Raising Awareness And The Throes Of Hunger

As part of Hunger Action Month, the CEO of Panera, Ron Shaich, has been taking the SNAP Challenge this week. In case you didn't know, SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps, and is a US federal-aid program that helps low-income individuals and families purchase food.

The SNAP Challenge is a voluntary exercise with the goal to increase awareness and understanding amongst those not affected by hunger, and to help get a better sense of what it is like to struggle with hunger by living on only $4.50 per day.

Below are some poignant sound bites of each of Mr. Shaich's daily posts to date.

Day 0:
We live in the “land of plenty,” and yet nearly 48 million people receive food stamps and 16 million children go to bed hungry.

Day 1:
I haven’t even felt the first pangs of hunger, and I’m already gaining a whole new perspective into challenges that so many people in this country face in dealing with food insecurity – from the embarrassment of having to leave items at the register to the diligence and ongoing calculation required to constantly prioritize and rank every purchase and potential purchase, big and small.

Day 2:
When I finally ate lunch at around 2:30 p.m., it really felt like a reward, and I didn’t take for granted the satisfaction that the meal provided... I was hyper aware whenever those around me consumed.

Day 3:
The face of hunger is as diverse as this country is.

Day 4:
This week, through my participation in the SNAP Challenge, I have had a glimpse into how detrimental and all-consuming hunger can be – and I’m barely halfway through my merely seven day challenge. I can’t stop thinking about food.

Day 5:
“It’s not just about food to fill a belly, it’s about life.”

Mr. Shaich's writing is insightful and raw, and hits sorely close to home.

I remember when I was in grad school— actually discussing the very issue of food insecurity, the SNAP program and Challege— one student couldn't understand (out loud) why those suffering from food insecurity couldn't just go out and get a job so they could pay for and get the food they needed. I interjected, asking, How can these people get jobs if they don't even know how to pack a grocery bag? [We had just finished talking about food banks]. I'm not sure he really understood concepts, yet, such as the basics of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but don't blame him either as it is extremely difficult to understand issues at the core when you haven't experienced them yourself first-hand.

I've never gone hungry because I couldn't afford it. But I can tell you the symptoms, experiences, and consequences of hunger, as Mr. Shaich describes, due to the struggles of income are the exact same as those due to mental illness and, more specifically, anorexia.

To re-iterate, in both instances, you really can't stop thinking about food when you're hungry nor can you really be productive (if at all); it really isn't about the food; and it really is about life— trying to figure out how to build one worth living given the very dire, arguably extremist, circumstances. Every day is a battle.

For me, it was a 10-year battle that crept into my life silently and one that is now silenced because of hard-working efforts and achieving a life of recovery. Yay! Well, not so yay. Because I still live with the consequences of the silent disease, unemployed and in silence about it.

Despite two degrees from an Ivy League university, functional brain, good health, and eagerness, how do you explain to potential employers what the hell you've been doing the past 10 years of your life while everyone else you graduated with are now managers and directors? You've been TO hell and back but that isn't exactly the experience employers want to hear about.

The effects of hunger are profound. This always brings up the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, which is a HealthyButJuicy recommended read, if you don't know about it already. It's nearly impossible to be productive when you are starved— physically, mentally, and emotionally— and when the elemental need of food and nutrition, and focus on survival become your world and all-consuming.

This post isn't just about food insecurity and eating disorders, though. It's about raising awareness, increasing compassion, and bettering ourselves and each other. Before we can solve or address issues, whether they be our own or others', we need to begin to fundamentally understand them first. And, by asking ourselves things like 'In what kind of society do we want to live?' and What kind of life do I?, perhaps, one day, we can reach our goals.

You matter. You can make a difference. And you can be the change.

Share your thoughts in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :> xoxo

Happy Healthy Juicy Inspire!

The Future Of Higher Education? Disrupt!

During this week's TechCrunch Disrupt in SF, Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California, sat down with Sebastian Thrun, CEO of Udacity, an educational tech start-up to discuss The Future of Higher Education.

You can read this article about it and see what people are saying in the comments.

I debated whether I should share my thoughts here or on my other blog, piecesofm, but decided to feature it here as I think this topic is 100% HealthyButJuicy, as it relates to education. Being unemployed with two degrees from an Ivy League institution, healthy, and juicy, this really hits home...

Contributing to the conversation, here are my thoughts:

In my experience, college is too heavily focused on its business-- increasing enrollment and tuition rates-- and not enough on equipping students with the skills they need post-graduation. Rationalizing that college graduates are 'exposed to many different forms of thinking', as Schwartz touts, may be a nice idea but they end up being pretty useless as well. Literally. How many times do you see History majors in completely unrelated professions? And what good is it for them to have the knowledge they don't use (and likely forget) IN ADDITION to the burden of never-ending student loans?

Flat out, schools are not prepping their students enough to pay off those loans with jobs in which they can actually apply the knowledge they learned and paid for. Practical makes complete sense and this disruption in education is exactly what we need. It's not to say all students should or will be redirected and/or geared to the tech industry but, at least for those who know that's what they want, they will be much better prepared and connected.

Share this post and your thoughts in the Comments below, we'd love it if you do! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Education and Tech!

Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry - A HealthyButJuicy Original #15minuterecipe!

If you thought 30-minute meals was fast, try 15 seconds!

HealthyButJuicy kicks off its 15-second video recipes with Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry. Follow @mdesenna on Instagram for instant video-licious gratification and check back here for the detailed recipes. Dishes will be 100% HealthyButJuicy and scrumptious!



So one of the key skills you should develop when cooking HealthyButJuicy is to be able to modify recipes to your likes, tastes, budget, and what you simply have on hand. We called this dish Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry but if you don't eat or like pork, you can simply swap it out for ground beef, chicken, or turkey, firm tofu, or even meat substitute crumbles.

As for the vegetables, we used edamame and carrots (a couple of my daughter's favorites), red bell pepper, and scallions (aka. green onions). We would have added corn, which would have been a nice additional color (and another of my daughter's favorite) but we didn't have any. No biggie.

My daughter ended up not really liking the red peppers— we don't typically eat it often— but I thought it was a great addition both in terms of color, flavor, and texture. It added a bit of sweet- and juiciness and complimented the salmon that we ate with this dish well.

Re: kids and food dislikes. I am all for offering new foods to my daughter (almost 2!). Variety is the spice of life, isn't it? :> And it's important to offer variety to your kids when they're young because as we grow older we tend to be less willing to try new things or foods we think we don't like. As Ellen Satyr (a child nutrition expert) has said, sometimes it takes as many as 15-20 times for kid try a new food before s/he likes it (I remember that because I got that question wrong on a quiz in grad school :>).

Also, offering foods your kids may not necessarily like can actually help teach them some proper table manners. Instead of throwing food on the floor or across the room, my daughter now either gives the food to me to put on my plate, puts the food she doesn't want on her own plate (farthest away from her), or puts it back on the main serving dish. (Perhaps the latter isn't very proper but it's a step up from across the room. :>)

Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe

Ingredients
3 medium Carrots, diced
1-2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock (enough to cover the carrots in a small pot)
4 oz. Ground Pork
2 Scallions, finely-sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 cup frozen, thawed Edamame
1-2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
Oil, as needed

1. In a small pot, cook the carrots in the broth. Carrots take longer than the other vegetables to cook. Cook them to your desired consistency. We cook them until semi-firm to-the-bite, or how my daughter likes it. Skipping this step is also an option if you don't mind your carrots crunchy.
2. In a large wok or deep pan, heat up some oil (about 1-2 tbsp). Add the pork, spreading it across the pan. We're looking for a good sear to bring out the flavor.
3. Add the scallions and toss to release some of its flavors.
4. Scoop out of pan onto serving dish.
5. Add a little more oil to the pan and let it heat up a little.
6. Add the peppers and toss to coat. Cover the pan slightly to soften.
7. Toss in the other vegetables and stir-fry until everything is warmed up.
8. Add the pork and scallion mix.
9. Add a little bit of oyster sauce and re-toss.
10. Transfer the everything back to the serving dish. Voila!

Tweet or Instagram us a pic of this recipe if you try it! Tag your posts with #healthybutjuicy #15secondrecipe

We'd love to see your versions and how it turned out!

Happy Healthy Juicy Make-It-Your-Own Stir-Fry!

Five Simple Habits That’ll Make You A Better Co-Worker: A Working Mom’s Perspective

What you do as a parent can often seem completely irrelevant to what you do in your professional career. On the other the hand, though, the people you work with are, in some (or many) ways, very much like the children you are trying to raise and be role models for. That being said, here are five simple habits, practices, or things you can say to help yourself be a better co-worker.

Please. One of the first things we want our children to say is… well, it’s Mama and Dada, but after that we work hard to teach them Please. That’s because somehow, though not surprisingly, they pick up I Want and Give Me way faster and, once they do, they start saying it seemingly more often than not. As parents, we have to continually interject if we want to raise them to become polite beings of society. What’s the magic word? And really, it is pretty magical, isn’t it? Please connotes respect and that you don’t take things for granted. Can you put away your shoes, please? Can you please help set the table? I don’t always expect my daughter to do the things I ask, just like I don’t expect my co-workers to, but at least I give her the respect she deserves in my requests.


Thank you. Equally powerful as Please, is Thank You. Thank you is the best way to conclude an interaction. That and maybe a hug. In two short words/syllables, which you can even pair down to one in a Thanks, you relay to the other person that you appreciate them, value them, and don’t take them and what they do for granted. Thank you for helping to put away your toys. Thank you for sitting in your chair like everyone else. Thank you for this one-of-a-kind scribble drawing. Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for holding hands. Thank you for being you. And in the office… Thank you for helping me with this project. Thank you for explaining that concept to me (Bill). Thank you for your time. Thank you for making more coffee when there was none. Thank you for your contribution as a member of this team... I can go on and on. There’s a lot to be thankful for.


Do you need help? Kids need lots of help. They wouldn’t be able to get through childhood without mom, dad, or some caretaker, or would have a very difficult time. The people you work with, members of your team or company, are no different. As the great Aristotle once said: The sum of the whole is greater than the parts. I try to not to be an overbearing parent and let my daughter try to do things as self-sufficiently as she can but will often ask her after trying and struggling a little, Do you need help? Do you need help walking up these steps? Do you need help taking off your jacket? Do you need help opening the door? Maybe with children it’s more apparent but we all need help sometimes and it never hurts to extend yourself beyond what is necessary and just offer. For sure, it makes the ride that much better, smoother, more enjoyable, and efficient.


Did you have a good day? I ask my daughter this on a daily basis. I want to know that she did and, if she didn’t, why and what can I do to make it better so that she does. Surely, every day will not be rainbows and sunshine—teething, biting, bullying, and germs all are implications of cloudy forecasts—but nonetheless, caring to even just ask is a step to showing someone you care about them and want them to be happy. Employee satisfaction is one of the most important key factors in the success of a company. It results in low-turnover, increased productivity, and ultimately higher returns. Perhaps this is not something we need to ask our employees or selves on a daily basis but should on a somewhat regular one.


Good job! Momma is very proud of you :> Ok, the latter part of this saying might not be applicable but the former can do wonders. My daughter knows where to put her shoes when we walk in the house—we have a no-shoe policy—but doesn’t always put them away. When she doesn’t put them away, I remind and show her where they need to go. When she does put them away, though, I commend her for her efforts and ability to be responsible. Good job, Babe, that is very good. That is what big girls do. Every time I say that, for whatever she does—saying good night to those around her, washing her hands after she goes to the bathroom, singing the ABC song, counting to 10, giving her friend a hug, sharing—I am positively reinforcing her actions and behavior. Translated in the workplace, it might sound something like: Good idea/input/feedback—your contribution has help us do this better! Good job on landing that account! Or, good work on that project, I couldn’t have met that deadline without you. We all need validation, encouragement, and recognition for the good things we do. It’s what helps us keep going.

It doesn't take much to say a few positive words to those you work with but the effect it has can do wonders for your relationships, quality of work, and, ultimately, happiness both in and out of the office.

What else can people do to be a better co-worker? Share in the Comments below or Tweet/Instagram us, we'd love to hear! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Co-Working!

We Can't Stop... Talking About Miley Cyrus

Days after her performance, the world is still buzzing about Miley Cyrus and her performance at the VMAs.

This picture pretty much sums it up, in case you live in the outer-vortex of pop culture.
Source: Getty Images

It was all tongue and very raunchy. Man, her tongue.

But, really, could we have expected any less? Her latest hit, We Can't Stop, has over 162 million hits on YouTube alone (not to mention #4 on iTunes' Top Music Downloads, just under folks like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga) and, there, already, we got a glimpse of the ever-evolving, ever-straying-away-from-Disney sexual princess, tongue and twerk and crotch and all.

I just finished reading Miley Cyrus Inc.'s Branding Tips (via LinkedIn, no less!) and, despite the author's disapproval, personally, I think the girl got it right. Miley continues to engage audiences, larger and larger, and gives people something to talk about. As an entertainer, it's basically her job to do that and one she's obviously doing well. Marketers and branders can all learn from it since, apparently, We Can't Stop watching or talking about her.

That said, though, from a different, non-business perspective, where should the line be drawn? While her marketing/branding/engagement skills are top notch, as a public figure to such an influential demographic, is she violating her responsibility as a role model, which, unavoidably, she is and cannot escape. We get angry when images of murderers are shared and, arguably, idolized in the mass media, like when the Boston Marathon bomber was beautifully portrayed on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Equally, are we doing the same with Miley?

As a parent to a little girl [thankfully(?) not old enough to understand any of this], what would I say and how would I react if she were to have seen Miley's performance as, say, a t(w)eenager? Surely, I don't condone porn stars, which Miley is unfortunately erring on the side of; on the other hand, I don't know if the world really realizes how young Miley still is— she's not even 21 yet. Despite all the money and fame, she's still a kid and will make mistakes and go through stupid phases. As much as a role model I think/know she is, as a parent, my reaction would be continuous and way pre-determined. Way.

We all know entertainers and mass media are out there and can influence our kids, even ourselves. It's our jobs as parents not necessarily to abhor and shun it, because likewise, they can also be very positive forces in our lives and they're just sometimes simply unavoidable. In the very least, Miley wasn't hurting anyone, with the exception of maybe herself? (TBD) and some eyeballs and stomachs (which could have easily told their hands to change the channel). Take it/her for what it's worth (possibly nothing). Teach your kids values and media literacy and move on.

Here's a clip of her lyrics:

It's our song we can sing if we want to
It's my mouth I can say what I want to...

And we can't stop
And we won't stop
We run things, things don't run we
Don't take nothing from nobody
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, ehh

And this is what I take— (See the positive in everything).
' Source


What (positive) things can you take away from Miley's performance or after-effects thereof? Share your Comments below or Tweet/Instagram us your thoughts, we'd love to hear! xoxo

Happy Healthy Juicy Positivity!

Why Women Can't Have It All... Or Can They?

I just stumbled upon Glamour.com's recently-published article: Why The Woman Who 'Has It All' Doesn't Really Exist'.

'Why Women Can't Have It All, According To Barnard College President Debora L. Spar', though, is the title that actually appeared on my Facebook newsfeed and one that drew me in.

Barnard, in case you didn't know, is Columbia's all-women sister school— I went to Columbia, only reason I know. I was curious to see what this Barnard president had to say, expecting something empowering and inspirational. Something on the lines of: 'Feeling down about yourself? [Yes]. Don't feel bad because it's an ideal/unrealizable goal anyway. [...Ok, but that's not what Facebook is telling me...].

The article's headlining photo is a woman dressed as Wonder Woman running in New York City's midtown with a hoard of other women running after her trying to keep up.

As you can see, the woman is 'svelte', 'scantily-clad', hair so thick 'like Beyonce', beautiful enough to be in Glamour's publication, and, actually, real. How appropriate. Does she, the model, have it all..? Clearly, I'm missing the point but the image is loud, hard-to-miss, and relevant. No?

Spar touches on major life areas— self-image, marriage, motherhood, and career— pointing out despite womens' increasing freedom, we are pin-holing ourselves into a greater misery than when we were suppressed. She writes, 'Feminism was meant to remove a fixed set of expectations; instead, we now interpret it as a route to personal perfection. Because we can do anything, we feel as if we have to do everything. In other words, women today face towering expectations: a pileup of the roles society's long heaped on us, plus the opportunities feminism created.'

On this note, Spar has a point. While feminism has opened a lot of doors, at the same time, it has also increased the pressure to achieve more. But is that a bad thing? And is striving for more the same as trying to be perfect? It's one thing to beat yourself up over things you can't necessarily control like finding your soulmate or even landing your dream job— yeah, that's not HealthyButJuicy— but it's another thing to blast others for trying to reach their goals and criticizing 'Why Women Should Stop Trying to Be Perfect'.

Because what about the writer/speaker herself? Spar is the president of 'arguably the most important all-women’s college in the United States', or at least that's what is touted on her book's description on Amazon.com. She is a mother of three, is married to a husband whom she 'adores', and engages in the daily 'burden' of keeping up appearances by spending about 282 hours per year on beauty (unlike the noted, average 30hrs/year compared to men).

It's funny. She shares...
On beauty: 'Any magazine rack confirms our obsession with one scantily clad celebrity after another... As a requirement for success, beauty becomes just another burden.' Huh? Why is this woman publishing her thoughts in Glamour of all places?— a woman's 'guide to the latest fashion trends, outfit ideas, hair + makeup how-tos, and celebrity scoop', and where the focus is all about beauty and 'burden'.

On marriage: 'Marry someone you love and like; finding a person who doesn't care if you're perfect is a good start.' You hear that ladies?! Stop wasting your time on douche-bags you don't even like. Duh. It's easy as finding a box of fiber cereal for breakfast, a great way to start the day. Try the supermarket?

On motherhood: 'Now we've set the standard that if you can become a biological mom—by spending exorbitantly and undergoing endless medical procedures—then you should. Is that liberating? To me, it feels like another way women have to be perfect or, in this case, perfectly fertile.' Ouch. Let's seriously hope her infertile 'friend' doesn't see that comment...

On work: 'Professional women are frequently asked, "How do you do it?" I hate the query, because doing it all, as is expected of women today, is not doable.' But seriously, how did she do it?

Her conclusion: 'The most crucial thing for women to know today? No one does it all. We each, if we're lucky, will have our chance to leave a mark on the world, but we are trying too hard to be perfect. So don't emulate Wonder Woman; think about what's wonderful to you instead. Then boldly, audaciously, joyfully, leave the rest behind.'

In other words, 'You'd be lucky if you have any impact in this world. Stop trying to be like me. And just settle.'

HealthyButJuicy thinks otherwise.

On beauty: To reiterate MissGlamorazzi's philosophy, 'Makeup is a supplement, not a requirement.' Other than maintaining acceptable hygiene (ie. showering), if you adhere to a beauty routine that feels burdensome, stop it. Use the time to work on your inner beauty.

On love: Source


On motherhood: However you became a mother— through sex, adoption, or one of the 'at least 15 additional ways.. none of which involve sex'— makes you no less of a woman nor crazy.


On being a homemaker: Spar referred to the toils of having to make this dish— Harvest Vegetable Pancakes With Greens and Goat Cheese via Martha Stewart's Everyday Day Food magazine. This is yet another case and point about the author and reason to question how relevant what she is saying is to the average consumer/woman/reader. Who makes vegetable pancakes with beets, carrots, potatoes, and chickpeas? From scratch? Seriously. Who? At the risk of sounding controversial, people who are health-conscious might. People who have the time might. People who are highly educated are the most likely. Time and time again, studies show folks with higher education tend to be healthier. It's an unfortunate disparity but one that still has not yet been bridged. Moreover, it doesn't help when leaders in our educational field don't help, or even make the gap wider with garbage to sell.

On work: There will always be someone out there who is better than you. Likewise, though, there will always be someone out there who lacks your talent. But who even cares? It's not about them, it's about you.

The HealthyButJuicy conclusion: Like everything you hear about health, take what Spar is saying with a grain of salt and always ask questions. Is she a reliable source of information? What will you do differently (if anything) and, ultimately, will your actions make you a better, happier version of you?

All in all, women can't always get what they want. That much is true. Neither can men. But does that necessarily and automatically restrict your ability to be happy, to have drive, to be HealthyButJuicy, or to have it 'all'?

I'm single and unemployed. I lost 10 years of my life to illness, and friends and career-building time along with it. I have this beautiful sunshine I call daughter and the most amazing mother that is an angelic warrior who loves me. I smile. And I laugh. It's not a perfect life nor am I expecting it to be but I kinda feel like I do sorta have it all... Is that crazy?

What're your thoughts? On Spar's opinions, article on women, perfectionism, and having it 'all'? Share below in the Comments and/or Tweet us your thoughts. We'd love to hear!

Happy Healthy Juicy Women! HealthyButJuicy believes in you! xoxo :>

Ashton Kutcher Sexier Than Sexy, Post Teen Choice Awards

After reading a couple UNinspirational stories yesterday— AOL's Armstrong rant/public firing and some lady's premier lazy-A parking spot— I'm in more positive spirits this morning after consuming some more inspirational reads.

I first stumbled upon the hubbub about Ashton Kutcher's recent acceptance speech at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards and, hubbub, it was deservedly earned. There, on perhaps one of the most perfect platforms to speak to young people, he took take advantage of his status, popularity, and, most notably, ability to influence and inspire those both young and old (myself included :>).

Image via web


Ashton spoke about three things: Opportunity, Being Sexy, and Living Life.

1. Opportunity

'I believe opportunity looks a lot like hard work... I never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job...'

2. Being Sexy

'The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart, and being thoughtful, and being generous. Everything else is crap, I promise you. It's just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less just don't buy it! Be smart. Be thoughtful. And be generous.'

3. Living Life
Channeling his recently-portrayed character, Steve Jobs, he referenced this quote by the latest and greatest:

'When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and you're life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again.'

Ashton concluded his speech with a bang...

'Build a life. Don’t live one, build one. Find your opportunities, and always be sexy.'

Following all of this sexy, I stumbled upon 11 Rules For Success, From The People Who Got It Right, the first line reading: 'No one is born a success, but everyone has the potential to become one.' It's not so much a list of 'rules' per se as it is a list of inspirational quotes.

There's a lot of stupidity and negativity in this world so it's important to refresh with positive, empowering messages like Ashton's speech and this collection of quotes often if not daily.

What inspires YOU? Share your inspirations in the Comments below or Tweet/Instagram your goodies, the world would love to hear! xoxo

Written by piecesofm.