Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Just Do It! Flash Mobbing at DIA

Yesterday I did something that's been on my "bucket list" for awhile: Participate in a Flash Mob! This is the kind of thing that once upon a time I'd sit back and say, "I want to do that, but ...I can't dance well enough, or ...I don't have a boyfriend, or ...my boyfriend doesn't like to dance or ...[other lame excuse.]




It's time to stop making excuses and Just Do It! So what if you're a newbie? Everyone is a newbie some time. As for waiting until you have a "partner," I have learned very well that it's easy enough to find someone else who doesn't have a "partner" and wants to have fun. In fact, many people who are partnered up in marriage or relationships often miss out on doing things that their partner doesn't want to do!

I actually have been dating a guy for the past few months, but he couldn't do this with me, so I just emailed a new friend (someone I knew had that "Just Do It!" attitude) and even though he, too, was a newbie, he said he'd love to participate! Sometimes we are all so afraid of taking risks, we don't even try. What's on your bucket list? What's holding you back? Just do it!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Staying Healthy and Active After Cancer

The other day I got an email from someone who asked if he could write a guest post on my blog. Trevor Bradshaw (trevorsendeavors@gmail.com) is an aspiring writer, a health nut, and brother to a cancer survivor and is very passionate about writing about cancer and health. Read on to hear what he has to say about staying healthy. This is good advice not only for cancer recovery, but for cancer prevention!

For many people, a cancer diagnosis can be a life changing experience. While chemotherapy can be effective at treating many types of cancer, lifestyle can have a significant impact on the body's ability to heal and recover.

It's important maintain a healthy style before, during, and after cancer.
Diet has a significant impact on overall health. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown to lower the risk of cancer in many people, and will help during the recovery process. It's important to watch one's weight, as obesity can impact the immune system's ability to heal the body.

There are several simple diet tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Avoid eating foods with refined sugars and carbohydrates, such as white bread, potatoes, candy, and soda. Many processed meats and cheeses contain high levels of nitrates, preservatives that can cause systemic inflammation in the body. Diets rich in meat and cheese can also cause inflammation, which will reduce the body's ability to heal. It's important to include omega-3 fatty acids in a diet. Omega-3 can be found in fish, nuts, and flax seed.

Exercise is essential after a cancer diagnosis. An active lifestyle offers many health benefits to cancer survivors, and can improve recovery time. Exercise doesn't have to be complicated: a 30 minute walk outdoors is a great way to start. There are many low impact physical activities that are great for cancer patients. Swimming can be a great way exercise and tone the entire body, without putting excessive stress on joints or tendons.

Yoga is a great way for cancer patients and survivors to stay healthy and relaxed. Yoga is a type of meditation, combined with physical poses. Yoga is designed to stretch and exercise the entire body, without putting excessive strain on any individual part. Many yoga classes teach students how to relax through breathing exercises, and can show cancer patients and survivors how to relax.

Exercise releases natural painkillers, called endorphins. During cancer treatment and chemotherapy, many patients may experience systemic pain throughout the body. Exercise can help lower pain without the use of dangerous analgesics.

In addition, exercise can be a great way to beat depression. Cancer can be a scary experience, and it's important to maintain a positive attitude during recovery. Exercise can improve mood, improve recovery time, lower pain. While cancer does require medical treatment, maintaining a healthy life can help recovery times and prevent recurrence.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Milkshake - All that's good!

The thing about blogging is that the more you explore, the more sites you find that are doing wonderful things. I started The Love Project at the beginning of the year and, as a result, I found a bunch of other sites that are about spreading the love. And those sites promote other sites and soon you realize the world is full of so many good people, making a difference and spreading goodness.

One of those sites which I discovered recently is "Milkshake." I get a daily newsletter from Milkshake that is (in their words): "dedicated to finding the good in everything: Companies, causes, people, places and products which give back and make a difference."

I've been getting the daily email for about two weeks now, and I'm always inspired by the messages and products and cool causes they promote. I encourage you to check it out for yourself!

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Ten reasons to subscribe to...

..my relationship column on Examiner.com

To learn:

1. How to make dating fun
2. How to reconnect with a spouse or partner
3. How to pick a great venue for a date
4. How to date successfully
5. How to navigate the online dating sites
6. How to play on a date
7. How to get over insecurities and build confidence
8. How to get dates
9. How to build intimacy
10. How to banish dating fears

But even if you don't need to learn these things, subscribe for these reasons:

1. To help teach others
2. If you have a business, product or event, I may be able to help you promote it
3. Spark conversation
4. Make new friends (maybe even a date!!)
5. Ask questions
6. Trade links
7. Help spread the word
8. Help me make a little cash! (If I get a certain number of subscribers, my pay level gets bumped up.)

Everyone (whether single or married, male or female, old or young) would benefit from dating. So, go ahead! Subscribe!!

November Love Drop: Marci from Colorado

This month I resolved to blog more and stay on top of things like the Love Drop, so when I got the email this morning, I watched the video right away.




This one really hit home for me. First of all, Fort Collins is only an hour away... maybe I'll even tag along for the actual "drop" and meet Marci and her family. Secondly, I have good friends who are breast cancer survivors so I am close to the cause. And finally, I am a mother, and I'm certain Marci wants to be healthy not just for herself, but for her children and husband.

Please pass the word along. Let's help Marci and her family have a vacation to remember.

From the love drop team:

Meet Marci: http://LoveDrop.us

She's a super strong wife and mom of three from Colorado, who's not only beat breast cancer ONCE, but TWICE. And unfortunately she's been diagnosed yet again, but this time with Stage IV cancer that's spread into her lungs and lymph nodes :(

The most important thing in her life right now is quality time with her family, so we want to give them an all-expense-paid vacation before she begins her toughest battle yet. All of the money y'all have already sent in (or will be sending in) is going straight for them to spend some time together. So if her story resonates with you, or you happen to have some good airline/hotel/vacation hookups going on, def. be sure to give us a shout :) She's been through some tough times in the past 10 years so far, but she's remaining positive and gonna do her best to kick its ass again!