Our guest this week has been on quite the adventure!. She founded her health consulting company, Healthy Discoveries, in 2001. She has been teaching corporate wellness classes since 2004 and last year started her blog, Healthy Discoveries by Jolene. With a passion for health, Jolene inspires her audiences to create balance in all areas of their lives. She promotes individual responsibility and believes in the power of information to provide options for choosing healthy lifestyles. Please welcome Jolene Park:

Hello, some of my core philosophies that I have adapted from my own life experiences, my on-going study in functional medicine, and teaching others about healthy lifestyles.

1. Health is about balance not perfection- It’s important to “nourish” all areas of our lives. Someone could eat a “perfect” diet or achieve an amazing level of fitness, but what’s going on with their interpersonal relationships? Do they take time to relax? Do they manage their financial life? Do thy have a passion and/or purpose that make them jump out of bed? Nutrition, exercise, relaxation, leisure, emotions, relationships, finances, career, service, vision and spirit are all important when we focus on a healthy life balance.

2. Everything is interconnected- When we make a change in one of the above areas it affects all areas of our life. For example, if we take time for our hobbies and downtime we will probably feel better emotionally and have more energy. When we feel better emotionally it’s easier to be more productive during the work day. When we’re productive and energetic we’re more motivated to exercise and move our bodies. The scenarios are endless, but the point is, any one area can influence and have a direct effect on other areas of our lives.

3. There is no cookie cutter approach- What works for one person may not work for another person. I don’t believe everyone should follow the same eating plan, exercise regime, relaxation practice, etc. However, that’s not to say we should ignore or not include these areas into our lives. We have more health resources, choices and options available to us today than ever before, take advantage of this variety.

4. Focus on adding things into your life more than taking things away- Deprivation doesn’t work long term and it often has a backlash effect in the short term. Think of healthy living as “adding in the good instead of taking away the bad.”

5. Little things done consistently make the biggest difference- Taking action and follow-through are the hardest part of making a lifestyle change. Ask yourself “is this something I could stick to and continue to do month after month, year after year?” If the answer is no, chose something that is more practical and realistic for you. Practical + realistic = consistency!

6. You have a lot of choices and control regarding how you feel- For the most part we have control over what we put in and on our bodies, what environments and situations we place ourselves in and who we spend a significant amount of time with. These daily decisions can have direct and positive effects on our energy and general health.

7. Never stop questioning- Get second, third even forth opinions. There are no absolutes. Always ask what the financial motivation might be for you to believe or act upon what someone is telling you. Also question the personal or organizational pay-off and bias regarding health opinions, studies and statistics. “Health information” today is often just “health marketing”. I’m NOT saying everything you hear or read is wrong, nor it is ill-intended (there are amazing resources, research and practitioners), I’m just saying think critically!

8. Listen to yourself first and foremost- Your likes, dislikes, responses, reactions and cravings are not something to suppress and belittle. Listen to your body; it has a lot of innate wisdom.

9. Recognize your body, mind and spirit are always working to keep you healthy- Be kind to yourself, be aware, be flexible, and know that information is power. White knuckling things and beating ourselves up in the name of trying to be “healthy” is missing the point.

Thanks for sharing Jolene! Visit Jolene’s blog Healthy Discoveries to read more! You can also follow Jolene on Twitter at JoleneP.

Hi. I’m the nurse. Have we met?

Maybe you’ve seen me on television?

I’m usually portrayed as the female subordinate who wears that funny white cap and white skirted outfit. I’m there to simply take the doctor’s orders.

Or I’m the ‘sexy’ one who wears the same white outfit, except it barely covers my exposed body parts and I’m not really here to tend to your ‘health’.

Maybe you’ve seen me on the Internet?

I do my best to emulate my television personalities throughout the world wide web. I’m usually the punch-line of most jokes or trying to sell you some scrubs.

Every once in a while you might find some useful information on nursing careers, nursing schools and nursing jobs, but their not the most popular.

Maybe you’ve seen me in the doctor’s office? Or the hospital?

I have this tough look of stress on my face. I have this tendency to snap at you, or be curt with you and I don’t even know I’m doing it. I also give the impression of not doing a very good job sometimes.

It troubles me time and time again when I tell people, “I’m a nurse”.

I usually get that pause in the conversation, and that look of bewilderment. At this point I get one of two initial reactions:

“Oh?..” “So you’re a male nurse?”

~No. I’m a nurse, and I happen to be a male~

Or…

“Oh?..” “Really?” “How come you’re not a doctor?”

The public’s perception of the world of nursing and it’s idea of what a nurse does is very warped and incongruent. It’s this perception that can make my job very difficult. We not only have to deal with the horribly false stereotypes at our job, but the media does not help either.

When was the last time you saw a nurse portrayed in a positive manner on TV?

Ever watch ‘House’? How about ‘Grey’s Anatomy’? Do you see nurses at all?

Educating the public is and will continue be difficult. You see, I thought the same way before I became a nurse. I was just as uninformed as the rest of the public. My eyes were opened to a world that has unlimited opportunities and an environment full of possibilities, and my passion for my job and my passion for nursing was born.

In my opinion nursing is the greatest job in the world, here’s why.

I feel blessed that I am living what I love.

The next time you see a nurse, speak with a nurse, or need a nurse. Think about what a nurse does. Think about what a nurse is. And if you can, think about this blog post. Those who know need us know us , and those who know us, know the difference.

Hi. I’m the nurse. We’ve never met.

I want to thank Mark for giving me the opportunity to share my voice with all his wonderful readers. A fellow blogger I met at the beginning of my blogging journey who has always been a joy to communicate with and follow. It is a true pleasure to share the Blogosphere with Mark.

I want to thank you for sharing your journey as an RN! The challenges that you have faced have undoubedly made you better at what you do! I know many nurses (my wonderful wife is an RN) and doctors that give SO much of their time and energy. I feel very fortunate to have met people that put out the effort to help so many!

Hi.  My name is Terri Marshall. I am The Naturally Green Life Coach.  I am also a wife, mother and grandmother.  I am here to tell you my story.  I’m sad to say, my story is similar to many others in our country today.

In the summer of 1986, I was in my mid 20s, I worked as a welder for a commercial construction company and I was a body builder in training.  According to my coaches, I would be ready for competition before the beginning of the next year.  Life was wonderful.  I had just met the man of my dreams.  I was working at a job I loved.  I was in top physical condition.

Then in November of that year I started having swelling in my legs and upper back.  The pain that came with it was unreal.  I went to the doctor and was told I had over worked the muscles.  He prescribed me some muscle relaxers and sent me home telling me to rest.  I did just that, I rested and got worse.  I went back to the doctor and was told I had a virus.  He then wrote a prescription for antibiotics.  Like I good girl, I took all the antibiotics.  I seemed to have gotten well.

I went back to training for the body building competition.  There was a big meet coming up in February that I wanted to be in.  Right after Christmas, something else happened.  The swelling and pain in my back returned and my right hand went completely numb.  Again, I went to the doctor.  This time he told me there was nothing wrong with me.
I knew something was wrong, but I did not have a clue as to what it could be.  My symptoms seemed to travel around my body at will and come and go as they pleased.  It was nothing I could pin down.

Needless to say, I did not compete in the body building competition, not then, not ever.  Over the next 13 years, I continued to go to one doctor after another in 3 states, telling all of them the same symptoms.  I heard them same thing from every doctor.  There is nothing wrong.  Some of them were nicer about than others.  The not so nice ones told me I needed to see a good mental health therapist because that was the only problem I had.

Finally after 13 years I went to a doctor determined that I was not going to be told that there was nothing wrong with my health or that I was crazy.  My symptoms over this 13 year period had gotten to the point where when the swelling and pain came, I would swell over my entire body and the pain so bad that I could not walk.  I was constantly tired and fatigued, but also suffered from insomnia.  I would have hot spots on my body that were red and very hot to the touch.  The worse part was I would get extremely hot and my feet swell turning a blood red.   When that happened it was hard to breath and I felt like I was having a panic attack.

That day 8 years ago, when I walked into the doctor’s office, I finally received a diagnosis.  I had fibromyalgia.  I was happy!!!  After all these years, someone believed me.  I was told there was no cure and treatment was a pain killer, anti-inflammatory, and Prozac.  Why was he giving me Prozac?  Stress was the number 1 trigger of the fibro attacks. I did not take the medication.  You see, I have always lived a naturalist lifestyle, not taking any chemicals into my body unless it was an emergency, like when all of the medical problems started.  After 13 years, I had learned to live with the pain.

I researched Fibromyalgia and found what I needed to know to be able to treat myself naturally.  After a few months of herbal treatments, I was able to work out in small bits again.  I was able to get on the floor and play with my grandchildren.  I still had pain, but not as often or as bad.

Now let’s jump to 7 yrs after the diagnosis of fibro.  I was playing poker with a large group of people.  It was a Texas Hold Em’ tournament.  I loved poker, it was one of my favorite pastimes.  While sitting at the poker table on that October night, I suffered a heart attack.  At the time I did not realize it was a heart attack.  I got extremely hot, my feet started swelling and turned a blood red.  My breathing turned shallow and I felt the panic attack happening.  I just knew I was on fire and burning from the inside out.  I assured my husband (man of my dreams from 20 years earlier) that I would be fine if I could just cool off.  No, I did not go to the ER that night.  It was just a panic attack.  2 days passed and it happened again.  This time I went to the emergency room.  They hooked me to all their machines, and nothing.  The doctor told me there was nothing wrong with me.  While I was laying on the gurney, hooked to the EKG , the panic attack thingy happened again.  The EKG did not show me having a heart attack, but it did show a little blip of something.  I swear, that’s how the doctor said it.  He referred me to a cardiologist.

I went to the cardiologist a week later, he ran a series of test.  I returned to his office 2 days later for him to say all of the test was fine except 1 test showed something just slightly abnormal, it was nothing to worry about, but better to be safe than sorry.  He scheduled for me to go to the hospital for a heart cath.  Again, 2 days later, I checked in for the procedure, not worried because everything was fine.

The damage they found to my heart during the heart cath surprised everyone, especially the doctors.  In fact my cardiologist told my husband, children and I that I was a walking dead person.  I have a genetic heart disease, and have had numerous heart attacks.  I had to have triple by pass surgery.

Before surgery, I got so angry with the doctors, (I had 8 of them at this point) because I was being scolded like a small child for not having this problem taken care of a very long time ago.  I had to be given medicine to get me ready for surgery.  One doctor prescribed me meds to clear the mucus from my lungs, then another prescribed a cough suppressant so I couldn’t cough up the mucus the other med was breaking up.  When I pointed out this conflict in meds, I was told I was mistaken.  That was until I showed them, on my laptop.  I looked up every med given or trying to be given and every procedure.  I am a true believer in taking responsibility for your own health.

During surgery the doctors found more damage to my heart than what was originally thought.  I had the triple by pass, but the entire back wall to my heart was severely damaged from the heart attacks and could not be repaired.  Another reason to be angry.  I found out that if any of the 18 doctors that I had seen had taken 5 seconds to feel the pulse on my ankle, they would have knew I had a heart disease.

I was determined to leave the hospital as soon as possible, so I could start my own herbal treatment for my heart disease.  So the morning after surgery, I was up and walking the halls.  By that afternoon, my sister and I were doing the cha cha in the halls.  On the second day I had a long talk with my cardiologist about treatment.  He knew from the beginning my thoughts and feelings on not taking prescription meds.  He agreed that I should treat myself the way I saw fit and he would monitor my progress.  On the morning of the third day after surgery I was walking out of the hospital to go home.  On the way, I had hubby stop by the health food store where I purchased hawthorn berry capsules, green tea extract and garlic capsules, along with 2 gallons of raw milk.

It’s now been 13 months since I walked out of the hospital.  I can honestly say, I am healthy and happy.  I am no longer angry with the medical profession at large, but I do interview the doctor before I hire him as MY doctor.  I still live the naturalist lifestyle (considering that is what kept me alive for so long, I should not veer away from it) and I teach others to do the same.  Moving from a conventional lifestyle to the lifestyle of a naturalist is not an easy task, but my clients feel it’s worth the effort to become healthier and happier without having to deal with toxic overload in their lives.

If you do not learn anything else from my story, please learn to take responsibility for your own health and refuse to become a number at the doctor’s office to be ushered in and out.  Make the doctors take the time to listen to you and your concerns.  It could very well be the difference in life or death.

Can a Green Life Coach help you? Visit Teri at The Naturally Green Life Coach. Thank you Terri for sharing your life lessons with us! I have learned much and look forward to your journey updates!

Are your kids picky eaters?  Well, mine are.  That’s quite a challenge when your kids are small.  My children are 5 and 3, and both have learning disabilities, so for me, it’s very important to get them to eat properly.  Between busy schedules, therapies, active children, and fussy eating, getting my children to eat anything healthier than a multivitamin is QUITE a challenge.  So what is a parent to do?

Substitution-One thing I’ve done is NOT to worry so much.  Every day you read the dangers of sugar, or wheat, or dairy, or red meat.  It’s enough to make a parent go crazy. Unfortunately, time and budget do not really allow me to buy organic, sugar-free, gluten-free, etc.  I do the best I can with what I’ve got to work with.  For example, as much as possible, I use extra virgin olive oil for cooking rather than other kinds of oil.  I believe this is probably why my good cholesterol, or HDL, levels are very high.  I happen to also like the flavor that olive oil adds to my food. It is pricier, but we rarely fry foods anyway.

Fruits and Veggies, Any Way They Want-When Amelia was little, her therapist reminded me that sweet potatoes are a good source of iron. I was surprised, because I had given up eaten potatoes years ago.  My daughter loves mashed potatoes so I make them FRESH.  My kids also like potato salad, which I make fresh with potatoes, fresh green beans, tomatoes and onion, drizzled with balsamic vinegar.  My little one like anything with a red sauce and since cooked tomatoes are healthier than fresh, I frequently give her tomato sauce and salsa.  My other daughter likes fresh vegetables uncooked, but only if I serve them in a fancy tray with dip, so snack time becomes a fun mini-party for me and the kids.

Healthier Stuff-Rather than eliminating things from their diet that they like, I’ve taken the road of buying healthier versions of the foods they like. My kids are very fond of chocolate chip cookies, and Kashi makes a version with whole grain products and no sugar.  They love peanut butter, and it’s a good source of protein, so I spend a little extra and make sure there is no sugar, additives or palm oil, just “made from peanuts”.  We are not seafood fans, but buying pasta with Omega-3 and made with whole grains eases my mind that they are getting this important nutrient as well.

Plenty of Liquids-I’ve noticed my kids are thirsty a lot and it’s hard to keep them in milk and juice all the time.   I’ve started giving them more water, or glasses full of ice (they love to munch on it), and that makes me feel good that they are getting their fill of liquids.  I keep lots of juicy fruits, like oranges, on hand as well.

It isn’t easy, but with a little creativity, patience and LOTS of label reading, meal time does not have to be the most difficult part of child rearing.  Making sure that kids think of meals as a time to socialize with their family and enjoy themselves can also go a long way to helping busy parents get their picky eaters to eat right.

Thanks Gina! We have so much to learn as parents. Follow @ginabad on Twitter and her blog at Mom-Blog. For more on the picky eater check out the post from a couple of weeks Are your kids picky eaters?

Our guest Rosabel Yip shares her thoughts on video games, how they affect our children, and some healthy alternatives:

In today’s world, most children are exposed to video games, play station, internet online games, mobile phone games etc. In fact, video games are dominating our childs lives today. It is a trend. Older children are now talking about latest games in the market or internet. They compete with each other on the scores that they get from the games. Children beg their parents to buy them play station or computer so that they can keep up the trend. Even younger children, who do not understand “trend”, will just follow what their older brothers or peers do. Some parents even use them as a reward if their child behaves or achieve the parents’ academic expectations.

I’m not against video games, but I do agree that adults should control the video gaming. We should set some rules and limitations. Some of the games are very violent – killing, beating, hitting, bombing, slashing and so on. There are researchers claims that the violent video games do not have any effect on our children. People are still debating the issue.

I discourage young children’s exposure to violent video games. They do not grasp what is violent, what is right and what is wrong. They might not know how to differentiate appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.

Children love to imitate other people. If a child snatches a toy from another child and the adult involved just lets it be without taking any action, the other child who sees this might imitate the action without understanding appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Imagine if he is exposed to violent video games where the characters in the game can just keep beating one another, what does he captured in his subconscious mind? Beating can be one of the solutions to get what he wants? Moreover, children get addicted to video games easily if we do not control the gaming. Do you want your child to sit in front of the TV or computer just playing video games?

There are many games that we can get our child to be involved in. Games such as running, jogging, basketball, football, climbing and so on are very healthy for our child. These games enable them to stretch and move their body. Your child gets to reinforce his large and fine motor skills as well as better body coordination. He gets to sweat to promote detoxification. The whole body movements also improve blood circulation of his body. More oxygen is carried in the blood to the brain which helps in his intellectual development.

Take the child to the park, water fall, lake, beach, jungle tracking etc. enjoy and learn to appreciate nature. Do gardening together with the child. Cultivate the love of nature among our young children. Take the child to the library or book shop. Cultivate the good reading habits. Reading provides information and knowledge. The child who reads more tends to be more flexible in their thinking and more open to new ideas. He also develops the ability to understand how other people feel and think.

Start by selecting video games that are educational and appropriate for their age. Read the rating symbols on the cover before buying any game – EC (Early Childhood), AO (for adults only 18+), E (for everyone), E10 (for Everyone 10+), T (for Teen) and M (for Mature 17+). Restrict the time and day of the video game activity, encourage your child to participate in the outdoor activities that can bring physical, mental and emotional benefits.

With our world becoming so addicted to technology, we tend to become less active, leading to an unhealthier society. Maybe we want to include some old school activities into our childs lives?  Rosabel has so much to share, visit her at Nurture Our Child with Love and Patience!

In our journey in life, we encounter so many roadways in our travels. Some overly populated roads, some just perfect and scenic, some plain crazy, some are fun and then there’s the road less traveled… It is the road, where if we have a choice, we will not have to. Yet once or twice in our lives, destiny makes us to. And this is where I’m traveling now…this is my story…this is my life right now…Not too long ago,my husband lost his job due to the bad economy. I could have cursed the economy, bitched and whined about how life has treated us poorly but I chose not to partake in that. I’d rather spend my time and energy focusing on the positive and bright things in life. No matter how glum and bleak the day ahead of us looked. I know that as human beings, it is easy for us to dwell on the negative things rather than the positive which only aggravates us physically, driving us into depression and making us prisoners of our own self-destructive ways! It is such a vicious cycle! I am no superhero. I did cry. I was sad but I did not let misery take control of me. Instead my family and I took control of our situation! We sacrificed a few things here and there to make us capable of braving the storm that came our way and try to survive it in one piece. I told my husband that we may not have all the little luxuries we use to enjoy in life but at least, “we still have each other”… It was a powerful summation of assurance that nothing else in this world matters for as long as we have each other. That whatever comes our way, we’ll brave it together and we’ll survive it together…

Our lives went on partly unfazed from that fateful day, I focused on my jewelry-making and crafty side to help make ends meet, and just when we thought we we’re getting along fine surviving this treacherous road, we hit another roadblock. Last week, my employer scaled my work down from full-time to part-time! It was a major blow to us especially since my husband is still unemployed and we’re barely making ends meet and now this! It drove us deeper into the danger zone of this hazardous road. You’re probably imagining I’m definitely cursing and swearing at the world now but alas no! I refuse to give up! For as long as I’m standing on my own two feet, I will keep on fighting (imagine me with tears now – I do get emotional, I’m human afterall) until I find that light at the end of this dark road.This tumultuous journey in our lives has brought us blessings in return. We found out who our friends were, and found out that people do care. Generous people who were good Samaritans and bestowed help anonymously at that. This is a life changing experience and humbling too. Tough times will be amidst us but I have faith that it will get better…we’ll reach the end of this road no matter how long it takes…To some this may be a sad story but to me I can only think of it as a story of perseverance and lots of faith…For as long as what my husband affirmed to me in return still holds true ( when I told him the sad news) :  ”you still got us and we still have each other” …we’ll get through this. We”ll be scarred, we’ll suffer a bit, but we’ll survive it…

On a happier note, one of the roads I travel to in life is about to end. Today, November 6th, my final league with the Immigration has finally commenced. Today, I am Alien no more.For more updates on my journeys, follow my blog at Zen Ventures And to check my creative & crafty creations, visit: Golden Flower Creations and remember, if you ever end up in that road less traveled, fear not, you’re not alone! Who knows you might see us there!

Thank you Mark for this opportunity to share my journey. And to those who read it, Thank you. Remember us in prayer during the Holidays…Maricris

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Thank you Maricris for sharing so much of your story with us! What a fantastic journey, without a doubt your challenges are only making you stronger!

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In a rut lately with your workout? Feeling a bit blue for no good reason other than the weather is changing? Has the Dow got you down? Wondering how to fill that time you’ve been spending outdoors with a great indoor routine? I certainly have been. And I think that I found the answer! It’s called Nia (“nee-uh,” neuromuscular integrative action).

Nia is described as “movement medicine for the body and soul.” Based on nine movement forms culled from martial, dance and healing arts, NIA simultaneously addresses the body, mind and spirit and puts them on an equal playing field through music, movement and self- expression.

Let me tell you: the Nia class I took kicked my ass! I sweated like I used to sweat when I ran five miles a day. My heart rate was raised and remained so throughout the 45 minutes of the active movement portion (note that Nia also incorporates about 10 to 15 minutes of floor work to slow the heart and cool down). I felt invigorated and happy! In a nutshell, Nia helped me find joy again in my workout, in my day and in many respects, in my body.

Health experts have long maintained that large positive behavior changes in diet or levels of physical activity can improve mental health.  In fact, in a study published last year in the Journal of Public Health, increasing physical activity levels by as much as 20 minutes a day and eating at least five portions of fruit or vegetables daily were shown to produce significantly increased feelings of peacefulness and happiness in the 10,419 participants studied.

One thing that I like best about Nia is that for a person like me, who, despite an incredibly active lifestyle, has battled back woes her entire life, movements are personal and individualized. In other words, NIA is based on a core set of movements that can and should be altered based on your own desires and physical limitations. Not surprisingly, the key to Nia is finding and creating a loving relationship with the body, so that the body guides your movement, rather than the other way around.

Mark Twain once wrote: “On with the dance, let joy be unconfined.” Nia is a wonderful way to release your inner joy through fluid, self-expressed dance, movement, and meditation. I’m sure that there are others as well. How do you find joy?

Liz Scherer reinvented herself in the past couple of years to focus mainly on interactive writing. Visit Liz at http://lizschererwriter.com and http://www.flashfree.wordpress.com – Top 100 Women’s Health Blogs!

Before I launch into what I’ve gone through and how I’ve overcome obstacles in the past few months, let me give you a glimpse of who I am. I am a college student, and I blog about shoes at Shoe Smitten.  This past summer I was a healthy 21-year-old who spent her time working out religiously, watching what she ate, and enjoying a clean bill of health.

A month before my 22nd birthday, I started having what I thought were panic attacks: I would wake up right as I was falling asleep with a panicked feeling, and then my heart would start racing and I could feel the pumping of the blood in my veins.  I thought I was going to die.  But then it would subside after a few minutes, and I would lay there a while until I could drift back to sleep.  This is how it started.

One day in early July, I had just started driving home from a typical day at work, when I felt a sudden sharp pain in my left chest, followed by the rapid heart beat I had become familiar with, and then a sensation I wasn’t familiar with – my legs started twitching (as I’m trying to drive), and I felt like I was going to faint.  This feeling gradually subsided and I continued home, but this episode pushed me to go see my general practitioner.

I went through numerous tests, and when my GP couldn’t figure out why my heart was beating so hard (130/95 bp, when my normal bp is 100/60) and so irregularly, he sent me to a cardiologist.

The cardiologist did an echocardiogram and a TEE (trans-esophageal echocardiogram) and found that I had a large hole in my heart.  To be specific, I had a Atrial Septal Defect, and I’d had it since birth.  The hole was allowing oxygenated blood to mix freely with deoxygenated blood, causing me to feel tired and out of breath.  The right side of my heart had already started enlarging due to the increased pressure.  He told me that I needed to have it closed as soon as possible to prevent further damage.  Then he referred me to a cardiac surgeon, who gave me an 80-90% chance that he could perform a non-surgical procedure to close the hole with a patch, placed through a catheter in my groin.

I had the procedure done Oct. 2nd of this year, and it was successful.  I returned home the next day for recovery.  I was amazed at how much easier it was for me to breathe.  I felt like a new person with a new lease on life.

I could be angry that none of my doctors found the hole sooner, but it really was a blessing that they found it when they did; if they’d found it when I was a baby, the only option would have been to perform open heart surgery.  And if they hadn’t found it until 10 years from now, I would have irreversible complications.

This was a life-changing experience for me because now I don’t take anything for granted, and I know that my health is truly a gift.  I am not able to workout as hard as I could before, but that’s a small price to pay for life.  My cardiologist predicts that within 6 months, the heart will have fully closed the hole around the patch, and I will be able to do anything I want.

Wow! Anna is even considering training for a marathon.! Thanks for sharing such an amazing story Anna! Visit Anna at Shoe Smitten or follow her on Twitter at @ShoeSMitten.

What on Earth Could be Better Than Getting in Shape? How about getting in shape for a cause? Specifically, getting in shape or staying fit, while at the same time helping to raise funds and awareness for humanitarian crises.
For most of my adult life I have been a runner, not a fast or particularly graceful runner, but an enthusiast just the same.

About two years ago I was heading out the door to go running when a news clip on CNN wound up stopping me in my tracks for a minute. The story was about the horrific activities that were (and still are) taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan.

When the piece was over, I continued on my way and headed out the door for my run. However, during the workout the images of what was happening in Darfur stayed with me.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere as I was listening to Lucky Dube on my IPOD, I began to think of the successful campaigns that the Team in Training (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and Joints in Motion (Arthritis Foundation) have waged to raise funds and awareness for their respective health-based organizations by utilizing everyday athletes and their training efforts.

Then it HIT me:

Why hasn’t anybody implemented a similar model of using endurance athletes in training (getting fit) to assist with humanitarian fundraising and awareness?

And thus, the initial idea for Train for Humanity was born!

Recently, along with some like-minded blogging friends from around the world as collaborators (Leo Babauta, Dan Clements, and Andrew Flusche), I created and co-founded Train for Humanity, which combines our passion for exercising, blogging, and the internet in an innovative new project to help raise funds and awareness for humanitarian causes. Our mission is simple:

getting fit + social media + blogging = social good

Currently we are undertaking an initial three-month pilot project for phase one to test how well this model of “training for a humanitarian cause” works. The three Train for Humanity participant athletes are in training for various endurance events (full marathon, half-marathon, and an Olympic Distance triathlon) and are helping to raise awareness and funds for orphans and refugees who have been affected by genocide in Darfur. Specifically, all sponsorship donations are being funneled to the Darfur Peace & Development Organization to help to rebuild their Shegegkaro School, which was recently bombed and subsequently destroyed.

How about you?

Do you like to exercise? Would you like to have your training go towards effecting a positive change in this world?

We are still working out the phase two details, but feel strongly that the future Train for Humanity participants are truly going to be the people who will take this new organization to the next level. To date, our efforts have been good in terms of raising awareness and funds, now imagine when we have *you* and ~100 participant athletes…I truly think it will be remarkable!

What a fantastic journey! You can follow Mark Hayward on Twitter or read more about him on his blog MyTropicalEscape.

Breastfeeding has a profound impact on the health of the baby as well as the mother. Did you know that it is recommended that a child breastfeed for at least 6 months following birth? Breast milk should be the exclusive form of nutrition for at least the first 4 months and this evidence is supported by scientific evidence.

Below is just a small list of benefits both the infant and mother will have from breastfeeding.

Infection Inhibitor – when you compare a newborn that is fed formula or milk to one that is breast fed, the breast fed infants are less likely to suffer from infections. Some of these infections may include diarrhea, gastrointestinal infections, respiratory tract infections, middle ear infections and urinary tract infections.

Allergy Antagonist – infants that are exclusively breast fed the first 4 months are less likely to develop allergies and asthma during their first 6 years of life, this is according to a report that was presented in April 1999 at American Lung Assoc Conference in San Diego.

Heart Aid – breastfeeding offers potent heart healthy benefits to both the mommy and the baby.
Actually breastfeeding can slash the risk of high blood pressure. The hormone in the mom called oxytocin lowers the blood pressure in the mom who breast feeds. The baby also enjoys the reduced risk of high blood pressure later in life.

Brain Booster – Did you know that premature infants who are breast fed score higher on IQ tests during their pre-adolescent years…when compared to premature infants who aren’t breast fed? Ongoing research indicates that the brain-boosting effects of breast milk may also apply to infants who are carried full-term. Now the scientists are unsure whether this benefit is a result of nutritional or social factors, but the fact remains that breastfeeding your little one may make him or her smarter!

SIDS Preventer – The latest research is suggesting that breastfeeding may protect newborns form Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Although the nature of this condition is still yet undetermined, one possible explanation involves toxins manufactured by bacteria. Breast milk contains antibodies that bind to these toxins, stopping the chain reactions that may precipitate sudden death.

Cancer Risk Reducer – Infants who breastfeed are less likely to develop leukemia. Amazing!! Researchers looked at 2,200 children with acute leukemia and 2,417 cancer-free control subjects, aged one to 17 years. The children who were breastfed for at least one month enjoyed 21% reduced risk of leukemia, compared to those who breastfed for less than one month or not at all. Researchers then looked at children that were breastfed for more than 6-months and the reduction in risk jumped to 30%. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute 1999) Breastfeeding not only prevents cancer in children but it may also protect mothers from malignancy. It is believed that women who breastfeed are less likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who never breast fed.

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Supporting Studies:Cancer – listed in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1999;20:1765-72 Researchers were part of International Journal of Epidemiology SIDS – listed in FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol 1999; 25: 175-82Heart Aid – research came from Pediatric Research 1996; 40:627-32