakers who are ready to take their expertise to the national level. Eleanor B. Pella, MS, RD, LDN, is one of those. Hailing from Gettysburg, Pennyslvania, she’s enthusiastic about great-tasting food, good nutrition and getting the message out there in fun ways. In fact, her demo DVD shows her breaking into song – a food parody, of course. Michigan Cardiovascular Institute in Saginaw, raved about her program, “Secrets of the Family Fruit Salad: Female Body Shapes and Your Health,” at their 13th Annual Women’s Health Initiative in October.

Eleanor is especially enthusiastic about the benefits of plant-based diets. In this pumpkin pie recipe, she shares one of her secrets for sneaking tofu into the family diet. Her one caveat is, “Don’t let them see the tofu package until AFTER they’ve eaten the pie!”

TOFU PUMPKIN PIE

1 package (10.5 oz) firm silken tofu
1 can (15 oz) mashed pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutme

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Puree eggs and tofu in a blender until smooth
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and the sugars. Whisk in the spices and the pureed tofu.
Pour the mixture into the ceramic 9×12 pan and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Chill before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information: 200 calories, 8 g fat , 5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber
NOTE: This recipe was modified from the pumpkin pie recipe printed on the Libby’s Pumpkin can label.

And Happy Thanksgiving to You . . . Make Some Memories

Speaking of Pennsylvania, some of my fondest childhood memories are of Thanksgivings in Pittsburgh with my aunt, uncle and cousins. My family lived in Parma, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland), at the time, and we would drive to Pittsburgh for the long holiday weekend. All the while that the grown-ups were cooking and kibitzing, my two younger brothers and three younger cousins were in the basement producing a Thanksgiving play, complete with cowboys, Indians and Pilgrims. We have pictures to prove it. You might take a wild guess as to who was running the show. I do recall that the costume-making was very creative. I’ll have to ask my brother next week at Thanksgiving Dinner, what he remembers.

Wishing you a joyful, healthy, yummy and memorable Thanksgiving.

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” – The Buddha

Until next time, make some memories and take care of yourself, for your well being and those you love.

Gratefully,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Nov. 6, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 19

In this Issue:
Move It

Dear Friends,

Government guidelines for physical activity – the exercise version of the food pyramid – were released last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They are science-based and were created to clear up confusion about how much physical activity is enough, and what kind of activity counts, while making it clear there are lots of ways to achieve it. Unlike the food pyramid, I haven’t seen any controversy about the guidelines (yet!). That’s great news because how active you are may be the most important indicator of good health.

Now I think the idea that daily activities count as physical activity is a really important one because the word exercise itself often gets a negative response. Physical activity is any form of exercise or movement of the body that uses energy. Some of your daily life activities—doing active chores around the house, yard work, walking the dog—are examples. Instead of visions of pumping iron and sweating it out, this report gives people ways to get started and lots of options that can add up.

In fact, the guide they developed for adults is all about fitting physical activity into your life – your way. You can get that guide, as well as all of the other information about the report from the website . The comprehensive set of recommendations is for people of all ages and physical conditions.

Reports are great – especially for substantiating the need to sponsor programs and educate people about wellness behaviors. I believe, however, especially on this topic, that showing is far better than telling.  Zonya Foco, RD, CHFI, CSP, has created a new program that is right on target and in tune with the times.

Zonya Foco

ZONYA FOCO:
Finding Fitness in You: E-Harmony Style!

While Zonya Foco is known to many of our long-time clients for her powerful nutrition programs, she has always tooted the exercise horn right along with healthy eating.  In her cookbook, “Lickety-Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go,” she placed over 200 motivational tips, including plenty of healthy doses of exercise encouragement.

“The secret to a lasting relationship with exercise,” she says, “is to find what you love — not just tolerate, but what you absolutely wouldn’t dream of staying in bed to miss or ending your day without. That’s the whole idea behind the talk, ‘Finding Fitness in You: E-Harmony Style.’” 

Fitness isn’t just what you might think of as fitness – running, biking, playing basketball or sports she says. There is some activity that will be in harmony with YOUR body and soul. She says it’s all a matter of matching your unique personality with just the right activity that’s the exact match for you. Some people like classes, some like gym equipment, and others like team sports.  You may prefer your exercise indoors or outdoors and that may vary with the season.

In a modern twist, Zonya has melded the idea of trying on (dating) fitness activities with the dating model from E-Harmony. The idea is to get people out of their boxed-in thinking about exercise, and open to choices that will be in harmony for them.

“How about dating your exercise options — your E-choices?”  Zonya says. “Through the power of multi-media, I will take you on dates with all kinds of E-choices you never knew enough about; choices like water aerobics, kickboxing, Jazzercise, Tai Chi, line dancing, armchair exercising, biking and tennis. You’ll learn about people who were just like you before they found their one “true E-love.” With your “E-matches” in hand, you can date your way to finding the one for you.”

I think Zonya must have had ESP when she developed this program!  The Physical Activities Guidelines for Americans were designed so people can easily fit physical activity into their daily plan and incorporate activities they enjoy. The panel that reviewed the data found the regular physical activity can cut the risk of heart attacks and stroke by at least 20 percent, reduce chances of early death, and help people avoid high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer, fractures from age-weakening bones, and depression.

 “The easy message is get active, whatever your way is. Get active your way,”  HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, said.

In addition to being a Registered Dietitian, Zonya is a Certified Health and Fitness Instructor (CHFI), and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP).

Learn more about Zonya Foco on our website or give us a call at 503-699-5031.

NEW!
Retrain Your Muscles for a Pain-Free, Active Lifestyle!
For those of you who like the convenience of a program you can pop in your DVD player and follow at home, Zonya has teamed up with Movement Training Specialist Sherry McLaughlin to bring you this innovative workout program focusing on your core, legs and arms. Sherry and Zonya teach you how to retrain your muscles to work the way they were designed to work regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.

    * Learn five facts about your body’s design you never knew
    * Regain an active lifestyle currently compromised by pain
    * Enhance your fitness program and excel in your performance

The program includes a 15-minute explanation of key movement facts, a 30-minute beginner workout and a 30-minute advanced workout.

Order Zonya’s DVD here.

Celebrating 10 Years: Memory Lane – Part 4

I’d like to tell you that I’ve always been interested in health and fitness but that wouldn’t be true. I hated P.E. in elementary school, never made cheerleader or did team sports (pre-Title IX).  I’m glad to tell you, however, that it wasn’t a health crisis that moved me off my duff. It was pain, plain and simple.  It was spring break when I was in my late 20’s and we went skiing in Utah. My muscles got so sore from the sudden shock of downhill mountain skiing that I could barely get in and out of the car — the ecstasy of the skiing must have masked the pain while I was on the hill!  Before that vacation, I hadn’t had time for exercise during the work week – I’d rather meet my friends and co-workers for a beer after work.  Now it was time to change my ways. A friend of mine was teaching Jazzercise and I decided to give it a try. I was quickly hooked.  A good habit, as Zonya would say, was born.

It was around 1994 that I discovered Nia, the fabulous mind-body-spirit practice that has had such a huge influence in my life.  This was when I lived in Lansing, Michigan.  By this time, I was ready for a change from Jazzercise. I’d seen flyers for introductions to non-impact aerobic classes (Nia) by Winalee Zeeb, but couldn’t imagine how a non-impact class could be a good workout. Then I dropped my guard and went to a demo class on a Sunday night. I LOVED it.  It was amazing to take off those clunky athletic shoes that my feet never liked and dance and play.  My body AND my spirit soared.

That Monday, I enrolled for the summer term classes 4 nights a week at the local community college. Another good habit was born!  When Winalee announced she’d be training her first White Belt – training to be a Nia teacher and also personal development work – in February 1997, I knew I had to be there. I didn’t end up wanting to teach, but it was definitely a turning point as it was then that the wheels started turning seriously – it was time to take stock, listen to the prodding little voices in my head and make some changes in my life. It’s amazing what a little dancing can instigate. By the end of the year, I had decided to blast through the excuses, following my heart, and move to Portland, Oregon. I had visited Portland many times. My brother lived here, and my parents had lived here for a short time after I graduated from college. I’d always said, if I was going to choose a place to live, I’d move to Portland. I gave myself six months to make the preparations, sell my house and decades of stuff, and on June 1, 1998, I was on the road to Portland with my cat and dog in the back seat.

Now I wish I could tell you that it’s been a glorious uphill trek, but this is life, and sometimes we don’t see the orange cones…to be continued in our next issue.

Until next time, take care of yourself, for your well being and those you love.

Yours truly,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Oct 16, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 18

In this Issue:
Double Duty

Dear Friends,

One of the benefits of specializing in health, wellness and women’s events, is that I get a bird’s eye view of what’s going on around the country. It may surprise some of you (unless you’re the sponsor) to know that all breast cancer awareness events are not held in October and all heart health events are not held in February. It’s great to feature awareness during specific months, but as we all know, these diseases know no boundaries.

So, today I wanted to share some information with you that I became aware of from our heart health speaker (and heart attack survivor) Eliz Greene. We all know mammograms can detect early breast cancer, but did you know mammograms may also predict early heart disease?

Double Duty:
Mammograms and Heart Disease

Along with detecting a lump, mammograms can also detect calcium deposits in the blood vessels of the breast, an indicator of early heart disease. Calcium deposits detected on mammograms correlated to a significantly increased risk of stroke, according to research conducted by Dr. Paul S. Dale, chief of surgical oncology at the University of Missouri’s Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, and presented earlier this year at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference. What does this mean for women? Not only are mammograms an essential tool for diagnosing breast cancer but they can also be useful in screening for heart disease and stroke as well.

“I was very excited to see this research,” Eliz said. “This is a new tool to help diagnose heart disease in women, which is under-diagnosed to begin with. Plus, instead of a new test, it’s something that most women are already (or should be) doing.”

Once the calcium deposits are discovered, doctors can screen for and address other risk factors, such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, and create a treatment plan to limit the risk of stroke and heart attack.

As a heart attack survivor (see story below), Eliz is passionate about women’s heart health (she’s even taken up the cause on Capitol Hill). Here are her thoughts on linking this research to action.

Have regular mammograms. Surprisingly, only half the women who should have annual mammograms actually get them, even when their insurance pays for them. Having previous tests to compare can be essential in picking up small changes. Talk to your doctor to determine how often you should be screened.

Ask your doctor specifically if your mammogram shows calcium deposits in the blood vessels of your breast, it may not be something he or she is in the habit of reporting.

Schedule a cardiac and stroke screening if you do have deposits and discuss ways to decrease your risk.

Women who have had open-heart surgery or other surgery in the chest area need to be especially consistent with mammograms because scar tissue can mask a lump. Even if you are not at the recommended age, discuss with your doctor the need to have a yearly mammogram to be safe. Scars and increased sensitivity may make a mammogram more challenging; discuss these issues with the mammogram technician before you begin. If you have an implanted device, such as a pace maker or internal defibrillator, make sure the technician understands the compression must be done slowly and cautiously so as not to dislodge the leads.

If you are scheduled to have chest surgery, get a mammogram first if possible.

If you are 40 or older and haven’t had mammogram in the last 24 months, call your doctor and schedule an appointment today.

Heart Health Speaker/Advocate:
Eliz Greene

Eliz Greene

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor who is passionate about promoting heart health for women and advocating for patients. She knows what she’s talking about. Eliz was seven-months pregnant with twins when she suffered a massive heart attack at age 35. Her life changed — not only did she survive a ten-minute cardiac arrest, the cesarean delivery of her daughters and open-heart surgery, all on the same day — she gained new perspective and passion for life.

Determined to regain her health, Eliz developed strategies to fit activity and healthy habits into her life. She lost the more than eighty pounds she gained while pregnant and has since become a recreational triathlete. Her heart attack forced her to slow down and pay attention to what was important — to engage life rather than just endure it and she wrote a book to share that experience – “Passion for Life.”

In addition to lifestyle strategy programs for prevention, she’s developed programs that give physicians and medical students a look at what happens with patients after their work is done. Often healthcare providers are unaware of the unique challenges women face when dealing with the interventions, medications and treatments for heart disease — mostly because women don’t talk about them with their physicians. “Women are so glad to be alive,” Eliz says, “that they don’t speak up about things that are bothering them.”

Drawing on personal experience and hundreds of hours of interviews with female heart patients, Eliz developed these programs to feature the patient’s perspective on women living with heart disease. She also created a talk designed to inform women about everything they need to know before heart surgery. It’s called, “She’s Going To Need A New Bra.”

Eliz is a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association and chairs the Advocacy Committee in her home state of Wisconsin. Today, she is a healthy 43-year-old living in Milwaukee with her husband, Clay, and their (now 8-year-old) daughters.

In each community she visits, Eliz seeks to build awareness, improve the treatment of women with heart disease, and dispel the stigma challenging survivors. Her enthusiasm is contagious. To learn more about Eliz’s programs and availability, please give us a call at 503-699-5031 or learn more about Eliz Greene on our website.

Celebrating 10 Years:
Memory Lane – Part 3

People are always asking me how I got started in this business and I tell them the truth – I’m a motivational speaker junkie. Ever hit a low point in your life? Well, my Big Dip was twenty-four years ago, when I lost my man, my mentor and my mother in a matter of months – it was as if a rug that held these huge parts of me had been pulled out from under me in one huge sweep and I was left in the dust. The one thing that stayed constant was my house, although I came pretty close to losing that, too. Looking back now, I’m sure I was depressed, I just didn’t know it. After months of aimlessness, Divine Intervention showed up in the form of a girlfriend, who told me about a class at our local local community college. It was called, “Eliminating Self-Defeating Behavior,” and in a matter of hours, I found myself enrolled and sitting among a group of strangers.

Talk about an eye-opener! This was my first exposure to motivational speakers (via video) like Wayne Dyer and Leo Buscalgia, and I still remember Wayne’s words, “You can’t get behind somebody else’s eyeballs.” That changed my life. Well, that and lots of exercises, journaling and sharing. (I had thought everyone saw things, events, etc., the same as I did. NOT!) No wonder two and two did not equal four. I woke up. I came alive. I took my power back. Now, please don’t misunderstand. This has not been a one-time event in my life. It’s definitely an ongoing process. That initial re-discovery, however, led me to more classes. I hadn’t taken a class since I’d graduated from college and this was fun, this was for me. Then, of course, as I became clearer about what I wanted to do, opportunities arose. I loved writing and I was really excited about the impact motivatoinal speakers could have in changing lives. I did some marketing work for a couple of motivational speakers, and eventually worked for a speakers bureau. Interestingly, I was never interested in BEING a motivational speaker (I’ve always suffered from stage fright) but loved the idea of supporting those who are.

At the speakers bureau, we also ran a lending library of motivational tapes for a major corporation. I had access to a virtual smorgasboard of teachers, and I used it. That, reviewing tons of speaker materials, as well as writing the descriptive copy for our catalog, gave me an education and developed my acuity to attributes like talent and authenticity. I also went to as many live events as I possibly could.

Along the way, (more personal development), I became interested in health and wellness, but that’s another story, to be continued in our next issue . . .

Until next time, take care of yourself, for your well being and those you love.

Gratefully,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Oct 2, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 17

In this Issue:
Marching Orders

Dear Friends,

Starting in 1985, October was designated National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with the goal of increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection.  In that time, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

To raise awareness and funds, many of our clients hold luncheons, teas and other special events featuring inspiring speakers – often, but not always breast cancer survivors. Meantime, the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Race for the Cure has blossomed into sailing, sleeping, golfing, bowling and cooking for the cure, to name a few. Raising money, awareness and hope are all worthy goals.  This week, however, Dr. Susan Love, upped the ante.  She gave women everywhere their marching orders with a plan to get the root of it and end the threat of breast cancer forever.

Dr. Susan Love

Calling for an Army of Women

Dr. Susan Love

When I saw Dr. Susan Love on NBC’s Today Show and the evening news this week, she had fire in her belly about ending breast cancer in her (our) lifetimes. She believes that we can be the generation that eliminates breast cancer by identifying what causes this disease and stopping it before it starts, and she’s asking for our help. As the author of the best-selling “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book,” and president and medical director of the Susan Love Research Foundation, she is a leader and pioneer in the field. She was one of the first to sound the alarm about the possible link between cancer and the widespread use of postmenopausal hormones.  

Militaristic terms are not usually my favorite way of approaching healing, but this call for an army of volunteers feels appropriate. This is a national initiative to recruit one million women of every age, ethnicity, and breast cancer history interested in partnering with scientists and joining in breast cancer research that will move us beyond a cure.

As Dr. Love pointed out in her television interviews, research studies are usually conducted in hospitals with patients who already have the disease. “We need the normal, healthy women, who are not in hospitals or clinics,” she said, “but are going to step up to the plate — if we’re going to get these answers.” She said that when she went to researchers, they told her they didn’t know how to get women to do those things – give blood, tissue, etc. She said, “Of course you can.” They said, “We don’t know how to find them.”  She said, “Of course you can,” and an idea was born.  I’d say Dr. Love knows women and their ability to rise to the occasion. 

The Love/Avon Army of Women is driven by two key partnerships that will accelerate research and prevent breast cancer: the partnership between Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation, and the partnership between scientists and lay-women.

Here’s how it works.  Go to the website, to register as a volunteer. By registering, you are indicating your interest in learning about active research studies in need of volunteers.

You will receive email updates announcing new research studies looking for volunteers just like you. The email will detail the research project and who and what the researchers need. If you fit the criteria and you’d like to participate, all you need to do is reply to the email and let them know you’ve accepted their “Call to Action.”

If you accept the Call to Action, you will be contacted by an Army of Women staff member, who will make sure you meet the study criteria and answer any questions you might have about study participation. You will never be pressured to take part in any study. The decision to take part is yours — and yours alone.  If you meet the study criteria and are interested in taking part, the Army of Women staff member will let you know what you need to do next.

This opportunity is for every woman who has asked the question, “What can I do to help?” It’s your chance to be part of the research that will end breast cancer. Sign up for the benefit of your sister, mother, daughter, granddaughter, best friend, and the woman you met last week. Let’s do what women do well and rally to the cause.  How about organizing an event at your hospital, clinic or organization? Bring women together to present the Call to Action, to honor participants and have speakers who could expand on these ideas and results as they develop.  

I’ve enlisted. How about you?  Please join the troops.

Memory Lane – Part 2

September 2008 marked our 10-year anniversary of serving clients and speakers and in our last issue, I shared a little about how we got started. In the early days, my intention was to represent a few speakers in health and wellness. That way, I could vouch for every speaker I recommended and concentrate on providing the best service, most informative, fun, and inspirational events for our clients. I did not want to have just another catalog of names.  But that quickly changed.  First of all, I was drawn into a wonderful network of speakers who recommended other speakers to me and much to my liking, we often got to meet personally. Our paths started crossing at national meetings of the National Speakers Association and the National Wellness Conference, and there was synergy between the speakers as well as myself. A small group of us, on behalf of the whole,  joined the National Association of Women’s Health (NAWH) and sponsored an exhibit booth at two of their national meetings. Another year, we hooked up with Spirit of Women and exhibited at their national meeting in Nashville. The circle kept widening yet I’ve always our focused on knowing my speakers really, really well, while learning all about our clients and their desires and needs.

Which brings us to the other driving force, of course – our clients.  While I’ve had the pleasure of booking many return engagements, I’m always on the lookout for the next speaker who will be the perfect fit for a particular client’s special event. And, one of our most unique features, I think, is that our clients recommend speakers to us. Then some of them become stars in our universe too, as they take the message to other clients in other places.

We’re all in this together, in a unique niche, so that makes our slogan, “Creating health and wellness through connections,” most meaningful.  We couldn’t have done it without you, and I’d like to say a big, grateful THANK YOU to many of you who have been with us this entire ten years, as well as each client who joins us each year. I look forward to hearing from you and using our connections to make your events high points in the lives of your participants.

Until next time, take care of yourself, and make a connection, for your well being and those you love.

Gratefully,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Sept 18, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 16

In this Issue:
A Look Back

Dear Friends,

I’m home and healing from my knee surgery, using my laptop from my lap, so I can prop my right leg up. Physical therapy starts tomorrow and I have my left knee as an inspiration – the healed scar, the straightness and the bend-ability. Can’t wait to start dancing and hiking again. That’s what I visualize everyday – painfree.

This month marks my 10th year of serving speakers and clients, and I promised you a little history. I’ll do a few paragraphs in each of the next few issues.

2008 – CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

September 2008 – It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since I sat down at my brand new empty computer, with my brand new office furniture, a credenza full of empty files – and an idea. Rather than a speakers bureau representing hundreds of speakers on zillions of topics, I wanted to specialize in health and wellness and market a few excellent speakers I knew very well. One problem — I didn’t have any clients to book them with.

I got on the phone — starting with a big fat book of associations, and then moving to a list of hospitals that I got off the internet. I went through the hospitals state by state, east coast to west, as time zones moved along during the day. I wasn’t even sure who to ask for when I called, so I just waded my way through, and eventually got some clues from the questions the operators asked me! I got my first booking in November – oh, what a feeling! This was with dial-up internet access and no website …(to be continued).

Going down memory lane, I’ve been looking through past issues of For Your Well Being. Today I’m reprinting one of my favorite stories that highlights the dedication of both speakers and clients, committed to holding their events, in the face of adversities.

Yours truly,
Barbara

FROM THE MEETING FRONT: AGAINST ALL ODDS
Reprinted from For Your Well Being, Vol II, Issue, 2, Jan. 2002

Dr. Deborah Kern

Weather or not, I’m proud to say I’ve known my speakers to turn around when turned away at the airport, rent a car and drive long hours to make an engagement, if it’s at all feasible. 9/11, however, presented a whole new set of barriers to be overcome.

Our client, Baptist Hospital East, in Louisville, KY had scheduled their annual women’s program, “Wise Woman’s Wellness: A No-Guilt, Practical Guide to Everyday Health” for Saturday, September 15, 2001. On September 11, the keynote speaker, Dr. Deborah Kern, was just finishing a few days of teaching special sessions at Lake Austin Spa, in Austin, TX. Deb was soon to find out, it’s a REALLY long way between Austin and Louisville, KY.

As Kit Fullenlove, Public Relations Manager recalls, “Because of the devastating events of September 11, we felt it was important to hold the seminar to help people get their lives back to normal.”

We all watched the news for any sign of what might happen with the airlines, while rental cars were snapped up faster than snow shovels on a snowy day in Portland. And, I’m sure you will remember, that the entire time, we were dealing not only with the hour-to-hour uncertainty of it all, but the underlying fear for our own safety, as well as the safety of our loved ones and the future of our world.

From Austin, Deb was on the phone with her husband in Alabama, creating various scenarios, including him driving cross country to get her or meet her. Kit was checking Greyhound Bus schedules, (and possibly camels, I think). Deb finally decided on Thursday, to get on the road and head in an easterly direction, hitching a ride with an elderly couple who were returning home from the spa to Baton Rouge, LA. From the backseat of their car, Deb continued to dial rental car companies, hoping to pick up a car in Baton Rouge, while continuing to concoct alternate “plans.”

There were no rental cars in Baton Rouge.

And then a U-Haul passed them. “A-ha!” she thought, “That’s a vehicle for rent,” and immediately called U-Haul. Fifteen hours later, Deb and her suitcase left Baton Rouge in a 14 foot truck (that’s big enough to move the contents of a one-bedroom apartment) and barreled on down the road for the 13-hour trip home to Huntsville, Alabama.

Home at last at 9 a.m., she hugged her son and husband, ate some breakfast and re-grouped. Later, she got in her own car and headed up the road, 9 more hours to Louisville, arriving at midnight.

Now if it didn’t take all of her creativity just to get there, at 9 a.m. the next morning, she faced an audience looking for hope and reassurance, if not answers.

“What a seminar that was!” Kit said. “We will never forget it. Nearly every woman who registered showed up, proving to us that it was important to them to carry on with their lives.

“Deb did a special segment that involved the participants lighting candles and making affirming statements to one another. One of our behavioral health therapists, said it was a tremendously healing experience, not just for herself, but for many others. The audience also appreciated Deb’s tremendous effort to be there for them. She did an outstanding job despite little sleep.”

For Deb it was a life-altering experience in more ways than one. She says that prior to this trip, she had never been able to drive more than three hours without falling asleep. Since then, when she gets in the car, it’s like a hit of adrenaline kicks in and she is charged for the long haul!

The part about being creative with the program under the circumstances is par for the course, I have to say, for the level of professionalism and pure dedication that speakers like Dr. Deborah Kern bring to your events.

EPILOGUE: Deb has since moved to Austin, TX, and is working on her third book that has everything to do with creating more pleasure in our lives. To book Dr. Deborah Kern for your event, please give us a call at 503-699-5031 or visit our website.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
Sept 4, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 15

In this Issue:
True Colors

Dear Friends,

September 2008 marks our 10-year anniversary since establishing The Speak Well Being Group, specializing in speakers in health and wellness. Woo-hoo! What a ride it has been. I’ll be sharing a little history and a few highlights in upcoming issues.

One of the greatest joys of being in this business is the fabulous people I get to meet and know.  Precious friendships have evolved over the years as we’ve met in person at conferences, in coffee shops and restaurants, in hotel and dorm rooms, and in our homes. There’s nothing like a sleep-over for women to get to know each other, yes?  We’ve shared our visions and values, our dreams and disappointments, our hearts and heartaches – loves, joys, recipes, passions and favorite toenail polish colors, to name a few.

One of those speakers I’m honored to know as a friend is Dr. Karen Wolfe, a perennial favorite at the National Wellness Conference.  She just celebrated her 50th birthday in April, and today she shares with us a recent turn of events – a health wake-up call — that is illustrative of her personal commitment and her true colors.

Dr. Karen Wolfe’s “Wake Up Call”
Moving From Stress to Strength

Dr. Karen Wolfe with her pet therapists

Choose between an Olympic career and medicine?  That’s exactly what Dr. Karen Wolfe did back in 1976. She was training to go to Montreal on the Australian swimming team, and made the decision to pursue a medical education over an Olympic career. Another big transition came in her life when she fell in love and made the decision to move to the United States.  This move opened up her opportunities to pursue her interest in creating health rather than treating disease, and she has become a well-respected leader in the wellness industry.

“I love to educate about health issues and be part of the solution to the health care crisis by helping people be good advocates for their own health,” Karen says. “Well, I certainly had an opportunity to practice what I teach this year when I found on a routine mammogram that I had pre-invasive ductal carcinoma in my right breast. How could this happen to me? I struggled with the ‘why’ for a while and then realized I had to rally all the strength and support I knew to guide me in all the choices I was about to face.

“I now recognize the stages I went through emotionally from denial, to anger to fear and sadness, to a readiness to embrace it, and take action. First, I called the nurses I knew who worked in this field and asked who they would recommend. All roads pointed to one amazing female surgeon who was a breast cancer survivor herself. After a two-hour consultation and education from the surgeon, I was presented with lots of options and choices. I needed to slow down and really assess what was best for me. I called on many respected sources of support that have become the foundation of the message I want to share with others. Many of these came from the book I co-authored with Dr. Deborah Kern called Create the Body Your Soul Desires. Talk about an opportunity to walk my talk.”

“Here are my top ten ways that I turned stress into strength when faced with my personal challenge:

1.      Immediately seek support from life-affirming and trusted friends AND avoid negative “basement” people.
2.      Get educated about the diagnosis, treatment options and clinical research results.
3.      Practice stress management techniques that work for you – I used “Guided Imagery for Successful Surgery” by Belleruth Naparstek and took time to rest between the flurry of medical tests and appointments.
4.      Deepen spiritual connections in whatever way is most meaningful for you – nature is a spiritual path for me so I spent more time at the beach, in the park and walking with my dogs.
5.      Take a friend to every medical appointment and medical test – this one was crucial for me because the shock and fear would often block me hearing all the information AND I needed my husband for moral support when I freaked out in the MRI room.
6.      Use music to build up your spirits and relax you – I downloaded my favorite, inspirational music on my IPOD and I took that IPOD everywhere. I had it in the waiting rooms at doctor’s appointments. I listened when I had a needle biopsy of a lymph node under local anaesthetic and during the mammography-guided wire localization before surgery. I had it during all my radiation sessions. I was able to create my own emotional experience instead of reacting to the fear underlying each event.
7.      Choose not to “become” your diagnosis.
8.      Use “pet therapy.”
9.      Consider a reading from a medical intuitive that explores the link between emotional and physical health.
10.   Remember the fragility of life…to enjoy every moment and become aware of the gifts that a “wake up call” provides and choose to focus on those as much as possible."

In her new keynote, – “Diagnosis ‘Wake Up Call’ – How to Move From Stress to Strength,”  Karen shares her own up close and personal experience of how she applied all the mind/body/spirit skills she has been teaching to others. When faced with a diagnosis that had the word “cancer” in it, she chose to move from stress to strength and to not only survive, but thrive. You will walk out of this session renewed, hopeful and better able to deal with the changes that life throws your way.

Dr. Karen Wolfe is an Australian Physician and motivational keynote speaker. She is well known for her down-to-earth and dynamic style and for the uplifting and practical skills she teaches to make her messages stick. To learn more about Dr. Karen Wolfe and her availability, call us at 503-699-5031.

Here We Go Again

Well, it’s time to do it all over again. In April, I got a new left knee.  For someone who loves to walk, hike, dance and be active, it’s been a long summer getting that one through physical therapy, while gimping along with the limitations of the other one.  So, Monday, Sept. 8th, I’m getting the right knee upgraded and will be on the road to moving once again with agility and joy on TWO good legs.  The good news is, I know what to expect this time around, and the bad news is, I think I know what to expect. 

Actually, everything went better than I anticipated the first time around, and I trust that will be the case again.  I’ll be out for a few days in the hospital and then back at work with my laptop – and I expect to continue publishing our e-news every other week this time around. 

Thank you for your prayers and support. Until next time, take care of yourself, for your well being, and those you love.

Yours truly,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
August 21, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 14

In this Issue:
Happy as . . . ?

Dear Friends,

Is it really back to school time already? Yikes. Between the pervasiveness of the Summer Olympics on television, a houseful of family visiting last week, and the late arrival of sweet corn at my local fruit stand, I’m feeling a little off-center. Meantime, my husband – in his usual good-natured manner — is just a little let-down. He just mailed the WebKinz cat and mouse, retrieved from under the air mattress, back to granddaughter, Emma. They left at 4 a.m., so if there wasn’t something left behind, that would be a surprise.

According to a new study from the University of California, I’m not the only woman who is lamenting life’s incongruities. Most interesting, I read about a study observing that “women start adult life happier than men, but end up less happy.” If you need proof that the women in your community NEED these women’s events you sponsor, check out this scientific study. It seems that early on, women are more likely than men to be in unions, and this makes for greater fulfillment of both family life and material goals. But it doesn’t stay that way. As they age, women are less likely to be in unions, and their sense of happiness declines. Well, maybe, maybe not. It helps if the guy is good-natured. I’m lucky that way.

Meantime, some of you are sending kids off to college. Have you thought about your kids’ health info? Sure, it’s hard enough letting them go, but holding on to their health ID, is the wrong thing to do. Here’s some great advice from our speaker and ABC news health correspondent, Dr. Marie Savard.

Dr. Marie Savard: How to Save Your Kids From College Health Hazards

Dr. Marie Savard

I remember that we started school in late September my freshman year at Michigan State University, well after Labor Day. I vividly recall getting a flat tire on the way from Bay City, Michigan to East Lansing. My parents’ station wagon was loaded – I played the harp and it was taking up the major space in its case with everything else packed around it. So, you can imagine what happened when we had to unload everything on the side of the highway to get to the spare tire!

This all came to mind when I read Dr. Marie Savard’s article about the importance of sending our kids off to school armed with their personal health information and tools. I don’t recall anything of the sort, and I’m sure my folks would have prioritized this, had it surfaced. As the first-born off to college (and anxious to fly), I was preoccupied with the important things – posters, bedspreads, dorm dÈcor, etc.

“Knowledge can mean survival when it comes to our children knowing their medical histories and seeing that their tests and shots are up-to-date,” Dr. Savard says. “As so many young kids are now getting ready for college, this is the time to remind parents and kids alike how important it is that you pack your medical knowledge along with your computer, new bedding and wardrobe.

“As you are about to send your son or daughter away from home and your watchful eye this fall (perhaps for the first time), there are some important questions that you need to answer:

Are they up to date on all their medical needs and appointments?

Do they need any last-minute immunizations or shots?

Do they have their medical histories with them? Do they know and understand their own medical histories?

Do they know the importance of taking a health buddy as another set of “eyes and ears” with them to student health or the emergency room if they get sick?

“Whether your child is leaving home for school, for a new job or to get married, their medical information must go with them,” Dr. Savard advises. “You can no longer watch over their health as you have done since they were babies.

“When your child gets sick, he or she will be seeing a new doctor, often in a student health setting, without your advice and support. Eighty percent of what a doctor relies on to make an accurate diagnosis comes from your child’s medical history. Research has shown that even kids with serious childhood illnesses can’t recall the specifics of their past medical histories — and not knowing can be hazardous to their health and jeopardize their care.”

For Dr. Savard’s tips on preparing your children for leaving home and teaching them to take charge of their own health, reply to this e-news and write KIDS in the subject line.

“I also recommend that everyone should carry a wallet card summarizing this information,” she says. You can download a health-at-a-glance form to jot down all this information at www.DrSavard.com and click on “To learn more about partnering with your doctor.”

Dr. Savard is an internationally recognized internal medicine physician, expert on wellness and patient empowerment, and author of How To Save Your Own Life, The Savard Health Record and The Body Shape Solution to Weight Loss and Wellness. She is also an ABC News medical contributor. Her most popular topics are, The Shape Of Your Health: Harnessing The Power Of Body Shape To Promote Waist Loss And Wellness and How To Save Your Own Life: Empowering People To Manage – And Take Charge – Of Their Healthcare. To bring Dr. Marie Savard to speak in your community, visit our website or call us at 503-699-5031.

Olympic Frenzy

I’m not an Olympic fanatic, yet if you can’t beat it, join it, right? It’s what’s happening in the world (and dominating the news) in August of 2008. I wonder, of course, which Olympic champions will show up as great speakers? In health and wellness, there have been some greats like Peggy Fleming and Scott Hamilton, who have enjoyed the Olympic limelight, and when it came to their personal cancer challenges, they’ve not only survived, but used their celebrity status to advocate for fundraising and survivor support.

I heard on NPR this week that the discussion (question?) regarding the bikini attire of beach volleyball players has everything to do with comfort – sand and sweat, getting stuck in all the wrong places. They said that bikinis allow the players more freedom of movement than one-piece suits. Runners, they noted, who also sport brief clothing, don’t have the same challenges of sand and sweat. Hmmm, according to TV, it appears to have everything to do with camera angles. Well, heck, I’m probably just jealous, wishing my knees worked that well and any part of me was as taut at those athletic young women. I never have liked games like volleyball, where balls are catapulted toward me. For that matter, after taking beginning golf three times, I decided hitting balls away from me was a lost cause as well. I guess I’ll stick to trekking up mountains, paddling down waterways, and tackling a tame cross country trail, as soon as my two new upgraded knees allow me to do those things again.

Until next time, take care of yourself, for your well being and those you love.

Yours truly,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.

For Your Well Being
Barbara Christenson, Publisher
The Speak Well Being Group

Published every other Thursday
August 7, 2008, Vol. 6 Issue 13

In this Issue:
Menu to Go

Dear Friends,

The menu – friend or foe?  Between tempting descriptions and savory aromas, it’s challenging enough to make choices when eating out, especially if you’re health or weight conscious. I mean, c’mon, it’s a piece of cake (pun intended) to be drawn into our emotional appetites and submit to our carnal cravings, yes? A proposal here in Portland, Oregon, where I live, would require about 90 chains to post calorie counts on their menus and ordering boards.  Whether this passes remains to be seen – I happen to approve of the idea – but we’re just one city. 

What I’d like to share with you today, is a fabulous tool dreamed up by author and speaker, “Dr. Jo” – JoAnn Lichten, PhD., that’s applicable everywhere.  You carry it with you.  It’s a card deck that goes beyond anything I’ve ever seen and is far easier to consult than a book or even a menu because Dr. Jo has you covered from “Free Foods” to “Shockers,” and total menu info that helps you tally daily menu counts from 1200 to 2000 calories a day – eating out. This is amazing. The facts, ma’m, that’s what Dr. Jo has for you.

Also, I recommend Joan Anderson’s newest book, The Second Journey, for the tail end of your summer reading.  Most everything she writes about happens at the beach at Cape Cod. While they’re not escapist romance novels, her self-help books are so beautifully written, you’ll just drift along and be inspired by her.  She’s that kind of speaker, too.

Dr. Jo’s Healthy Choice Card Game

She calls her card deck, “Dr. Jo’s Eat Out & Lose Weight Plan.” I’d call it a survival plan for eating out.  “No worries!” she says.  “You don’t have to stop eating out. There are healthy choices in almost every restaurant – as long as you know what to order…and how to order it.”

No book required. Dr. Jo has researched all of the options and has succinctly listed them in a card deck — 30 handy wallet-sized UV-coated cards that you can carry in your purse or pocket.

Whether you’re heading out to the fast food, Italian, pancake house, or any other type of restaurant, Dr. Jo has you covered with ways to know the calories, fat and fiber in restaurant foods. And, it’s not about deprivation, just about making smart, informed choices.

You’ll find tips and strategies for managing all types of restaurants. Plus (this is the best), recommended meal suggestions at three different calorie levels. There are 300-400 calorie meal options for those of you who want to stick closer to 1200 calories a day. And, 500-600 calorie meal suggestions if 1500 calories a day seems more appropriate. If you’re active or have family members who need more than 2000 calories a day, choose from the 700-800 calorie meal recommendations. These will all help everyone stay away from the meals that are a whole day’s calories in one sitting.  There are cards for breakfast, lunch and dinner in each category. It really makes it easy to find what you need at a glance.

Dr. Jo

As America’s On-The-Go Health Guru, Dr. Jo has already written the books – Dining Lean, Dr. Jo’s How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road, and Dr. Jo’s No Big Deal Diet. The card deck puts her research and information to an easily accessible tool. Order these cards now, $11.95 for one deck, $19.95 for two.

An accomplished author, speaker, freelance writer and media spokesperson Dr. Jo’s goal is to help busy people stay healthy, sane, and productive.  Here are a couple of her topics designed especially for women’s groups.

What Every Woman Wants: Great Legs, More Energy, & Peace of Mind

Feeling fat, frazzled, and fatigued? It’s no wonder! The average American woman is working full time both at work and at home. If you’re looking for more energy and enthusiasm, Dr. Jo can help. This fun, funny, and motivational program will make you feel more relaxed, more in control, and ready to make some simple “no big deal” changes that will make a big difference in your life. Find out how to:
• Feel more energized throughout the day with just a few simple changes
• Get in control of your weight without having to succumb to another diet
• Cope with those aggravating little things that cause so much of our mental and physical distress
• Find needed time for yourself

Dining for Divas – How to Eat Healthy in Restaurants and Still Have Fun!

Girls just want to have fun when they go out to eat – not count calories! But, since you like fitting into your jeans, too, Dr. Jo offers simple strategies and meal suggestions that will allow you to enjoy the entire dining experience. Find out how to:
• Make any meal healthier and still tasty
• Select the best options – and it’s not just grilled chicken and dry toast!

To bring Dr. Jo and her on-the-go health expertise to your event, visit our website, or give us a call at 503-699-5031.

Joan Anderson

From the Beach: Joan Anderson’s “The Second Journey”

Joan Anderson’s fifth book, The Second Journey, is a lifeline for women coming of age in mid-life. It’s a memoir with a message that gives the reader permission to break some rules and leave behind what is outlived in order to embrace what remains unlived. Joan makes it clear that no matter how many accidental journeys a woman has embarked upon, she will eventually garner the sustenance and inspiration to move away from the predictable and re-design her life in her own image — to become not only her own best friend but the heroine of her life story.

“My first book, ‘A Year By The Sea,’ chronicles the awakening  I experienced when I let instinct and intuition lead the way,” she says. “It is a very personal memoir that has helped hundreds of thousands of women wake up as well. But the itinerary I designed for myself during that year alone proved difficult to hold on to once I returned to living with others. It was one thing to hear my own voice while I was living a solo existence; quite another to do so once I resumed my place in the web of family and friends. It was one thing to live a simple life, guided by the cycles of nature and my own inner tides while I walked the beaches of Cape Cod and cooked dinner for one; it was quite another once I discovered an unexpected passion for my career and tasted the thrill of success.”

“The Second Journey” chronicles the ten years from that time of awakening to the more recent past when she finally began to settle into her authenticity. In the process of eliminating illusion, she once and for all embraces what is simple and true. By looking back at the roads she chose to travel, she came to see how many were valid and how many were not — those that she happened upon quite by accident where lessons were learned and hardships endured, and those which led to counterfeit destinations, which in the short term, seemed attractive but in the long term, proved catastrophic.

This book will help you navigate through change—from being merely awakened to being a determined, impassioned pilgrim on your own individual path. This does not mean giving up family and friends—it simply means integrating the web of family into your world so that they are a part of your life but not your entire life.

“We are born to be ourselves—in need of upgrading the gene—to look back again and again and befriend that person you once intended to become,” Joan says. “Life, like a beach, is always rearranging itself. The trick is to welcome and then work with, not against the changes. We are in a constant state of metamorphosis, experiencing conflicts for which we must find resolution and in doing so deepening our innate strengths. Knowing, acknowledging and celebrating the phases all women go through—how we’ve risen above our angst—respecting our very determination—that is the fodder needed to continue our independent journeys. The goal is to come of age in the middle of life rather than live out our days lacking purpose and energy. It’s all about rearranging our lives in our own image.”

As a result of her self-discovery and her books, Joan loves to get out and speak for women’s conferences and lead workshops.  She conducts weekends by the sea on Cape Cod for women seeking nourishment and weekend retreats in other parts of the country and abroad such as Sonoma, California, Sedona, Arizona, and Iona, Scotland.  Her talks are just like her – warm, salty as the ocean spray, and full of candor, eloquence, wisdom and humor.

Visit our website to inquire about Joan Anderson for your event or give us a call at 503-699-5031.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I’m just home from a long weekend family vacation in Colorado full of grandkids and organized pandemonium. At breakfast the first morning, the six-year old, Hope, piped up with an unexpected question, “What does, ‘The whiter the bread, the quicker you’re dead,’ mean?”

Hmmmm. She must have remembered that from last year. It’s a quote from one of Zonya Foco’s speeches that my husband loves to repeat.  I guess it made an impression – as do so many of Zonya’s graphic descriptions. We, however, were left to explain about white bread’s lack of fiber and nutrition, and how it balls up in the intestines. To a six-year-old. Great breakfast topic.  Make that whole wheat toast, please.  

And next week, some of the family, visiting America from their home in Prague, will be here with us in Portland. More questions, I’m sure.  Will we have the answers?  That remains to be seen.

Until next time, enjoy your own summer family get-togethers, and take care of yourself, for your well being and those you love.

Yours truly,
Barbara

PLEASE NOTE: The information shared in this e-news is designed to help you make informed decisions about speakers and the programs they offer. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment prescribed by a doctor. If you suspect you have a medical problem, seek competent medical help.