Author: lizjones10

*1 large trout filet or swai
*sprinkle with turmeric, black pepper, crushed red pepper, marjoram, Braggs spice herb blend
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can pineapple chunks in juice

Place fish in a pan sprayed with olive oil
place beans to the sides of the fish
cover with tomatoes and pineapple
cook at 425 degrees 15-20 minutes

Gourmet taste, frozen pizza effort!

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February is heart health month and in recognition of that, the American Heart Association sponsors the “Go Red for Women,” campaign every year. This year Go Red Day is Friday February 5th where businesses wear red and decorate their workspace to help spread the important message to educate our community on heart health.

Think about your family, what is your “why?” Why is heart health education and prevention important to you? My father died of congestive heart failure, along with other medical complications, in his very early 60s. My son’s other grandfather died of heart disease as well. It is something that is very prevalent in my family and I know how important it is to prevent disease, rather than trying to manage it after a crisis. That doesn’t mean that even if we do all the right things, that heart disease won’t affect us personally, but knowing our risks can help us to decrease health issues by taking action.

The mission of the American Heart Association is building healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Statistics:
• Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women and takes the lives of more women than men.
• One in three women will be affected by heart disease.
• One woman per minute dies in this country from heart disease.
• 90% of women have one or more risk factor for heart disease.

Prevention:
• Awareness- know your family history and your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.)
• Exercise- get out and walk or do other cardiovascular activity, get your heart rate up.
• Stress management- learn to relax and wind down each day.
• Nutrition- Eating a balanced diet, with healthy fats, lean protein and complex carbohydrates will help keep your heart in tip top shape. Eating plant strong has been proven to be one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
• Don’t smoke!
• Take any medications your doctor has prescribed.

Signs:
• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
If you have heart attack symptoms, call 911. It has been shown that you will receive treatment 40 minutes to an hour quicker if you arrive in an ambulance, rather than driving to the emergency room. The hospital begins preparing for your arrival when the call is made and first responders can help as soon as they arrive on the scene.

If your company would like to “Go Red,” contact me at: [email protected] to obtain t-shirts for your employees and friends. For a $20 donation you get a nice red t-shirt that helps promote the message of heart health and they make great Valentine’s gifts! Join us on Facebook and post your pictures using #mesquitegored.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

Did you wait until the last minute to buy holiday gifts? Would you still like to give something thoughtful and also something that can help someone you care about reach their goals? In my opinion, giving someone something that will help them improve their health, manage their stress and overall wellbeing is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Especially if it’s something that they may not buy for themselves or can’t afford.

Some other things I would recommend for your loved ones are:

* any book by Dr. Wayne Dyer- my favorite author who passed away this year. He even has awesome children’s books (I got a couple for my 7-year-old nephew). He is an inspirational and easy-to-read author. I hope my nephew will grow up and read all of his books as an adult too.

*Bullet blender- this is quite possibly the best gift that Aaron ever bought me. Of course, every time the commercial came on tv I went on about how I wanted one and when we walked by it in the grocery store, I stood by the display petting it. I had the knockoff version previously which didn’t have the power I needed for what I use it for. I use it almost every day and I love it. I make my protein shakes, green smoothies, as well as use it for cooking dinner for my family on a weekly basis to make things like health queso or alfredo (dairy free of course), healthy chocolate mousse, healthy crepes- I use it all the time. (if you get one and you need some healthy recipes, look on my website www.lizjones.co)

*fruit basket for your coworkers or friends, or a basket of healthy items to an elderly person who could use a lift and also the nutrition. Nourishing people is a wonderful gift. I may be known as the sugar police at work, but if it means someone may bring a fruit tray instead of a cake to someone that is struggling with their weight, I’m OK with that. I actually never judge or say anything if someone brings or eats desserts. I have, however, been known to put a diabetes education flyer on top of a chocolate cake someone brought in.

*personal training sessions or nutritional therapy appointment (guys- this DOES NOT mean a membership to Weight Watchers unless it is something that your lady asked for!!)- personal training is a great investment, especially when someone is truly ready to make changes in their life. What can be an even better gift is to buy them as a couple to train with someone together, or to learn about nutrition together. For me, it is really important to have my partner in life also be my partner in the gym and it is a good way to bond and spend time together while working on something that improves your health and will improve your life together. One thing I see many people struggle with is first of all not being ready to change and never committing to the training plan, a lot of times it may be due to a lack of emotional support. Training together can be a great motivator and highly increases your chances of success. Buying training or nutritional education to do together sends a very different message than buying someone a Thigh Master that they didn’t ask for.

*weight lifting gloves (I got some new ones for my birthday and I love them, need some in leopard print too). I love workout tank tops with inspirational (or sarcastic) saying too. Yoga pants are pretty awesome too.

A few other good ideas:
• *gift certificate for yoga classes (I don’t usually recommend gift cards or gift certificates but this is a good one- lots of great deals on Groupon too!!)
• *Jawbone fitness tracker or Fitbit (also Groupon deals on these)
• a basket of Epsom salt, bubble bath, relaxing music
• *fitness, gratitude or general journal

Christmas doesn’t have to be fudge and fruitcake. Help the people you love (or at least like) work toward their goals, rather than away from them. Wishing you and your family a happy healthy holiday and a wonderful and successful 2016.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer, certified master workplace wellness ambassador and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

“The forces that are for you are far greater than the forces that are against you.” –Joel Osteen

As the weather gets colder and the holidays quickly coming rolling in, people begin to fade away from their wellness goals. Even daylight savings can zap our motivation level, when it’s almost dark when I get home from work, it makes me less excited to change clothes and head to the gym. The colder weather makes many of us start to crave rich “comfort foods.” Depression from a lack of sunlight and Vitamin D is a chronic annual issue for many people.

Holidays are well known for overeating and unhealthy behavior to set in. People are at higher risk for blood sugar spikes, depression and loneliness, financial strain, not to mention the notorious holiday weight gain. Psychology Today notes that those who are overweight or obese are more likely to gain weight back during the holidays than those who maintain a healthier weight the rest of the year. For others we suffer from the “Holiday Creep” which is cumulative over time. We put on weight little by little that never seems to go away later.

This time of year people mentally start to make excuses, “It’s the Holidays- I’ll HAVE to bring in treats and eat the chocolate deep fried fudge that Marge brings in for the department every year.” “New Year’s is around the corner- January 1st I’m all in!” “It’s winter, I can just wear sweatpants and baggy sweater for the next four months!” Most people have a whole list of excuse and predetermined reasons that they give themselves to lose the ground they’ve gained through the year with their health or to continue on the path of being unwell.

Here are some tips to help you get through the Holiday Heapings so you don’t end up feeling bad, being less healthy and moving closer to disease in exchange for celebrating festivities.

1) Don’t go in intending to overeat: Thanksgiving is one day: it is not a season. Although you may have to go to multiple locations during the day or over a weekend, you can’t blame Thanksgiving for two weeks of overeating and pigging out on pies for days on end. Set your intention before you go or before you prepare your food that you will enjoy your meal, but will eat until you are COMFORTABLY satisfied.

2) Eat healthy first: Fill your plate with vegetables and turkey breast before you load on the dressing, ambrosia, mashed potatoes and pie.

3) Be aware of triggers: if you are actively working to control your nutrition, to lose weight or control your blood sugar, be aware of what might set you off. Being around family can easily throw someone into old behavior patterns from eating 3 pieces of your mom’s pecan pie, to fighting with your brothers- even if you are an adult. Think about what situations are challenging for you to bring awareness and mindfulness to your choices. Don’t let the pie manipulate you!

4) Bring a dish: bring something that you know is on your meal plan that you know you can eat and still feel good when you are done. You may want to ask your host first what you can contribute. Maybe a healthy sweet potato dish, fresh steamed green beans with almond sliver and cranberries, or a great tasting desert alternative. I bring a lot of hummus and vegetables to potluck events in case there aren’t a lot of other things I can eat. I know I can fill up on that while sampling some other items too.

5) Carry snacks and water: Keep raw almonds in your purse or car and carry your water bottle with you. Preparation is the best defense of mindless eating.

6) Be kind to yourself: Go in with a plan, but let yourself enjoy the holiday. If you do overindulge, don’t beat yourself up. Just move on and make better choices as you go forward. Remember that the best way to improve your life is to think from a growth perspective rather than a negative, fix yourself mindset. Keep working toward your goals to grow and expand your greatness, not to “fix” something that is wrong with you. Take time to be grateful and truly thankful for your health (even if it needs to be improved), your family (even if they are annoying), and your ability to take charge of your life and your actions (even if chocolate pie is luring you).

Wishing you and your family good health and wellbeing in this holiday season.

Contact me at [email protected] if you need suggestions for healthy recipes. Visit my website: www.lizjones.co for ideas for healthier versions of cocktails too!

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

I will always tell people how grateful I am for my education. Completing my degrees has been one of the most impactful accomplishments of my life.  I finished both my undergraduate (communication and writing) and master’s degree (Organizational Leadership & Strategic Management) at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota.  As with all blessings in life, St. Kates came into my life at just the right time, when I needed it most.  I was a single mom, raising my son from the time I was eighteen years old.  I had dropped out of high school at sixteen, my senior year.  At seventeen I found myself working as a cashier in Osco Drug in Great Falls, Montana and pregnant.  I decided to head back to Wisconsin and was able to complete my High School Equivalency Degree (HSED) to be able to graduate by the time I was eighteen, with my newborn son by my side.

I worked in various jobs, cocktail waitressing, modeling, and doing office work. I worked in a truck stop waiting tables and cashiering.  I knew that I needed to do more with my life, more for our lives.  At twenty-one, I was accepted into the state university and began college as an art major and dance minor because it was the only thing I knew I was good at.  I went to school full-time and worked full-time, all while raising my son as a toddler.  There were many times that he ended up going to class with me because I didn’t have, or couldn’t afford, a babysitter that day.  For two and a half years I did my best to keep all the balls in the air.  I went from an art major, to a journalism major, to a business major.  Eventually I burned out, I think it was calculus and lack of support that finally did me in.

Even the couple years of college I had completed helped me to find better and better jobs, but I knew I needed to finish my degree and do more. I had always had a burning desire to help people and knew I could make a bigger difference.

It was then I found St. Kate’s weekend college program. I was able to work full-time during the weekdays and go to school full-time on the weekends. And most importantly to raise my son and provide a better life for us.  After finishing my undergraduate degree, I decided to take only a few months off and continue on for my master’s degree.  I decided to go into the MAOL program, the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership.  The purpose of the MAOL program, which is very similar to an MBA, but with the intention to, “engage the heart, mind and spirit of an organization—its people,” as well as creating graduates who, “will be fully prepared to create effective change within their companies and industries at large.”  I knew that was the path for me.  We learned to be effective, ethical and enduring leaders in my program at St. Kate’s.  With my education and growing experience in volunteerism, women’s studies, and leadership in organizations, I was able to set forth on my path to make a difference.

I mentored teen moms and volunteered for domestic abuse programs and went from working as a Customer Service Manager to eventually becoming an Executive Director in Domestic Abuse programs. I worked with personal training clients and taught yoga around my full-time job.  I taught classes and developed women’s self-esteem and empowerment workshops.  I wanted to incorporate holistic wellness and healing into the work that we did with victims of violence.  Eventually, when my son was grown and in his third year of college, I left Wisconsin to go to Dallas, Texas, with the intention of making wellness my full-time focus in my work.

I put my house in Wisconsin up for sale, packed a 17-foot U-Haul and towed my car behind it 1300 miles down to Dallas with a hundred-pound Mastiff as my only companion for the trip. I did not have a job lined up before I got to Texas, but I knew I could always whip out my bartending skills and make some money while I sought the job and the life that I was being called here to live.  I was able to personal train clients and began working at the YMCA as a wellness coach, quickly to become a membership and wellness director when the position opened.

Now, twenty- three years later, after I first was accepted into college, I am living the life that I envisioned early on. I live with the love of my life and we are a happy family, I work as a Wellness & Benefits Coordinator for the City of Mesquite, Texas and still do work as a wellness coach and personal trainer around my full-time work and I offer corporate wellness services to organizations looking for presentations and programming.  I truly believe that when we set out with purpose and intention, we will find the path we are supposed to be on.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator at the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a Certified Workplace Wellness Ambassador, writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership.  Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected] or at her website: www.lizjones.co.

This month I attended a memorial service for my friend, Dr. Tina Harris. I knew Tina from serving on the American Heart Association Mesquite Go Red board. She was an amazing woman. A mother, a wife, an active community member, a woman of faith, she touched the lives of many people, far more than I will ever know of. Tina was young, not yet reaching her 52nd birthday. Tina was a high energy, positive spirit who lit up the room. She was someone who fought for women’s health and served her community. She was a genuine example of servant leadership. And she had breast cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I dedicate this article to Tina. She is a reminder that no matter how healthy a life we live, how active we are, how positive and upbeat, we are still at risk. Breast cancer can affect everyone. Early detection is one of the best things that we can do to find and fight abnormal cells. Mammograms are, to date, the best way for us to do that along with monthly self-exams.

Breast cancer facts (http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org)
• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.
• Each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.
• Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year.

According to Johns Hopkins Medical, some genetic risk factors are gender, age, race, family history, dense breast tissue, menstrual and reproductive cycle, as well as previously having other cancers and mutations in certain genes. Caucasian women over the age of 55 are at highest risk, before entering in the other genetic risk factors. Other risk factors that you can change are: lack of physical activity, poor diet, being overweight or obese, drinking alcohol, radiation therapy and certain hormone replacement therapies have been shown to increase your risk. These factors are all you can do something about. Discuss these risks with your doctor, get your annual exam including a mammogram, and take the lifestyle steps to reduce your risk.

Not everyone that has breast cancer has these risk factors. 75% of all women who get breast cancer have no known risk factor. There is still much work to be done and much more research needed to find a cure. So grab your sister, your mother, your aunt or your wife and remind them to get their annual mammogram every year after the age of 40, earlier if they are at higher risk determined by their doctor. If you are a woman, set a reminder to do your self-exam every month and take preventative measures to guard your health.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

Yesterday Wayne Dyer, my favorite author, passed away on to his next adventure. He was the author of “Your Erroneous Zones,” “The Wisdom of the Tao,” “Invisible Force,” and a couple dozen other books. I said to my friend Teri, who is one of my “soul-sisters” how much it sucked when one of your heroes dies. But as I thought about it more, I know that he did not want to be a hero, he just was. He was someone that millions of people felt a spiritual connection with, even if they had never met him. So, he was not my hero- he was one of my tribe though, a soul-sibling. Dr. Dyer had a profound impact on my life, with his wise words and calm nature, I read his books every chance that I had and many of his books helped me to focus my life on the things that are important to me. Every time I was scanning past PBS and saw that one of his specials was on, I’d click to the channel, even if I had seen the broadcast a dozen times. Although we are all on a life-long journey, and are always a work-in-progress, I feel as if my life is very different than it may have been, in part because of his teaching. One of his lessons that sticks with me the most is to be free from the need for approval from others. To really be yourself and to know that in each moment you are as you should be.

As an author he inspires me to write. I’ve been working on a book proposal for the past two years for Hay House, which publishes many of his books, and I always thought that maybe someday I would be able to present with Dr. Dyer. I will always feel as if there is a small part of him in much of my writing, and that I know that I need to keep writing. Writers write. Pretty simple wisdom. Knowing that writing and connecting with other people is how to do my part to help the world.

When I turn to today’s passage in his book “The Invisible Force,” it states:

Within you is an infinite, passionate soul that wishes to express itself. It’s the God within you, urging you to fulfill a deep sense of what you were meant to be.

Somehow I know that was meant for me.

Wayne Dyer emulated all that we should seek in life. Happiness. Contentment. Compassion. Even during times of struggle, he taught us that we choose our lives, we create our destiny. Focus your attention on what you want more of. Love other people, even when they are annoying. Many times the less lovable someone is being, the more they need to be loved.

The world has lost a great man, but Eternity has gained an amazing soul. I’d like to think his spirit somehow lives on in those of us whose lives he touched. Namaste Wayne Dyer, you were truly the human representation of the Divine in all of us.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].