Heart disease claims the lives of more American women than anything else, each year, and it is most prevalent among African American women due to the disproportionate tendencies towards obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. This year, Divas, MPH has taken a stand to help women take actionable steps to reducing their risk of heart disease and adopting a heart healthy lifestyle through a series of events beginning with “Love, Mom: A Mother’sDay Brunch from the Heart.”
Join us, along with our campaign spokeswoman, Joi-Marie McKenzie, on Sunday, May 13, 2012, Mother’s Day, at Ulah Bistro in Northwest Washington, DC from 12:30pm to 3pm. The event will feature a delicious 3-course heart healthy brunch, complimentary mimosas, gifts and prizes to shower your mom with, and a introduce to our 10-week summer series, Jumpstart Your HEART (Health Education, Action, Resources and Training).
We hope that you, your mother, your grandmother, and all the hearts you love will join us as we launch our heart health campaign to reverse the heart disease trend in our communities by taking the first step towards awareness, action, and a heart healthy you.
Visit the Love, Mom Brunch ticket site to reserve your seat today!
Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be There!
Divas, MPH
Come one, come all!
The Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association (MWPHA) is hosting their annual meeting, “Healthy Women, the Cornerstone of Strong Societies” on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 8am-4pm.
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NEW EVENT — Mother’s Day 2012 “Love, Mom” Brunch featuring HEART Spokesperson, Ms. Joi-Marie McKenzie @DCFab!
Embrace the Whole You
I wanted to offer some tips on how to reduce stress and embrace total health and wellness.
- Mediate 15 minutes a day and quiet your mind. Free yourself of any stressors.
- Use your time wisely. It is a valuable resource.
- Eat healthy foods and exercise at least 3 times a week. You will look and feel great!
- Encourage yourself constantly. Your biggest advocate is YOU!
- Spend quality time with family and friends. They are a great treasure to have.
-Savvy B
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.
Spiritual Truth Thursday: A Cheerful Heart
It always seems easy to tell my friends and loved ones not to worry, but I often have a hard time taking my own advice. There are many things that we as women deal with on a regular basis that lead to worry, doubt, and fear. Our finances, relationships, children, moving to a new city (Shout out to Diva Tee ), job security, school, and especially healthcare. Just look at all the women’s health issues that have been in the news this week — the Pfizer birth control recall and Susan G. Komen pulling their funding from Planned Parenthood. When we worry it’s hard to have a positive outlook on life. The more negative we become the more we worry. Sometimes we even worry ourselves heart sick. Anxiety leads to a heavy heart which can lead to depression and increase your risk of heart disease. So when life seems to get you down, it’s important to seek sources of encouragement. “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” – Proverbs 12:25.
The scripture provides us with a simple step to a cheerful heart…hear a kind word! We can receive a kind word from reading scriptures, during a vent session with our girlfriends, or even from talking with family. You may even need to speak a kind word to yourself! Wake up in the morning and take a look in the mirror and say, Be Amazing Today, I’m fearfully and wonderfully made, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I am Beautiful, and I will Be Bold Today! These simple kind words can begin to ease your fears and fill your heart with hope. It takes a cheerful heart for when trials come your way to be able to remain strong and rest on God’s promises. Having a cheerful heart will help you to be bold and take risks! A cheerful heart is medicine to your soul.
Are you heart sick today? Read some of your favorite scriptures or affirmations and call up your bestie, booski, bff, boo, your boyfriend, your mama, or Jesus (who is always on the mainline) and let them pour into you words of encouragement to cheer up your heart!
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Join Divas, MPH in our 2012 digital media campaign, I <3 Her Heart: Wear Red for the Heart You Love, this Friday, February 3, 2012 for National Wear Red Day. Take a picture of yourself in red, for the heart of a woman you love, and share it one of the following ways: post to Divas, MPH on Facebook, tweet to @DivasMPH using the #HeartTruth hashtag, or email to heart@divasmph.org.
Divas EJ
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!
We love these high-protein, no-meat recipes via womenshealthmag. Enjoy!
Meatless Monday: Satisfying Post-Workout Meal Ideas
By Hollis Templeton
While I love the energy and mood boost I get from amping up my exercise routine, an unfortunate side effect of sticking to those New Year’s resolutions is the increased hunger that comes with longer, harder workouts. What’s really not fair: Researchers at the University of Ottawa in Canada found that while intense exercise suppresses men’s appetites, vigorous workouts make women hungrier. Humph.
While it’s tempting to satisfy a grumbling stomach with a big breakfast or dinner post-workout (you earned it, right?), you don’t want to erase your hard work with a calorie-packed meal that’s low on nutrients. Instead, pick a breakfast or dinner that includes a mix of carbohydrates (to replenish energy stores), protein (to aid muscle recovery and repair), and healthy fat (to help you stay full). Here, six meat-free meal options to try on your workout days this week.
Magic Lasagna (pictured) Why magic? It’s a breeze to prepare thanks to no-boil noodles. Plus it’s loaded with veggies.
Toasted Egg and Cheese Sandwich At last, a breakfast sandwich sans bacon. This one’s got garlic and herb cheese, egg whites, and avocado all for less than 400 calories.
High Protein Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie A fruity and filling blend you can sip on your way to class or work.
Pumped Up Banana-Pecan Oatmeal Potassium-rich bananas and muscle-building whey protein give you the oomph you need to recover after your last set.
For Evening Exercisers
Lentil-Quinoa Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms With the surprisingly meaty flavors in these vegetarian burgers, you definitely won’t miss the meat!
Indian Vegetables with Baked Tempeh When you’re craving something a little exotic, hold back from grabbing take-out. Try Indian at home with this easy protein-packed dish that has less than 325 calories per serving.
photo: Ann Stratton
