BREAKING: Joi Marie McKenzie, of The Fab Empire, Heads Divas, MPH 2012 Heart Health Campaign
Divas, MPH-DC is thrilled to announce our 2012 heart health campaign, Love Yourself with All Your H.E.A.R.T. (Health Education, Action, Resources, and Training). We are equally excited to introduce you to our 2012 H.E.A.R.T. campaign spokeswoman, Ms. Joi-Marie McKenzie, acclaimed writer, producer, and creator of the award-winning website The Fab Empire.
The 2012 H.E.A.R.T. campaign is built around a one year calendar of engaging, educational, and community centered outreach activities in the DC-metropolitan area. The campaign kicks off on National Wear Red Day with the first in a series of Heart Truth awareness initiatives, I <3 Her Heart: Wear Red for the Heart You Love. Women - and men - all over the country will wear the color red in honor of the heart of a woman they love. We will post, tweet, and blog their photos along with key facts and risk factors all day! In true Fab! Diva style, Joi-Marie (@DCFab on Twitter and Joi Marie on Facebook) - all decked out in red - is leading us in this initiative in honor of the heart of her mother, and fellow women’s wellness advocate, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie (@VashtiMcKenzie on Twitter).
We ask that you, too, share your picture in red with Divas, MPH on Twitter using the #hearttruth hashtag, via Facebook, or by email at heart@divasmph.org. Then take it a step further, get engaged, share facts, and learn the risk factors for yourself or for the heart of a woman YOU love. Stay connected to Divas, MPH (@DivasMPH on Twitter and Divas, MPH on Facebook) and our heart health ambassador, Joi-Marie McKenzie throughout the year for the latest in heart health news, and more initiatives and activities in the DC-metropolitan area including the 2012 Love, Mom Mother’s Day Brunch this May, the 10-week education & fitness summer series, and the community-wide day of service in November.
Be happy. Be HEART healthy. Be well.
Divas, MPH
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About Divas, MPH
Divas, MPH is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to educating, empowering, and mobilizing women to create healthier communities. Divas, MPH seeks to encourage and enable women to take an active interest in achieving and maintaining total health and wellness—mind, body, and soul—for themselves, their families, and their communities through innovative and socially savvy community activities and classes, media campaigns, and events series’. Current work is based in the Washington, DC, Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan areas and the Harlem section of New York City, but the organization continues to search for opportunities to expand its outreach. For more on Divas, MPH visit www.divasmph.org.
About Joi-Marie
Joi-Marie McKenzie is the creator of The Fab Empire, an award-winning Web site site that covers society, politics, celebrities and local events in Baltimore, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. McKenzie, with her team of contributors and photographers, has successfully created a brand that speaks to the needs of young urban professionals. McKenzie also serves as a producer of entertainment content for ABC News Radio. Previously, she has freelanced for publications including The Afro American Newspaper, Clutch Magazine, NBC New York and NBC Washington. For more on Joi-Marie McKenzie visit www.joimarie.com.
So Fresh and So Clean, Clean
I have been — for the last 9 days (woo hoo!) — participating in the @WholeLiving 21-day challenge. I love Martha’s magazine, and was excited to see the February cover story “New Year, New You” (we love that theme!), which outlined a 21-day action plan for a healthier, cleaner, fresher, and more energized me.
But as I flipped through the recipes, and thought about my existing time commitments I became discouraged. I am always on the go, and all the juicing, cooking, and packing snacks for the entire day ahead seemed overwhelming. I set the magazine down deciding that while I wanted to do it, I just “didn’t have time” (a common excuse people use when they don’t want to make an effort.) But the adage is true, people “have time” for what matters to them.
In a twist of serendipity, my sister (who I had mentioned this to in passing and had flatly declined) picked up the magazine that I put down, and after reading through it decided to take on the challenge full steam ahead. No excuses. Her energy energized me, and on January 16th, 2012 we embarked on the 21-day road ahead. Together. And so far, so good!
We are so glad we are doing this, and encourage everyone we know to do the same.
Interested in joining us in the journey, here are my top tips:
1. Visit Whole Living online for the complete 3 week plan, recipes, tips, grocery lists, and more! This is one of my favorite website, in general, so check it out.
2. Get an accountability partner. My sister has been an awesome teammate to me in this! We shop together, log together, and vent to one another.
3. Let your friends & others know what you’re doing. I went to a birthday party this weekend, and was tempted by the luscious cupcakes and cocktails. But since all my girls knew what I was doing — they kept me on track!
4. GET A JUICER! I know the plan says that you can make smoothies, if you don’t have a juicer. But the fresh juices are so central to the cleanse. This is one great habit I’ve learned through the process that I will definitely continue.
5. Stick with it. It takes 21-days to make/break a habit [check our latest Motivation Monday for more on this]. This isn’t a crash diet, it’s a fresh start to a healthier lifestyle. If you mess up, don’t give up. Keep going.
Bonus tip — stay in community! Visit www.wholeliving.com often and sign up to join their online community. Follow @WholeLiving on Twitter for tweets & tips. Follow Whole Living’s associate food editor, Lindasy Funston’s journey via her blog here. Lindsay is talking and so are we, search Twitter and Facebook for the #WLActionPlan hashtag. You can also follow my photo journey on Instagram — @miss_madie.
Be happy. Be healthy. Be fresh & clean!
Our New Year’s Resoltuion — 365 Days of Health (You go peenutbutterjellie!)
6 Foods That Improve Your Mood (via womenshealthmag)
The path to happiness could be on your dinner plate, according to The Happiness Diet authors Tyler Graham and Drew Ramsey, M.D. Learn more about the following foods that don’t shock your system but rather help keep you on an even keel throughout the day.
Know what you’re eating! Check out this infograph on “The Anatomy of a Factory Farmed Turkey”, shared by stevenseighman. Shop local, eat well.
(via lotus-eater-7)
