Archive for June, 2021

Looking to tame those sugar cravings??

June 30, 2021

If anyone out there loves sweets as much as I do, then you understand how challenging it is to give up sugar!  Besides the fact that it’s everywhere, it’s also hiding in places we least expect (sauces, dips, bread, milk, etc), so be sure to CHECK YOUR LABELS!

Furthermore, there’s no denying that we all get sugar cravings every now and then, and some more than others.  So what is a girl to do when she is trying to eat right AND keep her sweet tooth in check?!

Here are 3 ways I’ve learned to help curb the cravings when they rear their ugly heads:

1 – CINNAMON ….  Yes, I sprinkle it everywhere!  I usually turn to coffee when I get hungry (but it’s not time to eat), and I sprinkle some cinnamon in my coffee.  Works wonders.

2 – GUM OR MINTS…OR BOTH!  And I don’t mean the sugar-free kind either!  Well, sometimes you just have to give in and have the sugar….but not too much of it.  I keep a little box of Tic Tacs handy and that helps – plus it freshens my breath!

3 –  POPSICLES – Again, sometimes you just need the sugar, and a little bit will do.  I don’t usually buy anything that is artificially sweetened, but if you don’t mind it, even better for your calorie count.  One of these popsicles is 40 calories.  If you opt for the sugar-free kind, it’s only 15 calories per serving.

FOURTH OF JULY!

June 29, 2021

July is around the corner, and we kick off my favorite month with INDEPENDENCE DAY!

MONDAY, JULY 5th (observed) we will have 1 workout at 10am to celebrate this beautiful country we live in!

Everyone who normally trains on Monday is welcome to attend.

Show your spirit by wearing

SPREAD THE WORD!

June 26, 2021

The numbers are constantly fluctuating, but at this time 102 people have been accounted for, while 99 people are unaccounted for, according to officials. Of these, 99 people, it is unknown if they were not in the building at the time, or if there are other factors that have left them unaccounted for.

Here is the latest information available:

Bhavna, Aishani and Vishal Patel: The Patel family lived in unit 311.

Alfredo and Lorenzo Leone: Alfredo Leone and his son Lorenzo Leone were residents of unit 512. Alfredo’s wife was not home.

Margarita “Maggie” Vazquez Bello, Apt. 411: Her family says she lives in Pinecrest, but stays at the Champlain Towers in the summer months. They are “desperately holding on to hope to find her.”

Edgar Gonzalez: According to family members, Gonzalez’s wife and daughter are hospitalized at Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center, but they are not able to get in touch with the 45-year-old father. All three were in the same unit when the collapse took place. It is unclear how the family was separated.

Bonnie and David Epstein: The husband and wife were on the ninth floor when the building collapsed. Their son, Jonathan, who lives in New York City, says he hasn’t heard from his parents.

Members of The Shul in Surfside: Rabbi Sholom D. Lipskar of The Shul in Surfside says several members of the synagogue are missing. “There are very few words that could give anybody consolation because you are dealing with an unimaginable, horrific tragedy that struck in the middle of the night,” Lipskar said.

  • Nancy Kress Levin
  • Jay Kleinman
  • Frankie Kleinman
  • Arie Leib
  • Yisroel Tzvi Yosef
  • Tzvi Doniel

Fabian, Andres and newly adopted daughter, Sophia, Apt. 803: An apartment owner from Argentina told Local 10′s Glenna Milberg that she had friends staying inside her unit who had just adopted a daughter. That owner has not been able to contact the family, she said.

Deborah Berezdivin and Ilan Naibryf: Deborah Berezdivin was listed as one of the members of Shul of Bal Harbour missing. Family members said Ilan Naibryf, her boyfriend, is also missing.

Cassondra Stratton: Mike Stratton, Cassandra’s husband, told Local 10 News though his PR representative that he was on the phone with his wife when she expressed some concerns about the building, and then the line went dead. Cassondra Stratton, 40, is a pilates instructor. The couple have been married since 2015.

Sophia Lopez: Lopez traveled here from Uruguay with her daughters. Her family has been unable to get in touch with her.

The Pettengill family: Luis Alberto Pettengill and Sophia Maria Margarita Pettengill and children Anna Sophia, 6, Alexia Maria, 9, and Luis Vincente, friends say they are from Paraguay and have not been heard from since the collapse.

Ray and Mercy Urgelles, Apt. 211: Mercy Urgelles is the director of pharmacy at Coral Gables Hospital, according to friends. She and her husband, Ray. both remain unaccounted for.

Brad Cohen: Soraya Cohen said her husband was on the 11th floor when the building collapsed. She has hopes that the doctor will be found alive after she believes he possibly might have stayed behind to help people.

Magally Delgado: Magally Ramsey describes her mother, Magally Delgado, as a strong 80-year-old who was living in an apartment on the ninth floor. Her daughter immediately drove to Surfside from Orlando when she found out it was the building her mother lived in that had collapsed.

Linda March, Ph. 4: Local 10 broadcast video of the exposed area of the Surfside condo collapse. That video showed white bunk beds and a desk chair. Moments later, Local 10 News reporter Glenna Milberg was contacted and was told that the penthouse apartment belongs to Linda March, an attorney who moved back from New York to Surfside. The friend said they have been texting March, but they have gone unanswered.

Bennie and Malky Weiss and Harry Rosenberg: Friends say Harry Rosenberg was visiting his daughter Malky Weiss at Champlain Towers. Rosenberg and Malky and her husband Benny are all missing at this time.

Michael Altman, Apt. 1101: His family and loved ones are looking for him. They have checked hospitals and filed a missing persons report. Any assistance in locating him would be greatly appreciated, according to a statement from the family.

Alfredo and Lorenzo Leone, Apt. 512: A close friend of the Leone family said the wife of Alfredo and mother of Lorenzo was not home at the time of the collapse, but that the other two are missing.

Oresme Gil Guerra and Betty Guerra: According to friends, the couple reside on the 9th floor, but they have not been heard from since the building collapse.

Julio Cesar Velasquez, Angela Maria Velasquez, and Theresa Velasquez, Apt. 304: A friend of Theresa Velasquez, 36, wrote to Local 10 to say that she was visiting her parents from where she lived in Los Angeles. Her parents, Julio Cesar Velasquez, 67, and Angela Maria Velasquez, 60, lived in Champlain Towers South in Apartment 304 and all have not been heard from since the collapse.

The Guara family: A friend notified Local 10.com to say that family of four Marcus and Ana Guara and their two children, Lucia and Emma, lived in the condo building and are not accounted for.

Leon Oliwkowicz and Christina Elvira Oliwkowicz, Apt. 704: The daughter of the Oliwkowicz couple contacted Local10.com to say that she has not heard from her 79-year-old father and 74-year-old mother who lived in the Champlain Towers.

Graciella Cattarossi and her daughter, Estella: A friend wrote to Local 10 and sent a photo of Gabriella Cattarossi and daughter, Estella, who are missing after the Surfside building collapse. The friend said Cattarossi’s elderly parents are also missing.

Luis Andres Bermudez and Ana Ortiz: Bermudez’s cousin contacted Local 10 to say he has muscular dystrophy and can’t walk.

Nicole and Ruslan Manashirov, Apt. 703: Friends say the couple moved to Apt. 703 of Champlain Tower South two months ago after they were married. They said Ruslan did not show up to work on Thursday and no one has been able to reach either of them.

Judy Spiegel, Apt. 603: Judy Spiegel’s daughter, Rachel, said she spoke to her 65-year-old mother around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. She hasn’t heard from her since.

Simon Segal: The niece of Simon Segal sent in a photo of her uncle who lives on the 11th floor of Champlain Towers and she says the family is hoping sending his photo will help find him.

Rosi Maza-Saez: Loved ones say she didn’t live at the building but was staying overnight when the collapse occurred.

Richard Augustine and Elaine Sabino: Both were in PH10 when the collapse occurred.

Ricky and Maituca Rovirosa

Myriam Caspi Notkin and Arnie Notkin

Maria Bonnefoy and Claudio Bonnefoy

Nicole Langesfeld and Luis Sadovnic

Juan Alberto Mora and Ana Mora

Citizens of four foreign countries: There are currently citizens of at least four foreign countries — Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, and Paraguay — unaccounted for in the Surfside building collapse including Paraguayan nationals. The Foreign Ministry of Paraguay reports 6 Paraguayan nationals are missing in the collapse, according to ABC News. They named 3 individuals: Luis Pettengill, Sophia López-Moreira, and Leidy Luna Villalba and there were 3 unidentified minors.

A family reunification hotline has been set up at 305-614-1819,and people can also open a Missing Person Report Online.

HOW TO HELP!

June 25, 2021

I’m sure the news has reached your ears by now. The devastation is real. As I type this, 4 dead and 159 unaccounted for…..

  • The Coral Gables Community Foundation, the Miami Foundation, and the Key Biscayne Community Foundation are asking Miami-Dade County residents to contribute to The Surfside Hardship Fund.
    Donors can use PayPal or credit cards. Here is the page >
  • The Greater Miami Jewish Federation established an emergency fund for short-term and long-term needs. The federation is accepting checks with the notation Surfside Building Collapse at 4200 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33137. They are also accepting donations via credit card.
    For more information about the fund, call 305-576-4000 or visit this page.
  • The Shul of Bal Harbour is accepting donations for those impacted by the collapse.
    To donate visit www.theshul.org/8777.
  • The Miami Heat Charitable Fund is working with the humanitarian organization Direct Relief and raising funds to help survivors and first responders. Here is the page >
  • GoFundMe launched a centralized hub identifying all verified fundraisers. Here is the page >

Volunteering

The town of Surfside activated a form online for Miami-Dade County residents who want to help the families of the victims. They are in need of support. You must specify the service you can provide. Here is the official volunteer form >

Family Assistance Center

There is no longer a need for items to be brought to the town’s improvised Family Assistance Center at the Surfside Recreational Center. Officials said they will advise if more physical donations are needed in the future, but they are requesting people no longer come there with donations.

Information

Officials are asking the survivors of the collapse to fill out this Wellness Check formand relatives of the people who are unaccounted for to fill out this Missing Person Report.

BE HAPPY!

June 23, 2021

Make a wish!

Whatever you wish for or ask the universe to grant you, the underlying motive is always HAPPINESS.  Think about it….  money, a new career, a fitness model body, Prince Charming, etc….  these are all vehicles we think will lead us to living happier lives.

However, being happy starts from within.  Being happy is a state of mind, an attitude.  It’s an “inside job” that begins with how we view ourselves and our surrounding.  It’s being honest with ourselves and trying to maintain a positive attitude in every situation.

Here are some helpful hints to staying fit…mentally.

1. Learn to say no

It can be hard to say no – especially when that person is close to you.  But how can you care for others, if you are not well.  YOU are responsible for caring for yourself, so if you’re at your rope’s end because you’re always trying to help everyone else, redirect your focus on making your needs a priority first.  You may feel guilty initially, but you need to acknowledge that you can’t please everyone, all the time.

2. Let go of comparisons

We all have different strengths! Comparing yourself to someone else, such as saying, “I’m doing the same training but not seeing the same results as her” creates self-doubt. Remember that everyone has their own strengths and differences, and everyone’s journey is different.

Next time you are about to compare yourself, STOP and think of something you’re good at or something you’ve recently achieved. This can help you embrace a more positive mindset!  FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE! Social media has made it really hard to avoid comparing ourselves and our lives to others, but just know – appearances are just that, appearances… IT IS NOT REAL LIFE! Don’t let Instagram fool you!

3. Look for the positives

START EVERY MORNING with a positive thought.  Find something to be thankful for.  Even on days when you feel everything’s gone wrong, there is still something you can be thankful for – focus on that!  Make a habit of appreciating the good around you and you’ll soon notice your mindset changing and becoming happier.

4. Educate yourself on areas you want to improve

I’m sure you ladies know that I believe education is incredibly important!  Self-education can help you to feel happier because it increases your confidence.

That doesn’t mean you have to go back to school and study.  Do your own research, sign up for a short class or ask someone to teach you. Learning a new skill or understanding something of interest can be a great boost to your self-esteem.

5. Do more of what you love

It’s so obvious, isn’t it?  When you do things you enjoy, you feel happier!  If you love reading, try to read more.  Get into bed 30 minutes earlier than usual and read.  Do you love taking a walk at sunset?  Plan your dinner before sunset and enjoy a stroll after your meal.

Do things that help to recharge your mental batteries and you’ll find that stress and other pressures diminish.  Small actions like these can make a big difference to your happiness level!

While these steps are no ‘quick-fixes’ for finding happiness, it’s a great start!

MONDAY!!

June 21, 2021

MYSTERY OF THE “SIDE STITCH”

June 17, 2021

What is the deal with the sharp pain, a.k.a. “stitch”, that occurs in your rib cage, usually on the right side, during sustained cardiovascular exercise, such as running?

Some researchers believe that these twinges are caused by stretching of the ligaments that extend from the diaphragm to the internal organs, particularly the liver (which is on the right side).  The jarring motion of running while breathing in and out tends to stretch these ligaments.  It is believed this repeated stretching leads to spasms in the diaphragm and this spasm causes your pain.

If you don’t know, the diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that extends across the bottom of the ribcage.  It acts to separate the heart, lungs and ribs from the stomach, intestines and liver.  More importantly, it helps us breathe…as you inhale, the diaphragm contracts, moving downward, to allow the thoracic cavity to increase and draw more air into the lungs.

Can you prevent a Side Stitch?

To prevent a side stitch, take even, deep breaths while running.  Shallow breathing tends to increase the risk of cramping because the diaphragm is always slightly raised and never lowers far enough to allow the ligaments to relax.  When this happens the diaphragm becomes stressed and a spasm or “stitch” is more likely.  This is why they happen more often when runners are trying to get back into shape after a layoff.

Ten other tips to alleviate or avoid the pain of a side stitch include:

1. Improve your cardiovascular fitness.

2. Warm up properly before you run.

3. Strengthen your core muscles (lower back, abdominal and oblique muscles).

4. Avoid too much, too soon, too fast syndrome.

5. Avoid eating one to two hours before a workout. Having food in your stomach during a workout may increase cramping by creating more force on the ligaments.

6. Stretching may relieve and even prevent a cramp. Raise your right arm straight up and lean toward the left. Hold for 30 seconds, release and relax, and then stretch the other side.

7. Slow down your pace until pain lessens, or walk it out.

8. Breathe deeper to stretch the diaphragm when you feel a cramp coming on. Then, breathe slowly out of your mouth with pursed lips; this tends to relax the diaphragm.

9. Drink before exercise; dehydration can increase muscle cramps. An electrolyte sports drink may be even more helpful than just plain water. Avoid any carbonated beverages one to two hours prior to running.

10. Massage or put firm pressure on the area with pain. Bend forward to stretch the diaphragm and ease the pain.

ENJOY!!

YOUR BOOTCAMP CREW!

And the WINNER is…

June 15, 2021

Congratulations to Lynnette on winning the #SweatySelfie Contest!

TODAY & TOMORROW…

June 9, 2021

for your chance to win a GRL PWR t-shirt!

#SELFIE DAY

June 8, 2021

JUNE 21 is NATIONAL SELFIE DAY!

HOWEVER……..tomorrow, June 9 is WOFB SWEATY SELFIE DAY! (If you train on Tues/Thurs – your SELFIE DAY is Thursday, June 10, 2021).

Get a sweaty selfie after your workout and TAG US @WOFBmiami with a #SweatySelfie!

Best SELFIE wins a GRL PWR t-shirt!