April 27, 2013

The Snack Schedule

So, it’s that time of year when baseball season begins and coaches create the infamous snack schedule. Oh yes, those of you with kids in sports know it all too well. And having 4 boys in sports, we have multiple snack schedules to manage. While I totally understand that kids might want a snack and/or a drink after the game, it has become routine that kids (and their siblings) expect to get treats after a game. The usual choice is some kind of “junk food” including Gatorade or Capri Sun and a bag of cookies or chips. Let’s face it, these usual snacks provide no nutritional value but do provide additional sugars, fats and carbs.

One year my son’s coach decided there were going to be no treats. One kid was so distraught and complained to his mom that he had to have snacks after the game, and the mom created her own snack schedule for the season. Now dont’ get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with buying snacks for the team, or having a snack every once in a while, but I also want to set a good example for my kids and their teammates. If we as parents continue to allow the snack schedule to rule, then we are in essence telling our kids that it is expected and okay to eat these “junk foods”.

There are many parents that are just not aware of the dangers that these foods are having on our kids. Some of us are aware and try our best to encourage kids to make healthier choices, but when other parents bring snacks that we are trying to avoid, it makes it difficult to tell your child no in front of all those other kids, that you are not allowed to have that snack. And the cycle continues.

I challenge you that the next time you are on point to bring snacks to a game, make the healthier choice. See what happens if you bring bananas or apples as a snack. For a drink, bring bottles of water. The kids might not think your treat is their favorite, but I will tell you that the mom’s will be extremely happy that you did.

There were a couple mom’s last year that brought pirates booty, fruit and bottled water to the game. Most of the mom’s were saying how nice it was to have a healthy snack for their kids as opposed to the junk that they normally get, but they were afraid to be the one parent to bring the “healthy food”. We all know it takes a village to raise a child and if we as parents take a stand on the snack schedule, we will be one step closer to educating additional families who might not be aware of the dangers of these junks foods and setting good examples for our kids on the importance of making healthier choices.

April 19, 2013

Battling the Homework Challenge

Help! Now that Spring Break is over and the weather is supposed to get nicer, although here in Chicago it still feels like winter (and with the rain we just got, if it was snow it would have been about 50 inches!) The kids are itching to go outside and play rather than do their homework.

Everyday, I ask a simple question “Do you have any homework tonight?”

A simple question, but it can spark what becomes a familiar parent/child debate throughout the school years. Arguements over homework are nothing new (I remember protesting homework and chores on school nights too), but homework battles in the 21st century are mutiplied by a culture flooded with technical distractions.

According to recent research, 97 percent of youth play video games; nearly three quarters of them have an online social networking profile (Facebook, MySpace, etc.); 91 percent have a cell phone; and the typical teen sends an average of 10 text messages an hour. Is it any wonder parents will repeatedly hear their children complain that homework is boring and pointless?

Every family is different yet there is one thing we have all experienced at one time or another — a family battle over homework.

Most parents try a lot of different strategies to get their children to do homework.

Some may succeed for a period of time and the battle may end only to begin again in a few short weeks.

I would like to encourage you to join a webinar on Friday May 17th, 12 – 1 CST as the Huntington Learning Centers provide some tips for helping your child complete their homework, every day, independently – ending the homework battle in your home once and for all. RSVP today!

April 12, 2013

Making a Difference

We all want to make a difference in the world and live a life with passion and purpose. Many of us search for a long time before we find the true meaning of what we were meant to do in our lives. And sometimes, we miss those magical moments that are right in front of us, because we are too busy searching that we don’t appreciate what is right there.

One of the many things we hear about Accenture is that people love working here because of the people. It is the connections that we make with each other that make Accenture such a great place to work.

Have you ever wondered how what you said or did (big or small) might have made a difference in someone else’s life?

Last year I participated in the ILP (Individual Leadership Program). It is program in which you work toward a goal in partnership with three peers in a facilitated environment. The coaches are graduates of prior sessions and share a passion for personal growth and learning.

It is is a two-month, individually-driven leadership development program designed to help you become the best leader you can be. As with any individualized program, the value you get will be commensurate with your commitment and effort invested in the process. It was a great opportunity to have focused effort and support on reaching my goal.

The goal I brought to the table last year was my short and long term career goals. I ended up having some of the best conversations ever about my strengths, talents, what I was passionate about and what was important to me in my life. The one question I heard was, you sound so excited and passionate about health and wellness, why don’t you go after that passion?

I stopped in my tracks and had to think. The answer was: “I was afraid.” I didn’t intentionally bring this up as a career goal, but through their questioning, I began sharing what I enjoyed and was important to me. Through a serious of thoughtful questions from my team, I really got the chance to dig deeper and think about what I really wanted and why I was afraid. I was also debating on whether or not I should go back to school and pursue this passion. One of my team members then gave me a reference of someone I could speak with who she said might be able to give me some good insights. It was a combination of the heart felt thought proviking questions, some deep introspection and giving me the reference that helped shape the direction of my future. I was able to see clearly that God had a plan for my life. I could share stories of all of the (what I like to call) “aha” moments that have happened throughout this past year that are signs that this is the right direction for me and it is truly amazing.

One in particular was something fascinating that happened last month. I happened to be downtown for a workshop and in the evening went out to socialize with some other Accenture colleuages. A woman turned around and introduced herself to me and it was my friend who was part of the ILP program. We had never met each other before as we lived in different states, but amazingly we happened to be in downtown Chicago, on the same day, in the same bar and didn’t even know the other was in town. And it was almost a year to the week that we first met on the phone. Co-incidence?! I think not.

We were able to enjoy each other’s company and share in the joys of all that had happened to both of us the past year. She was so inspired by the journey I had been on and felt like she was part of it from the very beginning. There are people that God puts into your path for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Sometimes you get to know the reason why and other times you don’t. We all love to be of service and see others achieve success. What a great gift when you are able to see how something you said or did truly impacted the life of another. I will be forever grateful for my new friend and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors as well.

Reflection for Today: Think about a time when you said or did something (big or small) that made a difference in someone else’s life. What have you done today to support someone else’s dreams (whether it be a family member of colleague)?

April 5, 2013

Stop Changing the DNA in our Foods

In our country we have the right to freedom of speech and we also have the right to know what ingredients are being put into our foods so that we can make the right choices for our families. There is more evidence and research that points many of our health issues in kids and adults back to the foods that we are eating. Food being grown and made today, is not like it was made years ago because companies like Monsanto are changing the DNA of our seeds.

Back in November I wrote a blog on the Prop 37 bill that was being proposed in the state of California to make companies Label GMO’s While the bill did not pass (with a 47.6% to 52.4% at the polls), it has created increased awareness on the topic. More and more people are standing up for our basic legal rights to know what is it our foods.

Unfortunately, I am saddened to see that Congress passed the Monsanto Protection Act a couple weeks ago. Here is a link to a video which highlights President Obama’s promise during his first election to label GMO’s. Now he has just signed an act that hands Monsanto the power to nullify the decisions of federal courts. If the courts decide that a genetically engineered crop is dangerous to the public or the environment, it can no longer order Monsanto (or any other company) to stop planting the crops. Instead, the law mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to issue permits and deregulation orders that allow the “continued cultivation, commercialization and other specifically enumerated activities” even if a crop is deemed to be causing a plague or unleashing dangerous genetic pollution. learn more

I will admit, before I started my passion to learn more about health and nutrition, I didn’t know this was happening in our country and I am sure alot more people out there are unaware as well. Please forward this message on to others so that we can continue to create awareness to what our country is doing to our foods. It’s hard to know who to trust when the government says its ok to modify our foods, when we have seen research showing how GMO’s are creating health issues in our country.

Click here to learn how your voice can be heard to stop the sale of GMO seeds. Please like this blog or comment so that we can continue to create more awareness on this topic and continue our grass roots efforts in educating people so they can make better more informed decisions regarding the health and well being of their families.