Career Development Panel Discussion- Part 1

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At work I was recently asked to be part of a panel discussion series focused on educating and inspiring employees within our company on Career Development. The focus of this panel was to share feedback and advice on how someone goes about shaping their own career within our company.  When the committee started choosing who to invite to be on the panel my name came up since I have been successful in my tenure here and have moved up quickly. Thus the invite was given to me and I of course had to accept!

First I cant even put into words how flattered, humbled, excited, and terrified I was to receive the invitation. I now manage a larger team at work and with that job comes giving feedback, suggestions, and sharing my opinions. However it is still hard for me to believe that my thoughts and advice are anything that others would want to hear.  This is where I think sometimes we have to step back, reflect, and trust in our own abilities. There is a reason we get to where we are at.

The panel consisted of 5 of us all at Senior to Director levels across various areas within the company. The discussion was scheduled for an hour and luckily enough the woman organizing the event had asked the audience in advance for questions, which gave us some time to think through everything and have good solid answers going into the discussion. The forum was hosted as a Q & A so most of the questions were asked throughout the hour by the audience themselves, but when there was a little quite time the host would ask one of the pre-set questions.

I have never been a fan of speaking in public, especially when it is off the cuff and you do not have everything you want to say typed out, memorized, and prepared for. This was why in part I was so scared to accept the invitation. I have started to learn that the higher up you progress at work the more speaking and contributing your thoughts and ideas is a part of the everyday job. Therefore I have slowly learned to accept it and now I am constantly pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.

Overall the panel discussion went great! The committee who arranged it at work said after it was all said and done they received a ton of positive feedback and that the audience thought it was truly beneficial. I cant even put into words how pro-found the experience was for me not only professionally, but also personally.With that in my next blog post I plan on sharing with everyone some of the questions asked along with what my advice was for them. Again I am by no means an expert, so it is just my humble advice on what has worked for me. So stay tuned!

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 6/8/14

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Prolonged fasting ‘re-boots’ immune system– “In mice, prolonged periods of fasting – repeated cycles of 2-4 days with no food – over the course of 6 months, killed older and damaged immune cells and generated new ones.”

Inside Apple & The Mayo Clinic’s New Partnership– I for one am all about finding ways to make healthy living easier for people. For myself a lot of my weight loss success was tied to being able to use the My Fitness App on my phone which allowed me to instantly look up calories and track what I was eating. I honestly don’t think I would have been as effective in my weight loss plan without it. It will be interesting to see how these two companies collaboration stands out from what consumers currently have available to them and how it will help in individuals not only tracking food and exercise, but incorporating all aspects of their health like tracking their glucose level and heart rate

Europe Installs Raw Milk Vending Machines While U.S. Rules Unpasteurized Dairy Illegal– One of my favorite things about going to Europe is eating their dairy products. European yogurt, milk, and butter in my opinion just tastes more decadent and just better than what we have in the States. Part of this is due to the difference in how our countries regulate the production and sale of dairy. I wonder if we will ever look at adjusting our standards based off of what research is finding with raw milk. “Hundreds of testimonials support the value of raw milk in helping childhood behavioral problems, digestive disorders, failure to thrive in infants, arthritis, osteoporosis, and cancer.”

20 foods you should always have in your kitchen– I have to say I agree with everything on this list. I try to keep all almost all of the these items in my home at all times and find you can always make a quick and healthy meal if you have these staples around.

Losing Weight May Require Some Serious Fun- This article talks about how perception can affect behavior. The research looks at how people view exercising and their food intake. Those who viewed their exercise as fun consumed less calories afterwards then those who viewed it as work.  “The same exertion, spun as “fun” instead of “exercise,” prompts less gorging on high-calorie foods.”

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Photo from Huff Post

Vegetable Cornmeal Crust Quiche Recipe

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Lately eggs have become a big staple in our home. Every morning when I come back from the gym I walk into a warm apartment filled with the fragrant smell of eggs sizzling and crackling as my boyfriend makes his daily breakfast. This new ritual has now become a very comforting way to start my day and something I look forward to. Since I do not have time during the work week to make eggs for myself for breakfast I decided to make a cornmeal quiche instead so I could also get my egg on during the week. Quiches are great because you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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I had some extra cornmeal round the house so I decided I would make a cornmeal crust for my quiche and then I used the vegetables I had in the fridge so I did not have to go to the grocery store. I love it when you can cook from what you have! First I made the crust. I used my 9″ glass Pyrex pie dish and sprayed the inside with some cooking spray to get started. For the crust I used the below ingredients:

Cornmeal Crust Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
  • 2 Tbs Butter ( I used Harvest Award Canola Oil butter as 1 Tablespoon is about 80 calories vs 100 in regular butter. This also makes it vegan)
  • 1 Tsp Agave Nectar or Honey
  • 4 Tbs Ice Water

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For preparing the crust I first melted the butter and then combined it with the cornmeal in a mixing bowl. After they were fully mixed together I added in the agave and gradually poured in the ice water. Make sure not to actually add the ice in when you do this. Once everything was mixed together fully l I poured the cornmeal into the 9″ pie pan and pressed the dough together creating a crust form. I then put the crust in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes and then removed and set aside.

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Next I prepared the filling for the quiche. Using a whisk I mixed together the below ingredients a separate bowl and then poured into the baked crust. Next I took the whole quiche and put it into the oven at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes. Check on it at about 45 minutes to make sure it is not over cooking, you can always pull it out of the oven if the top is starting to brown too much.

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Eggs substitute ( I used 1 1/2 cups egg whites and 2 full eggs)
  • 1/2 1% Milk ( I used Almond Milk)
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper
  • 1 Half an Onion
  • Half a head of Broccoli
  • 1 Tsp of Salt
  • 1 Tsp of Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbs Dried Rosemary

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Overall the quiche was really yummy! I used Bob’s Red Mill medium grind cornmeal since that is what I had at home and it ended up being too course. So make sure you use s finer cornmeal grain. You can also you different vegetables then what I used. Next time I want to make this with butternut squash and goat cheese. You can also use this crust for a sweeter pie version and fill with apples, blueberries, or any other fruit in season right now. I would love to hear if anyone try’s this and makes a different, but delicious version!

 

Warm Weather Exercise Tips

Posted in Health, Working Out by

For those of you who are not already aware I am currently in the process of becoming a Barre instructor at my favorite studio in San Francisco Avant-Barre! Don’t worry, I plan on blogging all about it. As part of my training I am getting certified in group fitness through ACE, the American Council of Exercise. In my process of studying for the ACE exam I thought it would not only help me with preparing, but could also benefit others to share some interesting tips and information as I find it. With that below is my first tip, enjoy!

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With the summer months just kicking off and with the extended days in the sun it is only natural we all want to get out of the gym and make our way outside to exercise. Nothing beats a nice early morning run with the sun, the fresh flowers in bloom, and the nice summer air upon us. However when working out in the heat there are a few things you want to keep in mind in order to make sure you are keeping yourself safe and well.

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1. When you  begin to exercise in the heat it is important to make sure you are doing it gradually. To become acclimated to exercising in the heat it takes about 7-10 days. Therefore you want to make sure you start exercising slowly each day and gradually working your way up with time.

2. Make sure to always wear lightweight, well ventilated, and light colored clothing while exercising in the sun. The light colored clothing will reflect the sun better than darker colors which will ultimately help to keep you cooler.

3. Never wear non-breathable or impermeable garments. The idea of wearing these types of clothes (ie. a rubber suit for example) in order to help with weight loss is just a myth. The change in weight is solely due to fluid loss and not fat loss and can be very dangerous to one’s health.

4. Replace body fluids as they are lost. Drink fluids at regular intervals while working out, however be careful to avoid over-hydration which can be just as dangerous as being dehydrated. Consumption of smaller amounts of fluid frequently is the best practice and sticking to water over sports drinks.

5. Recording daily body weight is an excellent way to prevent accumulative dehydration. For example if someone loses 5 lbs of water weight after exercising then that same amount of water should be re-gained before exercising again the next day. If you do not replenish the same amount of water that has not been lost then make sure to tail back your workout the next day until you are back.

6. Air Movement is critical for being able to help cool ones self off. If there is limited air movement (for example exercising in a gym with no fans) the micro climate next to the body can actually become the same temperature as the body itself. This will prevent adequate heat loss and can therefore put you at risk for a heat injury. So make sure to have fans going if you are inside or a a slight breeze if outside.

Hope this was helpful and now everyone get outside and move your body!

 

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 6/1/14

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Can Diet Drinks Aid Weight Loss?– I personally find the diet soda controversy very interesting. For me personally I can honestly say diet soda was sometimes a savior during my weight loss and I do not know if I would have been able to accomplish my results as quickly without it.  Diet drinks allowed me to get a sweet fix in the afternoon without turning to sugar and were a huge help in social events when wanting to avoid alcohol.  I did end up giving up diet soda two and a half years ago when I went into weight maintenance and since then my sweet tooth has diminished substantially.

Fitness Crazed– This article asks the question are trendy workouts really better then classic exercise? “The human body is an adaptation machine. If you force it to do something a little harder than it has had to do recently, it will respond — afterward, while you rest — by changing enough to be able to do that new hard task more comfortably next time. This is known as the progressive overload principle. All athletic training involves manipulating that principle through small, steady increases in weight, speed, distance or whatever.”

30 Percent of World Is Now Fat, No Country Immune- “Researchers found more than 2 billion people worldwide are now overweight or obese. The highest rates were in the Middle East and North Africa, where nearly 60 percent of men and 65 percent of women are heavy. The U.S. has about 13 percent of the world’s fat population, a greater percentage than any other country. China and India combined have about 15 percent.”

Mental Illness Can Shorten Lives More Than Chain-Smoking– This is an interesting perspective I have never thought about. Something to keep in mind. “About 20 percent of people in the United States and the U.K. smoke, he adds — around the same percentage of people who suffer from mental illness.”

Mastering the Art of Self-Negotiation– This article is not as much research based as tips and tricks to help you stick to your plan. I thought the advice was good, so thought I would share. “For every positive choice that affects our health and well-being, there’s at least one counter-argument that – in the murky waters of our mental workings can dissuade us from our good intentions.”

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Photo from Huff Post

 

Food Is Bringing Sexy Back

Posted in Food and Drinks by

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I love food. Everything about it. The experience of walking into a restaurant, breathing in the ambiance, sitting down to look over the menu, and imagining how each dish will taste.  I love the presentation of the food upon it’s arrival, the plate it is served on, and the utensil used to enjoy it. Then of course there is the obvious, how good the food tastes. Nothing beats the first bite of a dish. No matter how many bites come after, it will not taste the same. Therefore I try to savor that first bite every time and stay present in the moment. With that said I wanted to share some of the delicious meals I have had the pleasure of enjoying over the last couple of months. These meals span from Los Angeles up to the Bay area and instead of describing each meal in length, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

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 One of my favorite neighborhood mexican restaurants. Everything is organic, local, and delightful.

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Homemade Moscow Mules from my best friend, served in authentic copper mugs

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Los Angeles knows how to serve a good chicken salad sandwich. Made with Truffle oil. Need I say more

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Grilled fish tacos, perfect paired with summer sun and a cold beer

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Quinoa, beets, and curry eggplant. Perfect combination

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Brunch with avocado toast and a poached egg

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A light and refreshing simple salad

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Strawberry Rhubarb scones. A treat upon arriving and sitting down at what will now be my new favorite brunch spot in the city

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Arepas, probably my favorite food on the planet. One filled with eggs, one with potatoes, and one with pork, black beans, and plantains. Perfectly split with a friend

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Two words, Shishito Peppers

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 5/25/14

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Is This The Reason America Keeps Gaining Weight?– This is a short, but interesting article touching on the biggest factors in the rise of obesity in the United States. Overall researchers say the biggest contributor to obesity gain really comes down to the availability of inexpensive food. Over the decades there has been a constant decline in the average food budget for families. In 1930 1/3rd of a families budget was allocated to food where now it is only 1/10th.

Standing desks sit well with more employees– In the last couple years I have started to see a shift at my office with associates moving over to the standing desks, however those employees are still by far the minority. Personally this is something I have contemplated on switching over to and the more I read on it the more I am getting convinced I should.

For CrossFit fans, it’s as much a state of mind as a style of exercise– I myself have surprisingly have never tried CrossFit, but for those friends and co-workers I know who do CrossFit they always talk about the sense of community that comes with the workout. Is CrossFit a workout or lifestyle?

 Unrealistic dream weight? Dream On– This article poses the question to people is it really possible to get to your dream weigh and maintain it for long term success or do our bodies stop at their set ideal weight. Should we continue to fight against where our body is naturally supposed to be weight wise? “Some people might get down to their dream weight for a short period during the “action phase” of focused dieting but then can’t sustain it because the calorie restrictions are too severe once the body starts defending itself against weight loss.”

Laughter may be the best medicine for age-related memory loss– “A new study finds that humor may reduce brain damage caused by the “stress hormone” cortisol, which in turn, improves memory.” With that said below is one of my favorite Youtube video’s of all time. Hope it makes everyone laugh as much as me and we can all improve our memory!

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Photo from Huff Post

PBWC Conference and Diane Keaton- Say What!

Posted in Books and Articles, San Francisco by

Last week I had the privilege to attend the Professional Business Women of California or PBWC conference in downtown San Francisco through my Women’s Resource Council at work. Overall the PBWC’s goals are to provide business women with greater overall business skills and acumen, a broader group of women to network with, along with inspiring and developing women into their full potential.

I had personally never heard of the PBWC until I was invited to attend the conference, however after reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In” I have started to become a big advocate on focusing more on being a woman in business. For this I am not only focusing on using the resources around me to learn ways to progress my career further, but also how within my current position I can help other up and coming young women fulfill their great potential.

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The conference started with a breakfast bright and early at 7:00am which consisted of baked goods, fruit to grab, and coffee. I grabbed a banana and coffee before making my way into the giant lecture room for the opening seminar with a couple of my fellow co-workers. Over 5,000 women showed up to the conference so the room was a packed house!

The first speaker series of the morning started at 8:30am. Over the 2 hours there were several keynote speakers. The first speaker was Congresswoman of California Jackie Speier, followed by Dr. Elizabeth Lindsay and Charlotte Beers who was named “the most powerful woman in advertising.”  Finishing up the morning was Arianna Huffington the editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group.  Over the entire day Arianna ended up being my favorite speaker by far, so I will probably spend the most time writing about her.

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I had just recently seen Arianna speak at an event in San Francisco where she was being interviewed by Sheryl Sandberg and talked about her new book “Thrive”. Arianna was absolutely memorizing the first time I saw her speak and the second time was as equally enthralling. What I like most about Arianna is her emphasis on the importance of something I am a big believer in when it comes to work and life and that is balance. She challenges people to think beyond work and power as success, but evaluate success on a different level, one of which is someone’s wellbeing.  I started reading her book after the first time I saw her speak and so far so good!

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After the first series there were breakout sessions with 10 different options to choose from. I went with the “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds” by Marianne Cooper was the lead researcher for Sheryl Sandberg’s book. She talked about gender, family life, work, and social inequality. Marianne really emphasized on how in America middle and low income women typically are the head of households when it comes to managing the families’ finances and how when a family goes through a financial hardship the women take on all of the financial stress themselves. The lecture was not what I was expecting, but I found it to be interesting and applicable.

Next up was a lunch break followed by another speaker series breakout. For this one I chose “Positioning Yourself for Success” by Luanne Tierney the Vice President of Worldwide Partner Marketing, Juniper Networks. Here Luanne emphasized how in modern business with all of the social media outlets there really is not break between professional and personal life. How now in order to succeed you can’t treat them as separate entities, but instead need to focus on what you want your brand to be. Everything she talked about was definitely suitable to me and I found her to be smart while also entertaining.

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The last part of the day was a panel discussion with various women executives from around the bay area, which after just being on a panel discussion at work it gave me a deep respect for the women up there. It was nice to hear from these successful women how they got to where they are now, what we can do to help ourselves, and how to manage everything work and life throws at you.

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The final speaker of the day was the famous actress Diane Keaton, who is just as cooky and eccentric as most of the characters she plays. Diane has just written a new book entitled “Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty.” I of course ended up having to buy the book, which looks like it is coming in with mixed reviews on amazon, and waited in line to get it signed. After the book signing there was a wine reception, which of course I had to partake in. Overall the day was a great one filled with inspiring and motivational women, something I myself strive to be.

Wanderlust- A day of bending, stretching, and yoga in the park

Posted in San Francisco, Working Out by

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Saturday one of my dear friends Jaclyn arranged a day of fun and yoga in the sun at the Wanderlust Yoga in the City Festival down on the Marina Green in San Francisco. Now you might be asking yourself what is Wanderlust? Wanderlust is a yoga festival where the core mission is to create a community around mindful living and leading a healthy life. This is done through focusing on practicing yoga first and foremost, eating well, building purpose, mindfulness, and self awareness while also enjoying music and art. The festivals are offered in 4 day retreats, single day retreats, or the city experience where it brings a taste of the festival to us city dwellers for an afternoon.

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Jaclyn and I decided to do the first class of the day which started at 12:30. Two local yoga teachers alternated teaching through the hour long class, with one instructing the first 30 minutes followed by the second.  Staring across the green grass yogi’s and their mats were lined up in rows upon rows facing towards the front of the stage.  The instructor would speak into the microphone overhead giving out commands and directing us into the desired poses. Tranquil music played in the background creating a relaxing environment.

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Now it has been a little while since I have practiced yoga and with the wind from the bay stronger then ever it created a whole new challenge. Let’s just say I found holding my poses to be not as graceful as I would have hoped.  Our teacher kept encouraging us to be in the moment, to embrace the outdoors, and be one with our environment. I tried my best, but when your mat keeps flying up and hitting you in the leg it makes mindfulness a little more difficult.

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When the hour class was all said and done and I was lying on my back, my arms and legs spread out, eyes closed, and was breathing deeply in the marina air, I finally felt relaxed and one in the moment. So ultimately I think I achieved what Wanderlust had set out for it’s intention, a day of focusing on myself and enjoying being outside.

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After we finally made our way up from Shavasana we decided to go check out the vendor’s and sponsor’s booths. Now let me just say I love swag. Any kind of free stuff whether it is a key chain, t-shirt, or sample of food it will always makes me happy. This event had some great sponsor’s who really went all out. Kashi was offering bowls of cereal and milk (which we know I am addicted to) along with granola bars for an after yoga food fix, Health had free magazines of their latest issue for everyone to take, and resource water had huge bottles of water and very soft and stylish t-shirts. All in all I made out like a bandit!

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Wanderlust in the city is not exclusive to San Francisco, so I highly recommend going and checking their website out to see if there is an event coming near you. It is a free and you cant beat a day in the sun with like minded people, all serving a purpose of connecting with yourself and nature.

 

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 5/17/14

Posted in Books and Articles by

How does Facebook affect our sense of belonging? With the mass use of social networking sites I thought this article would be applicable and interesting to most of us. The various studies show different conclusions, but in the latest  study they summarize “Findings suggest that it is communication, rather than simple use, that is key in producing a sense of belonging. When sharing or feedback is restricted, belonging suffers.”

Does Skinny Equal Healthy?  We always think about being overweight or obese as un-healthy, but this article brings up some good questions on if being too skinny is just as un-healthy. “It turns out that while it’s generally healthier to be slimmer than fatter, skinniness doesn’t guarantee health. There are caveats (tons) and exceptions to the rule (that isn’t really even a rule). Skinny does not necessarily equal healthy. There is such a thing as “too skinny” – for everyone”

Outdoor Exercise is more Beneficial than Indoor for Children: Study Some of my favorite childhood memories came from playing tag and capture the flag outside with the other neighborhood kids. It is interesting to see a correlation to playing outside and increased activity with children. It just makes sense. “Findings showed that children who spent more time outdoors were more likely to be physically active when compared to those who spent more time outdoors.”

Life expectancy up worldwide; Japanese women live longest Looking at the top 10 countries for life expectancy for both women and men  most are located either in Europe or Asia. Makes me wonder what can we incorporate in our daily lives from these cultures to help out with our health?

 Trendy workouts rejuvenate old fitness routines–  In an age where people are short on time and money they are going back to the core basics of working out. This article highlights the re-emerging popularity of fitness tools and exercises like jump ropes, kettlebells, dumbbells, group step fitness classes, and basic running. When you know something works why not stick with it.

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Photo from Huff Post