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.