Starting September 1, 2010, I'm attempting to highlight one performance art video from Youtube or other video services, gleaning from lesser-known yet talented people. In my quest to help artists get the notice they deserve, each video will bring you a little something special to brighten your day.
Here's a cultural mashup dance I found in Seattle. There was little other information provided other the than the title, Dance This Seattle 5 (please contact for more thorough credits):
Know a performance artist that deserves a little more airplay? Please forward video clip links or tips to info@HipsForHire.com.
Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
 |
| Rubberbands secure the hair for shipping |
Two hours later, I returned to Pho Fuchia, reordering the lunch they had to waste. One of the waitresses looked at me hard, then said, "Wait, didn't you have long hair a few hours ago?" I showed her the bag of hair, ready to mail to Wigs For Kids, and she teared up.
"Can you give me the address so I can donate my hair too?" she asked. A year ago, her mother passed away from cancer, and she had been looking for a way she could honor her mother's memory.
It's only been a few hours, and though I feel lighter and freer, there is a loss in cutting off what feels like a woman's pride to grow her hair long. Still, I will tell anyone who can grow their hair for the minimum 12 inches required, it is a deep honor to be able to do something like this. I hope you'll join me if you can, or send a donation to WigsforKids.org. [Addendum: I have raised four people who have committed to doing the same thing. Will you join us? Email me at videonurse@me.com, or leave a comment below, and I will give you support to help you change someone else's life, helping a child be him or herself with confidence].
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Gnomedex Recap from the n00b (coming soon!)
I hope you've been following my tweets on HipsforHire on Twitter, and seeing why a performance artist and healthcare advocate might be so interested in technology and its ability to change the world.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Ready, Set, Bag! Comes To The Seattle Area
Bag It: Documentary Film “Ready, Set, Bag!
Follow on Twitter @HipsForHire
Follow on Facebook ImeiYogaDance
Pixar CTO and Independent film Executive Producer Oren Jacob’s got it in the bag, and the bag is making its way to your town.
In Jacob’s independent film, “Ready, Set, Bag!”, eight contestants train and compete to win the National Grocery Bagging Competition, and the film shows us what a serious competition it is, while raising money for meals as the film travels across the nation.
Jacob’s reached out to Chris Pirillo and the Lockergnome community because of Pirillo’s general love of food, as well as his work in Social Media circles. Pirillo knew I would snap up the chance to share with you how to feed yourself and feed others in your town.
Here’s why you should go see this movie. In a statement released by Jacobs:
We support food banks everywhere we go and we've already funded
over4,500 meals so far in a few special event screenings in the Bay
Area this past winter. Now, as we take the film out across the country,
there's the opportunity to fund 100,000 meals or even many more,
depending on how well we do. We donate 100% of all ad revenue from
www.readysetbag.blip.tv.
Ready, Set, Bag! is the first movie to sign a deal with Groupon. Seattle area people on the Groupon mailing list should receive a coupon good for two tickets and a large popcorn (plus a free reusable shopping bag), all for $16. Groupon coupons are very time-limited (released on July 25, 2010), so be sure to pick up your coupons and make plans to see the movie quickly.
One of the cool aspects of this film is how theatres and the filmmaker are collaborating to not only sell tickets, but to provide money to local food banks where the film is being shown. It’s the ultimate kind of “feel good” movie that lets you do good at the same time.
I’m equally impressed at how Jacobs is using Social Media tools such as Facebook to identify venues that support his film and his cause. Viewers of the Groupon coupon are encouraged to follow this film on Twitter and Facebook, and people’s interest about the film is growing since it was marketed earlier in the Bay Area. In Seattle, the film can be seen at Central Cinema.
In the Seattle area, I already noticed a sign at PCC announcing their bagging competition coming August 20-21, while the movie is still making the rounds in Seattle and Bellingham. Maybe you’ll be inspired to do some bagging yourself. And if you do, Jacobs wants you to take up a challenge by filming yourself. This is the one case where baggery has nothing to do with being a douche.
B. Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC is a nurse psychotherapist, dance artist, fitness instructor, and occasional guest blogger for Lockergnome. When she isn’t shopping at PCC for organic food, she’s usually up to no good (or just walking like she’s up to no good). She lives in Seattle, WA, and is impatiently waiting for her iPhone 4.
Follow on Twitter @HipsForHire
Follow on Facebook ImeiYogaDance
Pixar CTO and Independent film Executive Producer Oren Jacob’s got it in the bag, and the bag is making its way to your town.
In Jacob’s independent film, “Ready, Set, Bag!”, eight contestants train and compete to win the National Grocery Bagging Competition, and the film shows us what a serious competition it is, while raising money for meals as the film travels across the nation.
Jacob’s reached out to Chris Pirillo and the Lockergnome community because of Pirillo’s general love of food, as well as his work in Social Media circles. Pirillo knew I would snap up the chance to share with you how to feed yourself and feed others in your town.
Here’s why you should go see this movie. In a statement released by Jacobs:
We support food banks everywhere we go and we've already funded
over4,500 meals so far in a few special event screenings in the Bay
Area this past winter. Now, as we take the film out across the country,
there's the opportunity to fund 100,000 meals or even many more,
depending on how well we do. We donate 100% of all ad revenue from
www.readysetbag.blip.tv.
Ready, Set, Bag! is the first movie to sign a deal with Groupon. Seattle area people on the Groupon mailing list should receive a coupon good for two tickets and a large popcorn (plus a free reusable shopping bag), all for $16. Groupon coupons are very time-limited (released on July 25, 2010), so be sure to pick up your coupons and make plans to see the movie quickly.
One of the cool aspects of this film is how theatres and the filmmaker are collaborating to not only sell tickets, but to provide money to local food banks where the film is being shown. It’s the ultimate kind of “feel good” movie that lets you do good at the same time.
I’m equally impressed at how Jacobs is using Social Media tools such as Facebook to identify venues that support his film and his cause. Viewers of the Groupon coupon are encouraged to follow this film on Twitter and Facebook, and people’s interest about the film is growing since it was marketed earlier in the Bay Area. In Seattle, the film can be seen at Central Cinema.
In the Seattle area, I already noticed a sign at PCC announcing their bagging competition coming August 20-21, while the movie is still making the rounds in Seattle and Bellingham. Maybe you’ll be inspired to do some bagging yourself. And if you do, Jacobs wants you to take up a challenge by filming yourself. This is the one case where baggery has nothing to do with being a douche.
B. Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC is a nurse psychotherapist, dance artist, fitness instructor, and occasional guest blogger for Lockergnome. When she isn’t shopping at PCC for organic food, she’s usually up to no good (or just walking like she’s up to no good). She lives in Seattle, WA, and is impatiently waiting for her iPhone 4.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Ten Years of Bellydance: Orchestrating Emotion
This summer marks my tenth year since I started belly dance. The most common question I get (besides "How do you balance that sword on your head?") is, "Why did you decide to learn belly dance?" It's a valid question, but I also know this question comes with an a certain amount of curiosity about how a Chinese girl picked up a Middle Eastern folkloric dance as a passion.
The story: in 2000, I graduated from my second Master's degree program at nearly the same time a very important relationship with a troubled man was put on hold. My own personal suffering translated into physical illness. I ate and slept so poorly, my doctor recommended that I find something more gentle to do than running and aerobics for exercise (I had lost approximately 25 pounds in two months).
Picking up a Discover U catalog for Seattle-area classes, I flipped through it, looking for "something" that seemed interesting. I didn't know I was looking for belly dance, though I had been exposed to Lebanese belly dancing while on a tour of Israel a few years earlier. One of the Discover U class offerings was belly dance with Yasmine, who I would later find out was not only a dancer but a musician as well. With a few group classes, Yasmine encouraged me to consider belly dance as "your dance"; that is, she felt that I took naturally to it. I must admit, being a musician has its advantages: zill playing was a bit easier for me than the average beginner.
Imei, celebrating 10 years of belly dance, and different styles of dance
People ask me where I get my ideas for choreography. Certainly, all of us learn from someone, and we borrow their moves as it suits us. Later, we learn to listen to the music, playing with variations of how those shapes and emotions might look when in motion and facial expressions. Finally, we create, film, observe, perform, and elicit feedback, constantly working to refine the feelings and messages we wish to send to the audience with each piece.
Sabura once wrote an email with a piece of advice I have taken to heart over the years. She reminded me that it didn't matter so much what movement I did in a choreography, as long as it perfectly expressed the emotion of the music in which it occurred. If I can get an audience feeling what I feel -- longing, joy, tension, release, breath, misery, anger, confidence, comedy -- I have accomplished no small feat.
In essence, we dancers give our viewers the unique opportunity to feel what is is to embody the music itself, yet without having to move from one's chair, nor ooze a single drop of sweat. If you find yourself holding your breath, smiling, laughing, or emitting a flirty confidence from every pore in your body, you have just understood perfectly what it is to be a belly dancer: orchestrating emotions in a waterfall of pleasure
The story: in 2000, I graduated from my second Master's degree program at nearly the same time a very important relationship with a troubled man was put on hold. My own personal suffering translated into physical illness. I ate and slept so poorly, my doctor recommended that I find something more gentle to do than running and aerobics for exercise (I had lost approximately 25 pounds in two months).
Picking up a Discover U catalog for Seattle-area classes, I flipped through it, looking for "something" that seemed interesting. I didn't know I was looking for belly dance, though I had been exposed to Lebanese belly dancing while on a tour of Israel a few years earlier. One of the Discover U class offerings was belly dance with Yasmine, who I would later find out was not only a dancer but a musician as well. With a few group classes, Yasmine encouraged me to consider belly dance as "your dance"; that is, she felt that I took naturally to it. I must admit, being a musician has its advantages: zill playing was a bit easier for me than the average beginner.
Imei, celebrating 10 years of belly dance, and different styles of dance
People ask me where I get my ideas for choreography. Certainly, all of us learn from someone, and we borrow their moves as it suits us. Later, we learn to listen to the music, playing with variations of how those shapes and emotions might look when in motion and facial expressions. Finally, we create, film, observe, perform, and elicit feedback, constantly working to refine the feelings and messages we wish to send to the audience with each piece.
Sabura once wrote an email with a piece of advice I have taken to heart over the years. She reminded me that it didn't matter so much what movement I did in a choreography, as long as it perfectly expressed the emotion of the music in which it occurred. If I can get an audience feeling what I feel -- longing, joy, tension, release, breath, misery, anger, confidence, comedy -- I have accomplished no small feat.
In essence, we dancers give our viewers the unique opportunity to feel what is is to embody the music itself, yet without having to move from one's chair, nor ooze a single drop of sweat. If you find yourself holding your breath, smiling, laughing, or emitting a flirty confidence from every pore in your body, you have just understood perfectly what it is to be a belly dancer: orchestrating emotions in a waterfall of pleasure
Belly Dance At MedFest: Why We Love This Festival
I am shocked when Seattle locals who have lived here for years are surprised to hear that one of the Northwest's largest belly dance shows occurs annually every third weekend in July in the vibrant West Seattle Community.
Over 600 dancers from California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and even Alaska register for non-stop dancing over two days on two stages for the Mediterranean Fantasy Festival, hosted by the Babylonian Ensemble. Audiences are exposed to various forms of the classic as well as emerging genres of belly dance, which include steam punk, tribal fusion, goth, martial arts, hip hop, and circus elements.
Additionally, MedFest has been open to Bollywood dance, and over the past few years, I've seen a few troupes present Indian-inspired works or full-on Bollywood pieces. This year, Mollie Singh introduced Bollywood Seattle, with excerpts of three solo choreographies as well as a group number, all choreographed by Mollie.
What I love about MedFest is how the organizers never fail to attract a high-quality workshop instructor and performer. Saturday July 17 Tito Seif of Cairo, Egypt performed on the outdoor stage (video recordings were not allowed), wowing the audience with his exciting stick dance, beledi, and dance performance while balanced on a tabla.
Tito Seif is one of the world's best male bellydancers, and an exciting choreographer. His joy is infectious, and his intensity and precision inspires dancers across the globe. In terms of the level of accomplishment this man has achieved, I was only surprised that I could not find a Wiki page about him. Bet his press team is working on that, because he is surely a "notable".
If you missed out on his workshop Saturday morning, Seif is offering another choreography workshop at 6 pm Sunday July18. For more information, go to the Babylonian Ensemble website, and click on the workshops.
Last but not least, one of my favorites is back: Shoshana of Arcata, CA. Shoshana's playful use of the four-yard veil always takes my breath away. She was the first to teach me how to use my veil like a rubber band, flicking it across the room if necessary [Added: Sunday July 18 at 1:45 pm. Shoshana had to leave early, so she performed at 12:30 pm instead of the listed time of 3 pm. Here's a few photos, taken on my Vado 3rd generation camera]:
Cocooned within a transparent, over-sized veil, Shoshana shows the audience how to spin out of a web.
Did I mention the shopping? I'm not much of a shopper, so when I do shop, it's usually in binges. This year, I purchased four dresses for $65! I wasn't in need of a new costume, but there are plenty of costume vendors ready to suit you up in gorgeous glamour, whimsical skirts, and gothic tribal wear. If you don't want to depart with any hard-earned cash, do not (I repeat, do not) go anywhere near the indoor stage area where Shiny Sparkly Things is happily liberating people of their dough. I bought a pair of earrings from SST a couple of years ago, and I'm getting great mileage out of their high-quality, costume jewelry.
Hungry? Falafel sandwiches, kabobs, and non-alcoholic beverages are vended from a conveniently placed truck and grills.
All-in-all, you and your family can spend the afternoon at MedFest in this highly entertaining, vital community of dancers, musicians, fans, and people who love world music. Come and join us if you can (just don't park on Walnut Street, or you are likely to get a parking ticket), and bring a light jacket, as it is a bit chilly for mid-July.
Over 600 dancers from California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and even Alaska register for non-stop dancing over two days on two stages for the Mediterranean Fantasy Festival, hosted by the Babylonian Ensemble. Audiences are exposed to various forms of the classic as well as emerging genres of belly dance, which include steam punk, tribal fusion, goth, martial arts, hip hop, and circus elements.
Additionally, MedFest has been open to Bollywood dance, and over the past few years, I've seen a few troupes present Indian-inspired works or full-on Bollywood pieces. This year, Mollie Singh introduced Bollywood Seattle, with excerpts of three solo choreographies as well as a group number, all choreographed by Mollie.
What I love about MedFest is how the organizers never fail to attract a high-quality workshop instructor and performer. Saturday July 17 Tito Seif of Cairo, Egypt performed on the outdoor stage (video recordings were not allowed), wowing the audience with his exciting stick dance, beledi, and dance performance while balanced on a tabla.
Tito Seif is one of the world's best male bellydancers, and an exciting choreographer. His joy is infectious, and his intensity and precision inspires dancers across the globe. In terms of the level of accomplishment this man has achieved, I was only surprised that I could not find a Wiki page about him. Bet his press team is working on that, because he is surely a "notable".
If you missed out on his workshop Saturday morning, Seif is offering another choreography workshop at 6 pm Sunday July18. For more information, go to the Babylonian Ensemble website, and click on the workshops.
Last but not least, one of my favorites is back: Shoshana of Arcata, CA. Shoshana's playful use of the four-yard veil always takes my breath away. She was the first to teach me how to use my veil like a rubber band, flicking it across the room if necessary [Added: Sunday July 18 at 1:45 pm. Shoshana had to leave early, so she performed at 12:30 pm instead of the listed time of 3 pm. Here's a few photos, taken on my Vado 3rd generation camera]:
Even with a breeze, Shoshana's control makes throwing, tossing, and flicking the veil look like liquid magic.
Letting the veil follow her slightest coaxing.
Did I mention the shopping? I'm not much of a shopper, so when I do shop, it's usually in binges. This year, I purchased four dresses for $65! I wasn't in need of a new costume, but there are plenty of costume vendors ready to suit you up in gorgeous glamour, whimsical skirts, and gothic tribal wear. If you don't want to depart with any hard-earned cash, do not (I repeat, do not) go anywhere near the indoor stage area where Shiny Sparkly Things is happily liberating people of their dough. I bought a pair of earrings from SST a couple of years ago, and I'm getting great mileage out of their high-quality, costume jewelry.
Hungry? Falafel sandwiches, kabobs, and non-alcoholic beverages are vended from a conveniently placed truck and grills.
All-in-all, you and your family can spend the afternoon at MedFest in this highly entertaining, vital community of dancers, musicians, fans, and people who love world music. Come and join us if you can (just don't park on Walnut Street, or you are likely to get a parking ticket), and bring a light jacket, as it is a bit chilly for mid-July.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Seattle Nightlife Initiative
Mayor McGinn will sign the Seattle Nightlife Initiative on July 13, 2010 at the Century Ballroom to help stimulate a better and safer nightlife economy for Seattle, including flexible hours for serving liquor, more public transportation at night (yay!), and ways to deal with nighttime noise and nuisances.
School of Rock is scheduled to play two short sets to help us celebrate. A no-host bar reception will be held at Tin Table afterwards. Mayor McGinn had the press release added to his Twitter feed today.
Hips For Hire believes some of these changes will definitely be a boost to the nighttime economy and allow artists in the registry to pick up more gigs as the demand for quality performances increase. I hope to shake the hand of Mayor McGinn, and tell him how I hope this initiative will help performance artists make a better living -- and perform in safer venues! -- with the initiative going into effect.
If you plan to be there, it's at the Century Ballroom on Pike Street in Seattle, starting at 7 pm. We might be getting a bite to eat elsewhere (Boom Noodles, Mediterranean Express) to stay on the cheap yet yummy side of the food spectrum. Join us by looking for the girl in the black "geek" shirt.
School of Rock is scheduled to play two short sets to help us celebrate. A no-host bar reception will be held at Tin Table afterwards. Mayor McGinn had the press release added to his Twitter feed today.
Hips For Hire believes some of these changes will definitely be a boost to the nighttime economy and allow artists in the registry to pick up more gigs as the demand for quality performances increase. I hope to shake the hand of Mayor McGinn, and tell him how I hope this initiative will help performance artists make a better living -- and perform in safer venues! -- with the initiative going into effect.
If you plan to be there, it's at the Century Ballroom on Pike Street in Seattle, starting at 7 pm. We might be getting a bite to eat elsewhere (Boom Noodles, Mediterranean Express) to stay on the cheap yet yummy side of the food spectrum. Join us by looking for the girl in the black "geek" shirt.
Friday, July 9, 2010
iPad Geek Out: Merging tech and art
While the iPhone has already spawned several concerts composed of people using iPhones (such as the Michigan Mobile Phone Ensemble), I've been waiting to play around with apps for the iPad that would allow myself as a dancer and musician to explore sound and music while getting geeky with it.
After passing my iPad over to Chris Pirillo with the plea, "Pimp my apps," he loaded Beatwave, and later texted me with the message, "Grab Granimator now, it's free!" [unfortunately, it's not free any more]. You can see Chris demo the Granimator on his Youtube video.
Beatwave app for iPad got me thinking. Why not set up a repeating pattern based on a the principles of western music (we like resolution or resolved dissonance), and then express those patterns through movement and dance?
Here's a quick video demo of how that works (wait for the Picture-in-picture video at 1:17).
Filmed at home using a Vado. Bose speaker.
With Beatwave, you can adjust the reverb, speed, tone, and you have four "pages" to work with, creating solos or muting a page of notations. Better yet, non-musicians have a perfect picture of a matrix-style representation of your musical creation. Though there are other apps that allow you to create musical patterns using keyboards or hitting objects with your fingers, I like Beatwave's sense of almost random generation by trial and error, and then the ability to share what you created with friends. You don't have to be a musician to create some cool stuff.
I did not create the music before turning on the camera, nor should you have to tell a person how to move when s/he hears a note. None of this was choreographed. Imagine what I could do with six to 10 people, line up across a stage, while I, the maestro, keys in notes on Beatwave, and I assign a note to each dancer. I could layer two or more people to take on the chords layered by my choices. One could create an entirely spontaneous stage piece, with dancers following simple principles related to sounds assigned to them. It's like an Etch-a-Sketch, only for space and time, and geeky people like you and I.
If you liked what you just read, come join me on Twitter @HipsForHire, or friend me on Facebook ImeiYogaDance. Better yet, go on my Youtube channel YourLilChinaGirl, and leave me a comment.
After passing my iPad over to Chris Pirillo with the plea, "Pimp my apps," he loaded Beatwave, and later texted me with the message, "Grab Granimator now, it's free!" [unfortunately, it's not free any more]. You can see Chris demo the Granimator on his Youtube video.
Beatwave app for iPad got me thinking. Why not set up a repeating pattern based on a the principles of western music (we like resolution or resolved dissonance), and then express those patterns through movement and dance?
Here's a quick video demo of how that works (wait for the Picture-in-picture video at 1:17).
Filmed at home using a Vado. Bose speaker.
With Beatwave, you can adjust the reverb, speed, tone, and you have four "pages" to work with, creating solos or muting a page of notations. Better yet, non-musicians have a perfect picture of a matrix-style representation of your musical creation. Though there are other apps that allow you to create musical patterns using keyboards or hitting objects with your fingers, I like Beatwave's sense of almost random generation by trial and error, and then the ability to share what you created with friends. You don't have to be a musician to create some cool stuff.
I did not create the music before turning on the camera, nor should you have to tell a person how to move when s/he hears a note. None of this was choreographed. Imagine what I could do with six to 10 people, line up across a stage, while I, the maestro, keys in notes on Beatwave, and I assign a note to each dancer. I could layer two or more people to take on the chords layered by my choices. One could create an entirely spontaneous stage piece, with dancers following simple principles related to sounds assigned to them. It's like an Etch-a-Sketch, only for space and time, and geeky people like you and I.
If you liked what you just read, come join me on Twitter @HipsForHire, or friend me on Facebook ImeiYogaDance. Better yet, go on my Youtube channel YourLilChinaGirl, and leave me a comment.
Monday, July 5, 2010
How to Lose Weight: Fast and Easy?
Did I get your attention? I purposely titled this post, "How to Lose Weight: Fast and Easy?" because I know if you're looking for this kind of information, you could very well go to the wrong place. Truly, I feel for you: you're just trying to get honest information, and a ton of people who aren't even in the health care industry are trying to tell you how to lose weight. Admittedly, my friend Chris Pirillo wrote his own weight loss tips list, and it was he who suggested that I use my licenses as an RN and psychotherapist who has coached others towards weight loss to write my own eBook to help people.
Truth: there is no SAFE way to lose weight fast nor easily. You can, however, lose weight at a steady pace and keep it off. Here's how.
If you live in America, you need to know that you live in a weight-obsessed culture, with a food industry that creates a hostile environment for your plans to maintain a healthy diet, a fit body, and a weight meant for your height, age, and genetics.
Here's the opening excerpt from my upcoming eBook, "Video Nurse: 50 Weight Loss Tips for Busy People". It will be available to order by Paypal for just $5, and comes with an attractive cover and title page, perfect for giving as a gift. Download it as a PDF, or make a printed copy to keep by your desk.
Here's the excerpt:
According to present statistics available at the time of this writing, obesity rates in the U.S. may be finally leveling off, but the rates are still high. No state passed the Healthy People 2010 Guidelines for 15% or less obese people http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html. Our food supplies continue to cater to a market that is willing to buy cheap food to keep our mouths entertained, while the number of preventable diseases and deaths related to complications of obesity continue to soar along with our health care bills.
Whenever instituting a change that doesn't provide an immediate measurable outcome, consider giving yourself a non-food reward for good behavior to help encourage the repetition of that behavior. I suggest that reward to be something other than food because I feel that food shouldn't be used as punishment or reward. An example of a non-food reward: put a dime in a jar for each time you complete a particular tip on the list below. At the end of fifty days, you'd have five dollars if you did just one tip (or put in a dollar per day as your list grows); you'd have $250 if you did all fifty tips for fifty days at a dime a piece (although some tips will only be done once or twice). At the end of fifty days, use that money for something healthy for yourself to enjoy.
I hold licenses as a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Washington. "Video Nurse" health tips are just that: health tips. They are not designed to be used for diagnosis or treatment of specific diseases or disorders. Any misuse or misinterpretation of these health tips are at the risk of the reader, and Video Nurse and Bernice Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC is not responsible for any untoward consequences of these actions. You are advised to seek professional advice in the treatment of any illness, disease, or disorder.
Here area few tips from the eBook:
17. Unless you are diabetic or an athlete, it's not likely that more than 60% of your calories need to come from carbohydrates. If your diet consists of mostly cereal, spaghetti, and breads because of convenience, you might be encouraging a carbohydrate addiction as well as packing on the pounds over time. Consider weaning yourself off of excess carbs by reducing the portion size while replacing the excess with a serving of vegetables cooked in a tablespoon of good oil. Non-wheat eaters may find that returning to their genetic history may be easier on digestion. Example: I metabolize rice better than pasta, as long as I combine my carbs with protein.
18. Busy people need to have healthy foods ready to grab and eat in order to change the habit of eating less nutritious convenience foods. Consider spending one afternoon on a weekend preparing fresh foods cooked and measured into meal-sized bags, and keep a basket of fresh fruits in snack sizes (e.g small oranges, apples, bananas) nearby. Lunches can be pre-packed. Dinners can be waiting in large-sized zip lock bags, reheated by microwave or by placing on a baking sheet and reheated.
19. Juice fruit rather than buy it in a carton. It's easier to see how much you're actually consuming when you grab one orange and juice it yourself.
20. Eat slowly. It takes time for the stomach to feel full enough to signal the brain to stop seeking food. Converse during a meal, or put your fork down between bites. Consume a glass of water before the meal and during the meal to slow the process of eating down.
21. Stop eating when you feel 80% full. As one friend put it, it's a realization that you could eat a few bites more, but those bites would only be for entertainment. Do you really need "a party in your mouth" (as Dr. Phil has said)?
The eBook contains fifty tips I have discussed with clients over the years who were either recommended by their doctor to reduce their weight, or had personal health goals of which weight loss was a reasonable part of their treatment. Every client who did what I asked them to do lost weight. Whether they put the weight back on depends on whether they understood the lifestyle change involved in weight management, or their vision was temporary in nature.
The only real way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat less calories than you burn on a daily basis, and to use both smart nutrition and exercise/movement to create an environment where the body can thrive. There are no short cuts. There is no magic bullet. Even diet pills that encourage faster weight loss have side effects that may be intolerable, such as fatty, loose stools if you have too much fat in your diet. Diet shakes and protein shakes can help you lose weight, but they do not do the work for you to shape up those muscles, such as swimming, jogging, and resistance training.
You may have reached the time where you "get real" with your health goals, and you are ready to do the work to achieve your best life physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. I hope you'll check out my work at Seattle Direct Counseling, or my eBook of weight loss tips (coming soon), to help you on your way.
Truth: there is no SAFE way to lose weight fast nor easily. You can, however, lose weight at a steady pace and keep it off. Here's how.
If you live in America, you need to know that you live in a weight-obsessed culture, with a food industry that creates a hostile environment for your plans to maintain a healthy diet, a fit body, and a weight meant for your height, age, and genetics.
Here's the opening excerpt from my upcoming eBook, "Video Nurse: 50 Weight Loss Tips for Busy People". It will be available to order by Paypal for just $5, and comes with an attractive cover and title page, perfect for giving as a gift. Download it as a PDF, or make a printed copy to keep by your desk.
Here's the excerpt:
According to present statistics available at the time of this writing, obesity rates in the U.S. may be finally leveling off, but the rates are still high. No state passed the Healthy People 2010 Guidelines for 15% or less obese people http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html. Our food supplies continue to cater to a market that is willing to buy cheap food to keep our mouths entertained, while the number of preventable diseases and deaths related to complications of obesity continue to soar along with our health care bills.
Whenever instituting a change that doesn't provide an immediate measurable outcome, consider giving yourself a non-food reward for good behavior to help encourage the repetition of that behavior. I suggest that reward to be something other than food because I feel that food shouldn't be used as punishment or reward. An example of a non-food reward: put a dime in a jar for each time you complete a particular tip on the list below. At the end of fifty days, you'd have five dollars if you did just one tip (or put in a dollar per day as your list grows); you'd have $250 if you did all fifty tips for fifty days at a dime a piece (although some tips will only be done once or twice). At the end of fifty days, use that money for something healthy for yourself to enjoy.
I hold licenses as a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Washington. "Video Nurse" health tips are just that: health tips. They are not designed to be used for diagnosis or treatment of specific diseases or disorders. Any misuse or misinterpretation of these health tips are at the risk of the reader, and Video Nurse and Bernice Imei Hsu, RN, MAC, LMHC is not responsible for any untoward consequences of these actions. You are advised to seek professional advice in the treatment of any illness, disease, or disorder.
Here area few tips from the eBook:
17. Unless you are diabetic or an athlete, it's not likely that more than 60% of your calories need to come from carbohydrates. If your diet consists of mostly cereal, spaghetti, and breads because of convenience, you might be encouraging a carbohydrate addiction as well as packing on the pounds over time. Consider weaning yourself off of excess carbs by reducing the portion size while replacing the excess with a serving of vegetables cooked in a tablespoon of good oil. Non-wheat eaters may find that returning to their genetic history may be easier on digestion. Example: I metabolize rice better than pasta, as long as I combine my carbs with protein.
18. Busy people need to have healthy foods ready to grab and eat in order to change the habit of eating less nutritious convenience foods. Consider spending one afternoon on a weekend preparing fresh foods cooked and measured into meal-sized bags, and keep a basket of fresh fruits in snack sizes (e.g small oranges, apples, bananas) nearby. Lunches can be pre-packed. Dinners can be waiting in large-sized zip lock bags, reheated by microwave or by placing on a baking sheet and reheated.
19. Juice fruit rather than buy it in a carton. It's easier to see how much you're actually consuming when you grab one orange and juice it yourself.
20. Eat slowly. It takes time for the stomach to feel full enough to signal the brain to stop seeking food. Converse during a meal, or put your fork down between bites. Consume a glass of water before the meal and during the meal to slow the process of eating down.
21. Stop eating when you feel 80% full. As one friend put it, it's a realization that you could eat a few bites more, but those bites would only be for entertainment. Do you really need "a party in your mouth" (as Dr. Phil has said)?
The eBook contains fifty tips I have discussed with clients over the years who were either recommended by their doctor to reduce their weight, or had personal health goals of which weight loss was a reasonable part of their treatment. Every client who did what I asked them to do lost weight. Whether they put the weight back on depends on whether they understood the lifestyle change involved in weight management, or their vision was temporary in nature.
The only real way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat less calories than you burn on a daily basis, and to use both smart nutrition and exercise/movement to create an environment where the body can thrive. There are no short cuts. There is no magic bullet. Even diet pills that encourage faster weight loss have side effects that may be intolerable, such as fatty, loose stools if you have too much fat in your diet. Diet shakes and protein shakes can help you lose weight, but they do not do the work for you to shape up those muscles, such as swimming, jogging, and resistance training.
You may have reached the time where you "get real" with your health goals, and you are ready to do the work to achieve your best life physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. I hope you'll check out my work at Seattle Direct Counseling, or my eBook of weight loss tips (coming soon), to help you on your way.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Creativity: Blank page or Template?
With just 18 days left until Seattle's largest bellydance festival, Mediterranean Fantasy Festival I made a decision two weeks ago to challenge my usual patterns of creating choreography. Usually, I start with a piece of music I love but have never choreographed, study it, and start interpreting the music into movement. I then get a couple of sets of eyes to look at it with me, and give me feedback and suggestions to help milk the movement for ultimate emotional impact.
This year, I'm doing something different.
Blame it on Artist's Circle, which has been challenging my thinking about what makes belly dance "work" for me. Sprinkle on some pressure from BollywoodSeattle.com, where my time is being squeezed out of me like toothpaste as we prepare for our first group performance and solos at Medfest 2010 July 15-17, a restaurant, and a parade. Oh, and I could slide in an equally legitimate excuse as I work behind the scenes on getting speakers lined up for Gnomedex August 19 - 21, 2010, Seattle's "confluence of influence" for technology enthusiasts (and n00b's like me). The bottom line: what will allow me to show share with my fans my personal growth as an artist?
Over the years, I've learned to keep my choreography and song selection a secret. The powers that be have strange ways of teaching you about the malevolence and unkindness of others. This year, I considered that I might change things up a bit, so much that what I'm doing is transparent.
For nearly five years, I've been in love with a piece of music. Take a look at Tina Sargent, winner of the Miss Belly Dancer USA contest, performing Maleeha's choreography to "A Shot of Glory" from The Cafe (Mareal Caracalla):
Choreography by Maleeha (Iowa).
Having studied veil technique with master dancer and choreographer Sabura while also having taken the same choreography workshop with Maleeha featured in the above video, I have formulated a new approach to this year's offering: give a nod to my mentors, teachers, and heroes of dance, and then build upon it by adding my own flair. I'll be performing "Shot of Glory", using the first moments of Maleeha's choreography, and then departing from the choreography as you see it in the video, and welcoming you into my interpretation of those same musical notes.
If you're in Seattle, be sure to mark July 15 - 17, 2010 in your calendar. I'm dancing Sunday July 17 twice: at 11:12 am on the indoor stage with Bollywood Seattle, and later the same hour in my solo of "Shot of Glory" on the same stage at 11:50 am. Believe me, I'll be having people back stage tearing off my Bollywood costume, jewelry, and redoing my hair in a quick turn around for this belly dance solo.
If you do not live in Seattle, I'll have my interpretation of "Shot of Glory" filmed for Youtube and my websites, and if it turns out well, you'll be able to find it there on my channel Yourlilchinagirl. You'll be able to see the clear departure from Maleeha's choreography, yet still get a sense of who I've studied with, admire, and highly respect in the world of belly dance and folkloric performance art.
For me, dance has never been about the diva behavior I've been exposed to in the past few years. The proof is in the ability to give it away for free because the world needs your art to add to its beauty. It is all about the inspiration and joy we find in the dance when we share it with the world. As cheesy and tree-huggerish as that sounds, it still remains true.
This not to say that artist's aren't worth their weight in gold. I formed Hipsforhire.com to help artists like myself get hired for reasonable pay while raising money for various charitable causes. Though it's been slow going, HFH is finally being recognized, with emails and calls for paid events throughout the Northwest. I am so humbled that people are recognizing this vision, and I am thrilled that people are paying me well for my performances. Yet there are times when it is appropriate to dance for free.
I'm giving my dance away, because now it has become something that is worth being copied, yet cannot be stolen.
This year, I'm doing something different.
Blame it on Artist's Circle, which has been challenging my thinking about what makes belly dance "work" for me. Sprinkle on some pressure from BollywoodSeattle.com, where my time is being squeezed out of me like toothpaste as we prepare for our first group performance and solos at Medfest 2010 July 15-17, a restaurant, and a parade. Oh, and I could slide in an equally legitimate excuse as I work behind the scenes on getting speakers lined up for Gnomedex August 19 - 21, 2010, Seattle's "confluence of influence" for technology enthusiasts (and n00b's like me). The bottom line: what will allow me to show share with my fans my personal growth as an artist?
Over the years, I've learned to keep my choreography and song selection a secret. The powers that be have strange ways of teaching you about the malevolence and unkindness of others. This year, I considered that I might change things up a bit, so much that what I'm doing is transparent.
For nearly five years, I've been in love with a piece of music. Take a look at Tina Sargent, winner of the Miss Belly Dancer USA contest, performing Maleeha's choreography to "A Shot of Glory" from The Cafe (Mareal Caracalla):
Choreography by Maleeha (Iowa).
Having studied veil technique with master dancer and choreographer Sabura while also having taken the same choreography workshop with Maleeha featured in the above video, I have formulated a new approach to this year's offering: give a nod to my mentors, teachers, and heroes of dance, and then build upon it by adding my own flair. I'll be performing "Shot of Glory", using the first moments of Maleeha's choreography, and then departing from the choreography as you see it in the video, and welcoming you into my interpretation of those same musical notes.
If you're in Seattle, be sure to mark July 15 - 17, 2010 in your calendar. I'm dancing Sunday July 17 twice: at 11:12 am on the indoor stage with Bollywood Seattle, and later the same hour in my solo of "Shot of Glory" on the same stage at 11:50 am. Believe me, I'll be having people back stage tearing off my Bollywood costume, jewelry, and redoing my hair in a quick turn around for this belly dance solo.
If you do not live in Seattle, I'll have my interpretation of "Shot of Glory" filmed for Youtube and my websites, and if it turns out well, you'll be able to find it there on my channel Yourlilchinagirl. You'll be able to see the clear departure from Maleeha's choreography, yet still get a sense of who I've studied with, admire, and highly respect in the world of belly dance and folkloric performance art.
For me, dance has never been about the diva behavior I've been exposed to in the past few years. The proof is in the ability to give it away for free because the world needs your art to add to its beauty. It is all about the inspiration and joy we find in the dance when we share it with the world. As cheesy and tree-huggerish as that sounds, it still remains true.
This not to say that artist's aren't worth their weight in gold. I formed Hipsforhire.com to help artists like myself get hired for reasonable pay while raising money for various charitable causes. Though it's been slow going, HFH is finally being recognized, with emails and calls for paid events throughout the Northwest. I am so humbled that people are recognizing this vision, and I am thrilled that people are paying me well for my performances. Yet there are times when it is appropriate to dance for free.
I'm giving my dance away, because now it has become something that is worth being copied, yet cannot be stolen.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Video Nurse: Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them
Just another friendly reminder: Video Nurse will be talking about, "Five Things That People Do That Could Kill Them". Yeah, yeah, we know that we're all going to die someday, and that death is an inevitability. But Video Nurse is going to talk about some uncommon thoughts about people's every day choices that can lead to dramatic (and sometimes devastating) results in regards to their health.
Video Nurse has already released several short segments on Youtube covering the following subjects: dirty money (should you wash your hands after handling money?), hawt dogs (shoes and foot care), Eating Disorders, and how to stave off a cold. Now we're coming to you live to unleash the power of technology and community to help foster discussion on what you can do to improve your overall physical and mental health.
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Video Nurse has already released several short segments on Youtube covering the following subjects: dirty money (should you wash your hands after handling money?), hawt dogs (shoes and foot care), Eating Disorders, and how to stave off a cold. Now we're coming to you live to unleash the power of technology and community to help foster discussion on what you can do to improve your overall physical and mental health.
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Lose Weight With One Change A Day
Recently I've been chatting with web entrepreneur Chris Pirillo about weight loss. Chris has been keeping up a steady pace of weight loss by counting calories and exercising fairly regularly. Yet even Chris experiences a day that ends with a "F*ck it!" and an extra helping of something or other. We all do.
What if you want to lose weight, but you're in no real big hurry to do it? You want it, but slow and steady, at nothing more than one pound a week. Is there anything you can do that doesn't take a dramatic shift in diet or routine, and doesn't involve an expensive magic pill?
I'm been reading Michael Pollan's, "In Defense of Food", the sequel to "The Omnivore's Dilemma", and Chapter Four lists most of the tips I tell my clients at Seattle Direct Counseling if they just want to make a change at a time towards healthier eating and subsequent weight loss.
Here's the skinny on those tips, with my additions [in brackets]:
1. Pay more, eat less. [By paying for higher quality food, you're likely to need and eat less].
2. Eat Meals. [Eat real meals, and snack less. At the very least, don't eat meal-sized snacks].
3. Do all your eating at a table. [And the computer desk does not count as a table. See #7]
4. Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does. [Corn is biodiesel. Get rid of it.]
5. Try not to eat alone. [You're less likely to binge, and you eat slowly and enjoy eating]
6. Consult your gut. [Learn internal cues to satiety and satisfaction].
7. Eat slowly. [Your brain needs more time to figure out you're full]
8. Cook, and if you can, grow a garden. [You're more likely to know what's in your food, and you can learn to portion it correctly].
You can try instituting one of these tips a day, and see what effect it makes. For example, take your lunch to work, but eat in a public space with other co-workers, and chat it up. Or with Tip #2, skip your office's doughnuts offered as mid-meal snacks, and have a small apple and sparkling water available if everyone else is standing around eating and you feel legitimately hungry.
None of these tips are designed to give you fast weight loss, but all of them are safe, and all of them are associated with the habits of the most health-conscious and lower weight cultures on the planet.
I'll be putting together my best weight loss tips for you in an eBook soon. In the meantime, let me know how any of these tips from Pollan's books are working for you to either help you lose weight slowly over time, or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
What if you want to lose weight, but you're in no real big hurry to do it? You want it, but slow and steady, at nothing more than one pound a week. Is there anything you can do that doesn't take a dramatic shift in diet or routine, and doesn't involve an expensive magic pill?
I'm been reading Michael Pollan's, "In Defense of Food", the sequel to "The Omnivore's Dilemma", and Chapter Four lists most of the tips I tell my clients at Seattle Direct Counseling if they just want to make a change at a time towards healthier eating and subsequent weight loss.
Here's the skinny on those tips, with my additions [in brackets]:
1. Pay more, eat less. [By paying for higher quality food, you're likely to need and eat less].
2. Eat Meals. [Eat real meals, and snack less. At the very least, don't eat meal-sized snacks].
3. Do all your eating at a table. [And the computer desk does not count as a table. See #7]
4. Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does. [Corn is biodiesel. Get rid of it.]
5. Try not to eat alone. [You're less likely to binge, and you eat slowly and enjoy eating]
6. Consult your gut. [Learn internal cues to satiety and satisfaction].
7. Eat slowly. [Your brain needs more time to figure out you're full]
8. Cook, and if you can, grow a garden. [You're more likely to know what's in your food, and you can learn to portion it correctly].
You can try instituting one of these tips a day, and see what effect it makes. For example, take your lunch to work, but eat in a public space with other co-workers, and chat it up. Or with Tip #2, skip your office's doughnuts offered as mid-meal snacks, and have a small apple and sparkling water available if everyone else is standing around eating and you feel legitimately hungry.
None of these tips are designed to give you fast weight loss, but all of them are safe, and all of them are associated with the habits of the most health-conscious and lower weight cultures on the planet.
I'll be putting together my best weight loss tips for you in an eBook soon. In the meantime, let me know how any of these tips from Pollan's books are working for you to either help you lose weight slowly over time, or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Newbies and n00bs: SSDD
TSSTechangel shared an acronym with me today on my Ustream.tv chatroom (Hips for Hire):
SSDD = Same Sh!t, Different Day.
I suppose the same thing could be said about experts and gurus claiming to be Social Media experts. When Scott Berkun delivered his presentation to SMCSea (Social Media Club Seattle) last week, "How to Call B.S. on a Social Media Guru", the audience murmured with agreement that so-called experts in this new field need to substantiate their claims and do not need to be received as experts just because they have a book or a program to sell. No one, however, mentioned that because Social Media is so new, maybe we ought to stop looking for gurus and just learn as much as we can collectively.
Oh but wait: that would make all of us in the room a bunch of newbies and n00bs. Is this possible? Therefore, SSDD.
For the past eight months, I've been calling myself "the n00b of Social Media". Two weeks after having launched a new company idea, HipsForHire.com, and armed with a Twitter account and a blog, I attended BlogWorld 2009 in Las Vegas. Seated across from me during a radio interview was Chris Pirillo, and across from him was the most "newbie" person in the room: me. I figured "n00b" was a better description than "village idiot".
Eight months later, I'm told that essentially everyone who uses Social Media is a newbie. We don't know what we're doing. Even Mark Zuckerberg in his most recent admissions has shared that Facebook has made mistakes. We simply don't know what the impact of our actions are in this sensitive new media climate.
Why then are so many people quick to name themselves as Social Media master consultants and experts? Why aren't they taking Berkun's advice by allowing others to label a person as an expert? Since October 2009, I'm managed to attend four Social Media Events: Blogworld 2009, LeWeb 2009, SXSW 2010, ReThinkHawaii 2010. By August, I'll have attended my first Gnomedex, and I'll be rounding the corner into the final days of the first n00b year. And I'll still be calling myself a n00b.
If anything I'm learning in my journey of immersion into the world of Social Media, it is that we only end up learning how much we don't know. Albert Einstein got it right, "If we knew what we were doing, we wouldn't call it Research."
I'm a n00b, and likely I'll stay a n00b for years to come. I'm still researching, still learning, still growing. Every day I'm exposed to some new tool, some little trick, a different way of organizing and disseminating products, services, or ideas. This Social Media universe is big. . I'll let some other person call himself an expert. With title comes responsibility. Then again, if you never make any mistakes, you probably weren't working on anything of importance.
SSDD = Same Sh!t, Different Day.
I suppose the same thing could be said about experts and gurus claiming to be Social Media experts. When Scott Berkun delivered his presentation to SMCSea (Social Media Club Seattle) last week, "How to Call B.S. on a Social Media Guru", the audience murmured with agreement that so-called experts in this new field need to substantiate their claims and do not need to be received as experts just because they have a book or a program to sell. No one, however, mentioned that because Social Media is so new, maybe we ought to stop looking for gurus and just learn as much as we can collectively.
Oh but wait: that would make all of us in the room a bunch of newbies and n00bs. Is this possible? Therefore, SSDD.
For the past eight months, I've been calling myself "the n00b of Social Media". Two weeks after having launched a new company idea, HipsForHire.com, and armed with a Twitter account and a blog, I attended BlogWorld 2009 in Las Vegas. Seated across from me during a radio interview was Chris Pirillo, and across from him was the most "newbie" person in the room: me. I figured "n00b" was a better description than "village idiot".
Eight months later, I'm told that essentially everyone who uses Social Media is a newbie. We don't know what we're doing. Even Mark Zuckerberg in his most recent admissions has shared that Facebook has made mistakes. We simply don't know what the impact of our actions are in this sensitive new media climate.
Why then are so many people quick to name themselves as Social Media master consultants and experts? Why aren't they taking Berkun's advice by allowing others to label a person as an expert? Since October 2009, I'm managed to attend four Social Media Events: Blogworld 2009, LeWeb 2009, SXSW 2010, ReThinkHawaii 2010. By August, I'll have attended my first Gnomedex, and I'll be rounding the corner into the final days of the first n00b year. And I'll still be calling myself a n00b.
If anything I'm learning in my journey of immersion into the world of Social Media, it is that we only end up learning how much we don't know. Albert Einstein got it right, "If we knew what we were doing, we wouldn't call it Research."
I'm a n00b, and likely I'll stay a n00b for years to come. I'm still researching, still learning, still growing. Every day I'm exposed to some new tool, some little trick, a different way of organizing and disseminating products, services, or ideas. This Social Media universe is big. . I'll let some other person call himself an expert. With title comes responsibility. Then again, if you never make any mistakes, you probably weren't working on anything of importance.
Video Nurse: Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them
It happens all the time. In fact, it happened yesterday evening.
A friend emails me, asking about a side effect of a medication he is taking. He wants to know if he should stop taking it, or if he should continue taking it. Can he stop taking a pain killer he was prescribed, and take some OTC Tylenol instead?
As an RN and licensed mental health counselor, I have the licenses and background to field general questions -- something like a triage nurse -- and help you, the consumer, find practical answers. With cheeky humor, entertainment, knowledge, and maybe a tiny bit of pointed sarcasm for the belligerent help-resistant person, I can point you in the right direction. I'll help you wade through medical journal articles, understand studies and statistics, and tell you when something sounds downright fishy (or as my friend says, "It's a bunch of crap!").
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Here's just one example of Video Nurse:
On Monday June 7, 2010, Video Nurse will cover the topic, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". I already gave you a hint to one of the five in the above example. When you don't read your prescription carefully and mix medications, you are playing "mad scientist" with your body as the lab experiment. In the example above, Tylenol had an adverse reaction to the pain killer this friend wanted to replace. The same could be said about stopping a medication mid-prescription without informing your doctor (for follow up): that's almost always a dumb thing to do, because doctor's usually do not prescribe medication without a reason.
Every single person is responsible for his or her own health, even if you see a physician. No matter your culture, age, gender, or sexual orientation, it is your right to be informed about what keeps you healthy. Ultimately, the choices available are yours to take. Watch Video Nurse, and start living your most satisfying life today.
A friend emails me, asking about a side effect of a medication he is taking. He wants to know if he should stop taking it, or if he should continue taking it. Can he stop taking a pain killer he was prescribed, and take some OTC Tylenol instead?
As an RN and licensed mental health counselor, I have the licenses and background to field general questions -- something like a triage nurse -- and help you, the consumer, find practical answers. With cheeky humor, entertainment, knowledge, and maybe a tiny bit of pointed sarcasm for the belligerent help-resistant person, I can point you in the right direction. I'll help you wade through medical journal articles, understand studies and statistics, and tell you when something sounds downright fishy (or as my friend says, "It's a bunch of crap!").
Video Nurse makes its official debut Mondays at 5pm Pacific Standard Time on Ustream.tv (look for Video Nurse) starting June 7, 2010. It's a one-hour show by topic, with time for people in the chat room to ask questions and jump in the dialogue about health-related topics. I'll occasionally record segments of the show and archive them by topic.
While Video Nurse does not exist to diagnose or treat any specific person's disease or disorder, I can speak generally about the disease/disorder, and point callers towards resources to help them make the most informed choices possible.
Here's just one example of Video Nurse:
On Monday June 7, 2010, Video Nurse will cover the topic, "Five Things People Do That Could Kill Them". I already gave you a hint to one of the five in the above example. When you don't read your prescription carefully and mix medications, you are playing "mad scientist" with your body as the lab experiment. In the example above, Tylenol had an adverse reaction to the pain killer this friend wanted to replace. The same could be said about stopping a medication mid-prescription without informing your doctor (for follow up): that's almost always a dumb thing to do, because doctor's usually do not prescribe medication without a reason.
Every single person is responsible for his or her own health, even if you see a physician. No matter your culture, age, gender, or sexual orientation, it is your right to be informed about what keeps you healthy. Ultimately, the choices available are yours to take. Watch Video Nurse, and start living your most satisfying life today.
Monday, May 31, 2010
What's For Dinner?
These days, most advice about what to eat sounds more like what NOT to eat. Don't eat foods with transfats. Don't eat fish with high levels of mercury. Don't eat foods or drink beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. But do you know how to answer the question, "What's for dinner?" if you need to prepare healthy food without boring yourself to tears?
On my HipsForHire.ning.com site (which will be out of commission when all free networks will be asked to pay for services), I have already posted a simple "tips" list of foods you can eat when trying to modify your diet to include healthy ingredients, higher fiber, and remove "junk food" from your daily routine. My website, www.SeattleDirectCounseling.com, will soon include a section on healthy eating tips and foods you can find in your local grocery store that will make eating both wise and fun.
Dave of Dave's Killer Bread produces breads that fit the bill if you're trying to increase your fiber, lose weight, and eat healthy grains free of transfats or refined white flour.
With nine choices including his new "Sin Dawg" (with Cinnamon to help satisfy a sweet tooth), Dave has taken his father's baking profession and brought it into the 21st century by marketing on Twitter. I think he may be the only baker that has reached out on Twitter to help people find out more about his loaves of bread!
Dave's personal story is shared on every loaf of bread. He's a four-time ex-con who had an epiphany during his last time in the slammer. Turning his life around and heading straight to the kitchen, Dave now has nine different loaves of his "killer bread", and he has a fan following including moms and kids who wanted to have their pictures taken with him. He also claims he's used his own bread to take off 20 pounds, pounds that can easily come on with age when we get busy, are injured, or can't exercise the way we want to.
Dave and his wife had a booth at NW Folklife Festival, and they were doing brisk business when Chris Pirillo and I stopped by. Dave also has a coloring book with fun illustrations of the bread-making process.
For more information about Dave's Killer Bread, check out his website DavesKillerBread.com.
Next time you ask, "What's for dinner?" I hope that your bread choice may include Dave's Killer Bread. My choices are Spelt or Powerseed. What's yours?
On my HipsForHire.ning.com site (which will be out of commission when all free networks will be asked to pay for services), I have already posted a simple "tips" list of foods you can eat when trying to modify your diet to include healthy ingredients, higher fiber, and remove "junk food" from your daily routine. My website, www.SeattleDirectCounseling.com, will soon include a section on healthy eating tips and foods you can find in your local grocery store that will make eating both wise and fun.
Dave of Dave's Killer Bread produces breads that fit the bill if you're trying to increase your fiber, lose weight, and eat healthy grains free of transfats or refined white flour.
With nine choices including his new "Sin Dawg" (with Cinnamon to help satisfy a sweet tooth), Dave has taken his father's baking profession and brought it into the 21st century by marketing on Twitter. I think he may be the only baker that has reached out on Twitter to help people find out more about his loaves of bread!
Dave's personal story is shared on every loaf of bread. He's a four-time ex-con who had an epiphany during his last time in the slammer. Turning his life around and heading straight to the kitchen, Dave now has nine different loaves of his "killer bread", and he has a fan following including moms and kids who wanted to have their pictures taken with him. He also claims he's used his own bread to take off 20 pounds, pounds that can easily come on with age when we get busy, are injured, or can't exercise the way we want to.
Dave and his wife had a booth at NW Folklife Festival, and they were doing brisk business when Chris Pirillo and I stopped by. Dave also has a coloring book with fun illustrations of the bread-making process.
For more information about Dave's Killer Bread, check out his website DavesKillerBread.com.
Next time you ask, "What's for dinner?" I hope that your bread choice may include Dave's Killer Bread. My choices are Spelt or Powerseed. What's yours?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
