You Can Do It!

You have thought about getting healthy . . .

But you just don't know where to start. I never exercised when I was younger and never even played sports in middle or high school. I became somewhat athletic when I joined a softball league in my 20's.  I went on to become a fairly good outfielder and excelled at running the bases because I was quick and teachable. I played softball into my mid 30's and quit once our daughters started playing sports and there wasn't time in our schedules for mom and daughters to play. They won out and I gave up softball.

I didn't start exercising regularly again until my early 40's when a good friend asked me if I would like to run in a 5K run with her. I had never even run a mile before!  So, I started a journey of what has become a life habit and began "training" for a 5K. Running is a great sport that doesn't require a lot of equipment. A decent pair of running shoes, a pair of shorts, t-shirt, and sports bra and you are in business! And it doesn't even have to match!

I began running/walking using driveways as my benchmarks. I would set a goal to run so many driveways, then walk a few, and just kept the pattern going until I was running more than walking. Eventually I was running the whole way! 

The 5K came and went, and running became a regular routine for me that I looked forward to.  In order for running or exercise to become routine, you MUST work through the drudgery that comes in the beginning.  You will say, "I really don't want to do this today!"  You WILL get to the point when you will say, "I want to do this today."  It does happen, I assure you.  You will then feel better when you do it and worse when you don't.  Most people don't get to this point because they don't stick with it long enough.

My regular running routine began with my sweet friend where we ran together for 8 years Monday-Friday at 5:45 am in Michigan, through every temperature and weather condition! I thank Liz for developing a love for running that I didn't even know was there. My days of running all began with an invitation. 

So, how can this help you?  If you already run regularly, think about someone you could invite to join you. You never know; you could change her life like Liz changed mine. If you aren't a runner but would love to start, begin your journey by walking each day, and running a little more each time as you build up your cardio strength.  Then, consider inviting someone to join you!  You will find it will keep you on track knowing someone is going to be there and you may help each other build a routine of healthy living!  The important part of having a partner is to create a schedule and hold each other accountable to being there!

I would love to hear if you start a running routine or invite a friend to your run!  To your health!

WHERE COULD YOU BE ONE DAY?

I am constantly inspired by women around me.  We can learn great lessons from those we associate with to improve our lives, help us to see something through different eyes, or to do something we only dreamed about.

I have a great friend, Karen Weaver, who inspired me today to write something about her.  She’s a great mom to three wonderful kids, a wonderful wife to a guy she adores, and has created a life for herself that she’s proud of – and should be!  After being in a party plan business for years, she was ready for a new challenge.  So, she took a sewing class and started sewing!  She had never sewn before – it just sounded fun.  She thought about what she would love to wear and couldn’t find in the marketplace, so she started sewing tunic tops and dresses.  She set up a website, took some pictures of her wearing the clothes, and her “store” was open!  That lead to numerous online orders, friends telling friends, and then taking her line to Etsy, the online shopping site, and more business came her way.

She started her business in Savannah, Georgia, and has since moved to Greenville, South Carolina. With the move behind her, she decided to take her business to the next level. She searched for new fabrics, traveled around to find a manufacturer that could take over the sewing, and created some new designs and pieces to expand her line. She still selects all of the fabrics, color combinations and designs each piece herself.  She has created a business plan and is off and running in a big way. She is now being featured at the Atlanta Apparel Mart next week as an Emerging Designer, and will have two of her pieces in the Emerging Designer fashion show!  Way to go, Karen!

In talking with Karen, I asked her if she ever thought she would be at this place of heading to the Atlanta Apparel Mart, and she said, “Absolutely not! If someone would have told me two years ago when this journey began that this was going to happen, I would have said no way!”

I am so proud of you, Karen! She is professional, has a caring heart, and can’t wait to see her designs coming down the street as one of her satisfied customers is wearing their favorite, fun and comfortable new One Fun Summer dress, designed by my good friend Karen Weaver! 

If you’ve ever considered starting a business, what’s stopping you? If you have an idea, explore it, pray about it, share it with others close to you, and then take action to make it happen. Karen’s story could be your own. You will never know until you try. Thanks, Karen, for inspiring me and I am sure others that they can do it too!

Women's Bean Project

So many of us are blessed to have a roof over our heads, jobs we love (or don't!) and food on the table. We have "normal" lives and don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. I came across this amazing organization that so spoke to me in how in helps to empower women to take control and get their lives back on track. If you are interested in learning more and would like to support them, check it out. I'm not connected in any way; just want to spread the word!

Eat Right to Fight Inflammation

 

You've just devoured your favorite fast food meal—a hamburger, French fries, and a 20-ounce soda. It tasted great, of course, but did you know that consuming a fast food meal can send your body into a state of inflammation that lasts several hours? And that inflammation has been linked to a whole host of health issues, including heart disease and Alzheimer's, but is particularly bad for the health of your joints?

Under normal circumstances, a little inflammation can be a good thing. It’s your body’s natural protective response to illness or injury. When you cut yourself, you want your immune system to respond quickly by sending white blood cells to your wound to fight off infection. The subsequent redness and swelling are signs of acute inflammation. But a low-grade persistent state of chronic inflammation is not a good thing. In this circumstance, white blood cells inappropriately move into tissues and cause destruction. Destruction in joint tissue can lead to pain, swelling, and stiffness. Thanks to the anti-inflammatory effects of certain foods, a healthful diet can help you fight off inflammation and improve joint function. (Regular exercise, not smoking, and losing weight are powerful tools, too.) Start by eating less of the “bad stuff”; forgo the fast food burger, French fries, and soda and eat more of the “good stuff”—yes, more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts that inhibit and protect against inflammation. Some of the best anti-inflammatory foods include: Fish and walnuts. Salmon and tuna are great sources of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, as are walnuts. These foods help offset the pro-inflammatory effects of omega-6 fatty acids, which are pervasive in our diet. Omega-6 fats are found in eggs, corn, soy, and safflower oils. Olive oil. Studies suggest consuming a Mediterranean-style diet—a diet high in plant foods and olive oil—helps decrease joint tenderness in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Red wine and dark chocolate. Resveratrol, a phytonutrient found in red wine, has been shown to inhibit inflammation, while the consumption of dark chocolate on a regular basis has been linked to lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation in the body. Turmeric. Spice up your life. Turmeric, also known as curry, is a traditional spice of Indian cuisine. In a recent pilot study, supplemental turmeric helped reduce joint tenderness and swelling in people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Tart cherries. According to the latest research, tart cherries may have the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food. In a recent study, women with osteoarthritis who drank tart cherry juice twice a day for several weeks experienced a significant reduction in important markers of inflammation. Eating to fight inflammation could be one of the best things you do for yourself and for your joints. For your next meal, how about some salmon curry and a glass of red wine, followed by some tart cherries covered in dark chocolate for dessert?

Don't forget to check out My Shaklee Website at http://ashburns.myshaklee.com/us/en/

The First Step

The First Step

Have you ever considered starting something and just got derailed, either by fear or not knowing where to start?  I have felt this feeling so many times when considering starting this blog.  Thoughts like, “Who would read it?”, “Why would anyone be interested in reading about me?”, and “Who would care that I was scared to step in to this world of blogging?”  A good friend of mine assured me that I could begin this journey, one step at a time, and that my message had merit and would resonate with other readers in the cyber world.

So, the launch of You Can Do It at InspiredToDoIt.blogspot.com began.  I came from a background of believing that I could do anything.  That was nurtured by my amazing mother, Virginia, who persevered through a tragic and challenging event in all of our lives.   She was the mother of six children, ranging in age from 4 to 12 years old.  I was #5 in that mix and at the age of 5 lost my dad to a car accident on his way to work.  The only memory I have of any of that time was sitting in our family room of the home my dad built playing with my younger sister, Bonnie, who was 4.  I remember our priest coming to the front door to tell my mom of his death.  I don’t remember a thing after that; I don’t even remember attending his funeral.  I remember years later asking my mom why I wasn’t at daddy’s funeral; the memory is just not there. 

I draw strength from that powerful, “you can do it” person that was my mom.  She had to sell the home my dad had built because it wasn’t completely finished and she had no way of doing what needed to be done.  Life insurance wasn’t in the family budget, and she had to take the profit from the sale of that home and move us to a new life in a neighborhood setting with good schools to raise her six kids on her own.  She didn’t plan on her life turning out like it did, but she sure never let on that she felt victimized or mad that this “happened to her”.  She became the rock of our family and created an environment of empowerment to help us see we could do whatever we set our minds to.  I never thought of myself as a child of a single parent – she made up as best she could for the loss of our dad.  She made it apparent we were a family and we were strong and could survive anything.  Thanks, Mom, for being the women you were.  We lost this special woman in 2007 to cancer.  Even in that last battle of her life, she was strong and courageous.  It’s amazing how much a child can learn, not always from words, but sometimes just in living life.

 I dedicate this blog to my Mom, Virginia Soncrant, July 25, 1922 – May 30, 2007.