Healthy Dish with the Divas

February 19, 2016

“Increase in me the WISDOM to discover my truest interests, then STRENGTHEN my resolution to PERFORM that which wisdom dictates.” - Dr. Tilli (NYNY Brunch DC 2016)

On February 6, 2016, Divas, MPH hosted its annual New Year, New You Brunch in Washington, DC and Atlanta, and simply put, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

Divas, MPH hosts an array of “Experiences” that empower women to achieve and maintain total health and wellness for themselves, their families, and their community.  For the past 7 years, the New Year, New You Brunch has gathered like-minded women throughout the community to EMPOWER, ENCOURAGE & MOTIVATE women to live a life of purpose! This year’s theme Pathways to Purpose: The Power of You was designed to help women (re)discover their passion and follow their path to purpose in the new year.  Each year the brunch features creative, thought provoking, and timely exercises to help ignite their vision for a life fulfilled. A new twist to this year’s brunch was an inspiring panel of women with diverse backgrounds who shared their truth on how they discovered and made strides towards their purpose. During the brunch, attendees were encouraged to reflect on their accomplishments, network and build relationships, and set goals while supporting each other in the process.

“The Divas, MPH Annual New Year, New You brunch never disappoints. I enjoyed all aspects of the brunch from the soul stirring exercises to the fellowship with like-minded women. Thank you for helping me on my Pathway to Purpose!”

The New Year, New You Brunch, held at Smith Commons (DC) and Brio Tuscan Grille Buckhead (ATL), provided an intimate atmosphere to support real and engaging purposeful conversations, which is needed for this Divas, MPH experience.

DYNAMIC PANEL OF DIVAS

“Don’t let anyone talk you into anything...you have to do what you LOVE!” – Linda Pearl Fils-AIme (NYNY Brunch ATL 2016)

Jasmine Simms (Scrub Nail Boutique), Dr. Tilli Williams (Naturopathic Physician), Justine Love (Community/Public Affairs CBS Radio Washington, DC), Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford (DeKalb County Health Director, Tiffani Phelps (Fly-Chicks), V. Taybron (SaVor V), Linda Pearl Fils-Aime (A Lady Named Pearl Academy) were the DC and ATL panelists.  The awesome panel of women showed up, showed out and provided attendees a blessing of knowledge!

“Be dedicated to your change” – Jasmine Simms (NYNY Brunch DC 2016)

All of these Divas spoke from their own unique journey discussing their pain, trials and tribulations, and successes while empowering and encouraging women that “The road to your purpose and passion is not a straight line. It’s about the journey”.  Each were a light of inspiration and dynamic love.

“The activities and speakers allowed me to be more thoughtful and intentional in finding and executing my purpose.”

“This year’s NYNY brunch was AMAZING!”

Divas, MPH hopes that the women who attended the event and followed on social media were able to Be Empowered and gain new perspectives on their Pathway to Purpose! May your 2016 be full of purpose!

“Our gifts help move the universe FORWARD”

See you at the next Divas, MPH Experience!

Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Well.

Ahhh, Faith Walk Fridays (#FWF) is back like it never left along with me, Diva E!  We have so much catching up to do….

Well we made it through the 1st quarter of 2014! Since we didn’t get a chance to chat at the beginning of the year, I wanted to provide you with some tools to remain spiritually healthy in the remaining 3 quarters of 2014. 

Earlier this week I went for a run on the trail by my house. This is usually my time to clear my head, release frustrations, and talk to God. I’m normally in my zone while running, but this particular day I slowed my pace and started paying close attention to the signs along the trail. Then that Aha moment hit me and I said to myself, “Look at God”!  He led me to begin applying the signs to my faith walk.

1.      Safety First

In the 1st #FWF post, we talked about how life is not a cake walk, but a faith walk.  Life will not be full of frosting and sprinkles every day.  Tests and trials will come your way.  Whether it’s an old relationship calling you at 2am, losing a job, a failed business, health challenges or conflict with friends, there will be bumps along the way.  It’s so easy to allow those things to defeat us. “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm” (Ephesians 6:13 NLT). Take time to read Ephesians 6:10-20.  The Armor of God is a great metaphor for action we need to take in our spiritual lives. The protection of God allows us to be victorious in all that we do.  Arm yourself daily with God’s Word… safety first!

2.      Warning Signs

Traffic signals are designed to facilitate the safe movement of cars to avoid collisions. In our daily faith walk, God also gives us “warning” signs to prevent life collisions. We may not understand in that moment, but the warnings are revealed to us for a reason. God is typically asking us to do something:

1.      Stop – It’s time to make some changes in your life

2.      Caution- Reevaluate certain things and people in your life. It may be time to change directions. This is not the time to rush through the warning sign.

3.      Go –It’s time to ACT. Don’t be idle.  Move forward with boldness!

“Sometime it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.” (Proverbs 20:30 GNB) Avoid some of life’s painful experiences and obey the warning signs, rather than ignore them!

3.      Dreams > Mountains

May your dreams be bigger than your mountains… 

We all know that in our faith walk we will have mountains to climb.  If you walked with God long enough, you know that the climb may be tough, but reaching that mountain top is a great place to be.  We don’t always understand why God gives us certain mountains, but have faith in knowing that God has a plan for your life. His light is shining down on you every step of the way.  Don’t let a mountain deter you from your dreams.  There will be days where you want to give up and days full of tears.  “But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears” (Psalms 18:6 NLT). What an awesome God we serve that he hears each one of our cries.  Each cry is unique to Him.  He knows your name Diva.  He has not forgotten about you. You’ve come too far too quit. Climb to your destiny where God is waiting for you with open arms!

Challenge:  For the month of April, I challenge you start your day armed with God’s Word and prayer.  It can be as simple as reading a devotion or the scripture of the day. But don’t go into battle without protecting yourself first!  Next begin reflecting on different areas of your life and think about some warning signs you may have ignored.  And lastly, face each day with boldness!  Remember your dream is bigger than your mountain!

Be Prepared. Be Aware. Be Victorious.

In Love,

This past week, families and friends gathered together to give thanks and count their blessings.  It’s not difficult to express our gratitude when we are sitting around the table celebrating, but what happens when the turkey and dressing are gone and you return back to work?  Does your gratitude turn back into complaints?

My best friend and I were talking (or should I say complaining to each other) a few weeks ago and realized that we complain quite frequently. Just never satisfied!  I began to wonder how others see us.  Do they see us as women of God who complain about our jobs, our finances, our spouses or lack thereof, our weight, etc?  Do they believe we truly appreciate God? I mean how great is our God if all we do is complain?

It’s so easy to get caught up in complaining, but we often do it without realizing how it weakens us, and destroys our relationships with others and most importantly with God.  The Bible says in Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves].”  The Bible doesn’t say do some things or a few things, but do ALL things.  No it’s not easy, but remember some of the very things you are complaining about you were once asking God for and someone else is praying for.  Give Thanks, Not Complaints!

The last Faith Walk Friday discussed the importance of trusting God’s Timing.  Complaints begin to flow from our hearts when we believe that things are not going the way we think they should be going.  Remember that God doesn’t operate through complaining, but through faith. Hebrews 11:6 says “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Give Thanks, Not Complaints!

As we continue to strengthen our faith walk, we must have an attitude of gratitude and learn to stop the grumbling. Instead of complaining and focusing our attention on the things we don’t have, let’s start confessing and thanking God for what we do have and what He will provide. Give Thanks, Not Complaints!

Of course we are not going to be happy about every circumstance and will be dissatisfied with certain things and people, but it’s important to remember that we serve a God who is able to do  exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Let’s agree that we will not entertain complaining. When you find yourself complaining begin to pray and meditate on God’s Word.  Start speaking words of faith to empower you.  Remember that “death and life are in the power of the tongue”.  Don’t let negativity anchor in your heart, but allow thanksgiving to flow through you all year long.  Give Thanks, Not Complaints!

Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Thankful.

The last time we were together, I had just found out that my ovarian gas tank so to speak was almost out of gas and the reserve light had come on.  You know when your reserve light comes on in your car, you immediately make a plan to refuel.  The only problem is that with the ovarian gas tank there is no opportunity to refuel.  See when we become of age and start our menstrual cycle, we have all the eggs we will ever have and once they are gone, they’re GONE.  So when the reserve light came on, I had to take action and fast.  I had to make a decision of whether or not the cost and risk (there are no guarantees) of freezing my eggs were factors I was willing to absorb and accept for a chance to realize one of my dreams – the husband, the kid(s) – my biological babies, and the house with the yard and white picket fence. 

After researching the costs, which ranged anywhere from 10-15k, reflecting on what was important to me, coming to grips that this was only an opportunity for me to have my own kids and not a guarantee and having some serious talks with God, I made the decision to move forward with trying to get whatever eggs were left in the tank and freeze them for future use.  Of course, I wished I was at a place where freezing was not necessary and I could try to get pregnant but I am not there yet so I had to do what I could to protect the desires of my heart.  During this time of contemplation, I held onto words my cousin once mentioned to me – she said God would not place the desire in your heart if He did not plan to fulfill it in some way.  It says it in His word:

Psalms 37: 3-5

…3Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

4Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.…

Matthew 7:8

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

To me egg freezing was me taking the steps necessary to knock on the door allowing myself the best opportunity for it to be opened.  A few days later, I was back at the doctor’s sharing my decision to move forward with the process. She was excited that I was moving forward but shared with me that based on my current reproductive health status – several large endometriomas – I was going to have to go through some pretty serious pre-work before we could start the process.

In my next post, I will share the #ovareaction assignment and the work I had to do before I could even reach the starting line.

PS:  If you have any comments or questions regarding my journey, please leave a comment or email me at [email protected].

From My Womb to Yours,

One of the biggest challenges in our #FaithWalk is trusting God’s timing. Why is it so difficult for us to wait on Him? We trust Him to keep a roof over our head, clothes on our back, and food on the table, but yet when things don’t happen in OUR timing we begin to question Him? We usually ask the following questions:

Why have you forsaken me?

What did I do wrong?

Why Me?

Do you hear me?

Does that sound like you?

If we were to really be real about things, it’s really a lack of faith. That’s a difficult pill to swallow especially when we are in church every Sunday, praying and reading God’s Word regularly, and posting faith quotes to IG daily. *on Instagram straight flexin* We want our friends to believe that we have it all together and that we trust God fully, but when we get behind closed doors and before God we are of little faith.

Do you not trust God’s Game Plan for your life? As the starting quarterback of our lives, we often get in this game called life and become impatient with the head coach and want to start calling our own plays. We want God to trust that we know how to get into the end zone. The Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him; And He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s Game Plan may look like a bunch of X’s and O’s to you, but remember His thoughts are not our thoughts and neither our His ways our ways. God has studied the enemy and has identified your strengths and weaknesses. We must take comfort in knowing that God sees the WHOLE picture and not just a snapshot of what we see at the moment. That means God is working things out all around us that we don’t even see and that takes TIME!

It’s easier to say we trust God, than it is to actually trust God. We say, “Lord I trust you and your will for my life. I only want what you have for me.” Then we turn around and say:

But God, when will it be my turn?

But God, when will I meet my husband?

But why do you keep blessing her, and not me?

Have you noticed that when we rush God to fit our plans and timing it ends in a big mess? Then we want to say “Oh God is just testing me”. No, God was trying to prevent us from this mess and now we are expecting Him to clean it up. When we say we trust God, we can’t add “but” into the equation. Rest, Diva! That’s what God wants us to do. There is nothing more refreshing than to sit in God’s presence and seek Him and draw closer to Him. It’s in these moments when we grow and increase our faith and learn to TRUST HIM completely.

If you are seeking God for something in your life right now and are having trouble with trusting His timing, take some time out of your day today (and everyday) and sit in His Presence. Don’t question Him, don’t beg Him, don’t bargain with Him, but just Be Still. Tell God you TRUST Him and then WAIT for Him to move. “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30.21).

Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Patient.

So the last time we were together in the blogosphere, I shared with you the conversation my Reproductive Endocrinologist had with me about considering freezing my eggs since I was a single, thirty-something, with no prospect of love in sight.  Since I wanted to have kids of my own, she suggested that we check my ovarian reserve by checking my Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) levels.  Before I left the office that day in October 2012, she sent me to the lab to have my blood drawn.  I was told to call the office in 2-3 days for the results. 

This was a lot for me to take in…you see I spent my whole teens and twenties trying not to get pregnant and now I was going to find out if I even had any eggs left to conceive in my thirties.  3 days passed, 3 weeks passed, even 3 months had passed and I never called the office back for my results.  I believe I was in some sort of denial – I felt at that time that I did not want to know whether or not my egg level was on E. 

Every since my very first surgery back in 2006, I knew it would be harder for me to get pregnant on my own and I think I had come to terms with the fact that IVF was in my future but to face the potential reality that there may not be any of my own eggs to use stirred up more emotions, a #ovareaction.

Questions I often ask myself:

Why me?

What did I do to deserve this?

Is God punishing me?

Thoughts I have…

I have accomplished much but it seems like the one thing I want, a family, seems to be so far out of reach

Am I still woman enough

I was afraid that if I found out the test results some of these questions and thoughts would play out in my head and I didn’t know if I could handle it.  So I stalled – no #ovareaction.

The blessing in disguise is that at that same visit back in October 2012, my doctor also gave me an ultrasound to see if I had any cysts.  Upon review, she saw a few small ones and asked that I come back in about 6 months to have them rechecked. 

Fast forward to May 2013, I walk into the office for my follow-up.  She asks how am I doing and I tell her that I never called back for my AMH results.  She looks at me and says “What?!?!” and immediately pulls up the results on her computer. 

My AMH level was 0.7.  A normal AMH level for a woman my age is anywhere from 1.0 – 4.0 which meant I was well below normal levels and it was time to make a decision regarding my next steps.  Before I left the office that day, she suggests that I have another AMH test taken and gives me an information packet on oocyte cryopreservation otherwise known as egg freezing.

I walked out the office super sad and feeling less than a woman.  I now had the pleasure of telling my mom, who happened to be in town that week, that we had another hurdle that we were going to have to jump in my reproductive health journey.

Make sure you come back to find out the next step in my #ovareaction

Oh my Divas, how I’ve missed thee…that’s right Diva T, the hash tag queen as I am sometimes referred to (i.e. #deathtothemuffintop), is back.  Hold up…let me switch to my professional voice for a few seconds to introduce myself.  I am Tennille Daniels, a co-founder of Divas, MPH, who currently serves as the co-chair of the Finance & Development team. I have had the distinct pleasure and honor to watch Divas, MPH be born, grow, become stagnant, and now have new life injected into the organization with our new leadership team which you have met via this blog during the month of September.  

As we enter Chapter 4 of the Divas, MPH story, we find a 32 year old woman who has had reproductive health issues for the past 7 years who is entering a new slightly uncomfortable phase in her reproductive health journey. This part of the story chronicles her #Ovareaction – her is she and she is ME – I am Tennille 4 Reproductive Health.

In 2006, after experiencing severe stomach pains and other symptoms it was determined that I had two large ovarian cysts growing inside of me. Upon the recommendation of my physician, they had to be removed immediately. 

I remember having my mother drive me to Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC for what was supposed to be about a 2-3 hour surgery to have the cysts removed.  They put me to sleep and the next thing I know it was 7 hours later and I was shivering cold coming out of surgery being wheeled into a hospital room. The next day the doctor came in and told me that the surgery turned out to be more complicated than originally anticipated and that in the process of removing the cysts, it was determined that I had endometriosis.

Reproductive Health Lesson: The Mayo Clinic defines Endometriosis (en-doe-me-tree-O-sis) as an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus (endometrial implant). Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, bowel or the tissue lining your pelvis. Rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond your pelvic region.

In endometriosis, displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would — it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Because this displaced tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped. When endometriosis involves the ovaries, cysts called endometriomas may form. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, eventually developing scar tissue and adhesions — abnormal tissue that binds organs together.  Click here to learn more about endometriosis.

Since that surgery in 2006, I have been closely monitoring my endometriosis.

On Election Day 2008, I woke up, voted for Barack and headed to the hospital for another surgery.  The purpose of this surgery was to remove more endometriomas because my physician at the time could not tell if the growths were cancerous or not.  Thank God they turned out to be benign.

Side Note: One thing to note as we move forward in this discussion is that endometriosis can have an impact on a women’s ability to conceive naturally.

Fast forward to October 2012….

After moving to a Chicago in February 2012, I finally found time to see a new doctor and discuss my reproductive health history and the plan to monitor my condition. Granted by this time I am now 31 years old with no prospect in the love and marriage department and one of the first questions she asks me is if I want to have kids some day.  I say yes and she begins to share with me my options, one of which was to do nothing and let the cards play out as they may and another was to explore egg freezing. Stay tuned 4 my #Ovareaction!

PS: I am excited to announce the launch of my bi-weekly Divas, MPH blog feature, #Ovareaction, to share with you my reproductive health journey.  My hope is that by sharing my story we can learn together, laugh together, and maybe even cry together.

From My Womb To Yours,

Greetings!! My name is Shaconna. I started as a volunteer with Divas, MPH because I believed in the mission and was thrilled to support the founders – a group of talented young women dedicated to making a positive impact on the health of the people living in their community. Currently, I serve as a Board member on the Program and Priorities Committee. Along with Janesia, we oversee program policy and planning.

As I celebrate another birthday on September 28th, I am quickly approaching another decade of this journey called life. Why am I 4 wellness? I am 4 wellness because it is the only way I know to defy the hands of time. I love when people are in utter disbelief when I share my age. They say “gurl, you have good genes.” I respond “genes are part of it but really it is because of nutritious foods and regular exercise that keeps me looking young and energetic.”

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, we need to do two types of physical activity a few times each week to improve our health–aerobic and muscle-strengthening. I know you are saying, “I simply do not have the time to exercise. I just can’t fit it into my schedule.” The truth is you can’t afford not to fit it into your schedule. Exercise not only keeps you looking and feeling young but it also aids in preventing many diseases. Prevention is far less time consuming and less costly then treatment.

I incorporate all different forms of exercise into my life but recently I’ve started running again. To challenge myself and ensure I stay consistent I’ve joined Black Girls Run. In addition to meeting wonderful new sole-sisters, I have an amazing set of accountability partners. When the alarm clock rings at 5:00 AM, I know I can’t hit the snooze button because I have a fabulous running partner that I don’t want to disappoint.  My challenge for the month of October will be to increase my cardio by running 10 miles a week.

As we age, every woman has a part of her body that she wishes she could change. Stop complaining and critiquing God’s work. Simply take care of the body that you were blessed with by exercising and eating healthy. Let’s challenge ourselves to be the healthiest, youthful, vivacious self we can be!

My name is Sharnikya Howard and I serve as Membership Relations Co-Chair for the Divas, MPH Board of Directors. I joined Divas, MPH because I fully support the vision to “educate, empower, and mobilize women to create healthy communities.”

 I am “4 Wellness” –Serve and be well…

Hi, I am Alexis and I am co-Director of Communications and Outreach. Our team is responsible for keeping our fans and followers connected to Divas, MPH (DMPH). Without our fans, followers and volunteers, DMPH would not be what it is today.

Just this year, I joined the National Leadership Board of Divas. Prior to serving in my current role, I was a volunteer and attendee of the organization’s events and programs. When I think of DMPH the word “inspire” comes to mind. I joined this organization because it inspires women to learn about total health and wellness and to take that knowledge and spread it to their families and communities.

Within the last 6 months, significant changes have occurred in my life, including why I am 4 wellness. Over the last several months, my body and my mind have gone through changes that I have NEVER EVER experienced in my life! With being 6 months pregnant with twins…I am 4 Prenatal Wellness.

I actually knew I was pregnant before I confirmed it; I had that instant feeling when it happened so I was not too surprised when it was confirmed. However, when my husband and I went for our first sonogram, I was completely shocked—literally I was in a state of shock and could not speak for 10 minutes when the tech informed us we were having twins.

In the first few weeks of my pregnancy, my main focus was my nervousness of being able to handle twins and being the best mom ever. As my body started to change so did my focus. My focus became prenatal wellness. I began to realize that I am now responsible for two little boys who although are not born yet, count on me for everything. In order for them to be healthy, I have to remain healthy and provide them with the nutrients they need to grow. I have to be more cautious than ever about the type of food I eat. I had to learn what I can and cannot eat while pregnant. I had to give up foods that I love—it’s so hard not eating cold turkey sandwiches from Subway. I crave a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onions, lots of mayo, mustard, oil and vinegar and pepper! I know that eating that cold sandwich could harm the babies so every time I pass a Subway, I look the other way. I love my babies more than a turkey sandwich so I have to sacrifice my wants for my children.

As an adult, I have never been a drinker of fluids-water, juice, and soda (which I rarely drink anyway). Even when I would get sick and was instructed by my doctor to “drink lots of fluids,” it was something that I could never do. Everyone knows that pregnant women HAVE to stay hydrated by drinking lots and lots and lots of water. It has been a daily struggle for me to make sure I am drinking enough water but I am determined to shove water down my throat!

I am embarrassed to say that while I am a strong advocate for health and wellness, I do not like to exercise. The word exercise is not a part of my vocabulary. I would rather sit in 4 hours of rush-hour traffic than to exercise. Yes, it is really that bad! I have had to come to the realization that I have to exercise while I am pregnant. I cannot just eat, gain weight and sit on the couch or lie in the bed throughout the entire pregnancy and not exercise. I have had so many issues because my body has not been reacting well to the pregnancy. There have been days when I could barely move my body. I cannot let my pain or lack of energy become excuses for not exercising. I struggle in each prenatal yoga class to focus on my breathing and being in the moment because I am too busy trying to keep my balance. However, I know that me being there and trying is a start!

Being pregnant has not been as rosy for me as most people make it seem. It has been challenging in more than enough ways but I would not EVER trade it for anything in the world! I cannot wait for December 2013 when I will finally get to meet my two sons ;)