• Start taking better care of myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually so I can be a better person, mother, wife and friend
• Surrender my will and my life, my thoughts and my actions to the care of God
• I will ask God to help me take care of my body
• Continue to heal from the inside out
• Be a healthier me for me, so I can be a healthier me for others
• Live better – Live well – Pay it forward
• Forgive myself
• Nurture my family
• Create a better relationship with my husband
• Start the healing process and let go of the past
• Love myself so I can love others
• Rest with God
• Forgive myself and others
• Be with my soul mate who loves me unconditionally
• Be in a place of service and giving and create affluence for all
• Prepare meals and snacks on the go
• Continue with the research on healthy foods, what each thing does for me
• Breath deep and relax
• Finally start eating better and exercising

I’m so grateful for each of the women who attended and what they brought to the weekend.  The process of planning the Women’s Wellness Weekend brought me in touch with so many amazing people.  It challenged me and helped me grow.  I’m looking forward to continuing my journey to wellness with lots of wonderful new friends.

I’ll admit, it was the stylish workout clothes that attracrtred me to this company initially, but it’s their commitment to community and their company manifesto (see image on the right) that really makes me love them! If you haven’t heard of Lululemon, they’re worth checking out. I asked Molly Watson, the manager of the new Nashville store to answer a few questions about the company and provide some insight into what they’re all about. You can also check out the company website to find a list of free classes offered at local stores.

Here’s more from Molly on Lululemon.

1. What is Lululemon’s philosophy on community?

lululemon sees community relations as the key to our business. We are a grassroots company and we beleive strongly that in order to connect with the guest we need to be out in the community, meeting them face to face and sharing athletics with them. We also see our showrooms and stores as hubs of knowledge about yoga, pilates, bootcamps, run groups, hiking, biking, swimming….etc. We want people to be able to come into our locations to learn about what is going on athletically around them. As employees, we take these classes so that we can, from personal experience, help people find what they are looking for, no matter what the sport.

2. What is your favorite phrase from the Lululemon manifesto and why?

“Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.”
This is my favorite manifesto quote because I think it is so important to stop and appreciate every aspect of every day. And not always the good, but the bad too, because it is in those moments we really discover ourselves.

3. What do you hope to bring to the community?

I hope to bring unity. I think that there is so much power in a group of people coming together for the same action- to bring health and happiness to peoples lives. There are so many amazing people already doing this every day in Nashville and we want to bring them together to make an even bigger impact.

4. Any thoughts on what makes Lululemon a good fit for Nashville?

Nashville is an active place! And I think people appreciate great athletic wear because they use it daily and then need to run errands. lululemon is great for that because it dries so quickly and maintains it shape. You can work out and then be in those clothes all day!

5. What can you tell us about the clothes? Are they specifically designed for yoga or suitable for most sports/athletics?

Our clothes are super multi-functional. We have a yoga/pilates line, a run line, a dance line and an apres line (to and from, cotton peices). The mixing and matching of these lines allows you to find those perfect peices that work for the sports you practice. The majority of our fabrics, with the exception of cotton, are moisture wiking- meaning they help keep you super dry while you are sweating. As well, everything is pre-shrunk and flat seamed, which means no suprises or chaffing!

6. Are the classes and workshops for experienced yoga or fitness students or are they suitable for beginners as well?

Our free yoga class on Saturdays from 11-12pm are geared towards beginners. We host the class in order to make yoga accessible to everyone. We strongly believe it is an important part of staying healthy and want everyone to be able to enjoy it!

7. Anything else you want to mention?

Please visit our website: www.lululemon.com/nashville/nashvilleshowroom
Or check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/lululemonNashville

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts I found that my LDL (bad cholesterol) was a little high at 123.  The doctor’s like to see it below 100.  You can imagine my frustration when the nurse said, ”start watching what you eat and exercising and we’ll check it again in six months.”  Whatch what I eat?  Hello?  I eat healthier than most people I know including my husband who’s LDL is below 100.  To say I was frustrated is an understatement.  But if forced me to take an honest look at my lifestyle habits and the choices I was making everyday to see where I could make improvements.  It also reminded me of two important things.

1. The number on the scale or the tag on your jeans doesn’t guarantee a good bill of health. 
2. While lifestyle choices are very important, they aren’t the only factor.  Genetics play a big role as much as we may not like it.  

In the end, I had to admit that over the last two month I had let time constraints dictate too many of my choices.  I needed to remind myself what it takes for ME to be healthy.  Which leads me to a serendepitious email I received last week and an amazing giveaway for all of you. 

Did you know that high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, which is the number one killer of women in America?  Go Red For Women is an organization that supports the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together and wipe out heart disease and stroke.  Their near-term goal is a 25% reduction in coronary heart disease and stroke in women by 2010.  To achieve that goal, they’ve launched BetterU to help women take action to protect their hearts. The program is a free, 12-week online makeover that can help women improve their overall health and heart health through small, simple changes (like choosing baked not fried, or choosing to get their cholesterol checked).   

To help support the program, Go Red for Women has created the BetterU, BetterMe Kit , which has everything you need to start the BetterU program, including:

• Super-cute tote bag for the gym
• BPA-free water bottle
• Go Red Grocery Guide to help you make heart-healthy choices at the store 
• Go Red yoga mat
• Their signature red dress pin
• Heart-healthy snack, Craisins

And we’re giving one away!  You know the drill.  Post a link to this story on your blog, Twitter or Facebook and leave me a note in the comments linking to it.  You’ll get one entry for every post.  The BetterU, BetterMe Kit is a great reward, but helping all of the women in your life improve their health and building awareness of the risk factors for heart disease is an even bigger reward.  Good luck!  The contest ends October 4 so start spreading the word.

It’s not polite to spit, but that’s what I’m doing today.  I’m spitting, four times a day, into little colored vials.  Why?  Because my hormones have gone haywire.  Since the birth of my now 19 month old and the lifestyle changes we’ve made I feel like I’ve gotten back to a healthier, stronger version of my old self.  But no matter how many positives changes I make I seem to be stuck in one area.  I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say intimacy is not what it used to be in my marriage.  Honestly, in my heart and in my mind I want it to be different, but my body just won’t cooperate.  I’ve taken it up with my counselor and my doctor and after much reflecting and discussion of the issue we’ve determined that it is most likely a physical issue.  It’s not that I don’t love my husband, it’s not that I don’t find him attractive, but after nearly a year of looking at the symptoms and trying various solutions we suspect that the issue is my hormones and I’m not alone.  It’s estimated that 30-40 million women suffer from low-libido in the United States (From NBT Research). 

Our hormones all work together to create an environment of balance.  An imbalance of one can impact all of them.  Many believe that hormone imbalances are something we experience during menopause.  While that can be true, that’s not the only time imbalances can take place.  Pregnancy and birth as well as other changes in your life or health can trigger hormone imbalances.  Here are some signs and symptoms that you might have a hormone imbalance.

• low libido
• depression or anxiety
• irritability
• fatigue
• difficulty concentrating or multi-tasking
• weight gain
• thinning hair

If you experience any of these symptoms ask your doctor about saliva hormone testing.  It’s pretty easy, less expensive than blood tests and I’m told more accurate.  If you live in Tennessee I will happily refer you to Dr. Jana Joshu or Brooke Fought, MSN, WHNP-BC with the WISH clinic. 

The main issue I’m experiencing is low libido, but I’ve have struggled with anxiety in the recent past, which is what originally led me on my pursuit of total wellness.  My husband also says I’ve lost the ability to multi-task.  I’m not sure if that one is attributed to hormones or just the fact that my mind is pulled in 75 directions thanks to my job, two children and numerous other responsibilities.  Ok, I’ll admit…I can also be a little irritable.  Wow!  I sound like fun to be around don’t I?  But seriously.  I want to be the healthiest person I can be so I’m spitting in these vials today and sending them off to have my saliva hormone testing done.  In about two weeks I will get the results and if there is an imbalance I will also receive a plan for re-balancing. 

I’ll share the results once they’re in.  In the meantime, if anyone out there has had a similar experience I’d love to hear your thoughts, concerns, solutions, feedback or just words of encouragement.

At the end of the session I had learned three things from this particular assignment. 

One, finding time to do something nice for myself is really hard.  It sounds like such an easy task.  Surely in 24 hours I can find time to do one nice thing for myself even if it’s going to bed 30 minutes early so I can wake up feeling rested.   But more days than not I went to bed and realized I hadn’t consciously completed the assignment.   That’s not to say that I didn’t get to do anything for myself.  I did.  There were nights when I went running with a girlfriend or out for coffee.  I went to a meeting I’d been wanting to attend while my husband stayed home with the kids.  But in almost every case, doing something nice for myself had to be scheduled into my day for it to happen and it didn’t happen every day. 

Two, when I did things that I considered “nice” and “for me” I usually felt guilty about it because they took time away from my family.  I’d think, I got to work on a project I really enjoyed (but it was still for work) or I got to write for my blog (at 10:30 at night or with two kids hanging off my legs, but I still go to do it).  Don’t those things count as for me?  I do enjoy working and writing, but I don’t think that’s what they had in mind when they told us to do something nice for ourselves.  So, why did I feel guilty?

Three, I learned that on the days when I actually took the time to do something nice for myself I had scheduled it in, my family was usually pretty supportive because they knew it was happening and I felt really good.  I had a little spring in my step.  Before the “act of kindness” occurred I looked forward to it and afterward I felt renewed, a little less stressed, and a little more in tune with myself. 

I highly recommend giving it a try even if you have to schedule it into your day like I did.  Don’t shoot for a month, don’t even shoot for a full week.  Just give it a try for a few days and see how you feel.  It can be as simple as taking a morning walk or as big as planning a girls night out.  Since I know we sometimes have a hard time thinking about what we want here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Head to the gym and a try a new class or visit that class you love so much, but haven’t had time for.
• Give yourself a manicure or make an appointment at the nail salon.
• Head to the bookstore and buya  book you’ve been wanting to read.  While you’re there stay for an hour and read the first few chapters enjoying the  peace and quiet.
• Meet a friend for coffee.
• Plan a date night with your husband.
• Hit the bed 30 minutes early and read your favorite magazine or just get some extra sleep.
• Plant a big pot of your favorite flowers and put them somewhere you can see them during the day.
• Sign-up for a class that interests you.  Painting, photography, sewing, gardening, writing.  Whatever you like.  There are lots of one-day or short-term workshops in the summer.
• Get a massage.
• Allow yourself one hour to get ready for an event (even if it’s a three year-olds birthday party) so you can go feeling and looking your best.

We all need to do nice things for ourselves.  When we do, we’re more likely to feel that our needs are being met, to feel less stressed and a little happier.  How’s the saying go…”When Mama’s happy…everyone’s happy.”

Visit www.womenshealth.gov/whw/ and commit to take small steps today that will improve your health tomorrow.  While you’re at it, encourage a friend to join you!

If you continue to visit broccolicupcake.com the full back story that led to the name and the creation of the blog will likely reveal itself, but for now, let’s keep that long story short and just say that for a long time I struggled, off and on, with health issues…my own and my children’s.  Not big scary issues like cancer, but small issues, issues that were hard to put my finger on, but that left me feeling tired, cranky, irritable, overweight, underweight, struggling with allergies, emotional, and worst of all, very anxious.  I didn’t feel all of these things at once and many of the “symptoms” came and went, but it wasn’t until anxiety attacks became a daily struggle that I came to a realization.  I’m not healthy, and I’m not happy and that’s a really crummy way to live.  So I decided that 2009 would be my year to achieve WHOLE HEALTH.  So began my journey to find a complete picture of health and hopefully a little more happiness.  For me (and my family), this meant a lifestyle change.  So broccoli cupcake is about our journey, as a family, to improve our health and in turn, find a greater level of happiness.  It’s about finding balance between the “good for you” and the “mmm…sooo good.”  There’s a reason people say “at least I’ve got my health” because without our health can we truly be happy?

So what can you expect when you visit broccoli cupcake?  

First, you’ll find insightful articles from interview with experts in various fields related to family and women’s health.  (I might as well put my journalism degree to work, right?) You will also find stories and ideas based on our daily attempts to be a happier, healthier family including workouts, activities, recipes, tricks for getting your kids (and your husband) to eat healthier and more. And on occasion you might find a ranting or raving about a product, news story or something else that has me really excited or really aggravated because most of the time the media doesn’t hold up to my reporting standards as a mom.   Whatever you find, I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to exploring “where happy meets healthy” with you.