I’ve been pretty good about taking all my vitamins and supplements for the past 10 years or so. I started seeing Lisa, a naturopath, about that time and learned which ones I should be taking. Each time I go in for an appointment, Lisa actually does a skin prick to get a blood sample, and then looks at my blood under a microscope. She can tell if I have eaten anything I’m allergic to and can diagnose any energy issues I’m having. It amazes me what she can tell from looking at how healthy my red blood cells look and how many white blood cells are present.
I have to admit, when I went vegan in late December 2018, I kind of fell off the wagon. For some reason, I stopped consistently taking all of my supplements. My eating patterns changed, and I didn’t make it a priority to fit in taking them daily.
So last week, after a whirlwind three weeks of traveling, I contacted Lisa and asked if she could squeeze me in for a visit. I went to her office at 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening and frankly, started dozing off in her waiting room.
When I walked in to see her, she took a blood sample and looked at it under the microscope. While she was looking at it, she projected it onto a computer screen so I could see it too. I was shocked. I had never seen my blood look so pathetic. Very few red blood cells, and those that were there were almost transparent. She looked at me and asked, “What is going on?
I admitted that I hadn’t been taking my supplements. She pulled out a piece of paper titled “Signs and Symptoms of B12 Deficiency” and handed it to me.
OMG – I saw a few symptoms that had been plaguing me for a couple of months: weakness in arms, legs, trunk; forgetfulness, memory loss; shortness of breath. Honestly, I thought what I had been experiencing was due to “getting older.” I never connected the facts that I might have a vitamin deficiency.
So, she gave me a Vitamin B12 shot and B12 patches to wear every other day. She has me taking liquid B12 under my tongue three times a day. Plus a variety of other supplements to restore my energy, balance, etc.
Almost immediately, I started feeling more energetic. I felt stronger when I worked out, started sleeping better and didn’t seem to have that feeling of being at a loss for the right words.
I know some people don’t believe in taking vitamins and supplements. They think they can get everything from what they eat and vitamins are for “tree huggers.” Last year, I heard Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn speak at a conference, and she shared that when she was training for competition, she got her blood tested daily to see what minerals were lacking in her blood, so she could supplement for peak performance.
I don’t know about you, but if it’s good enough for an Olympic athlete, it’s a best practice for me. Taking care of your body to ensure you are at peak performance – by eating the right foods, eating less of bad-for-you foods, getting enough sleep and taking vitamins when needed – seems like a good idea.
I’m fortunate to have an expert naturopath I can rely upon – who supports your wellness? Have you ever thought of having your blood tested to see if you have sufficient levels of Vitamin D, B, etc.? If you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms listed above, I recommend looking for a naturopath near you.
You’ll feel better! And you will perform better.
Karen
I don’t know about you, but I didn’t know a lot about the difference between 3G, 4G and 5G. I guessed it had something to do with bandwidth (as it relates to how fast my mobile phone works). And I have seen announcements in the press that Verizon (my carrier) launched their 5G network in October 2018.
And then I went to Barcelona, Spain, last week. I went to Barcelona to attend the three-day International Women’s Forum Conference (I am a member). The Friday morning program was entitled “The Fourth Industrial Revolution.” The program description detailed that there would be some discussion on how 5G will improve the capacity and reliability of mobile broadband. And that it is expected to unleash a technological revolution that will transform the way we live and work. Technological revolution. That definitely got my attention.
To step back, nowhere in the materials did it say that the location of the conference, Barcelona, is considered the “smartest city” in the world. In fact, I learned that Spain has more fiber network than the U.K., France, and Italy – combined! What is a smart city? A smart city’s purpose is to make people’s lives better. And to use technology as an enabler for that.
So as I listened to executives from Intel, Dentons, IBM Europe, and GSMA (which is the trade body that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide) I was blown away to learn that going from 3G to 5G basically improves the download capability 20,000 times. Yes – that means our data, audio, video, etc., will download 20,000 times faster than when we had 3G.
And why is this important? Because of the Internet of Things (IoT). 5G will enable us to really be connected. Whether it is the timing of traffic signals when there is an accident or heavy traffic, or enabling autonomous vehicles to talk to each other to avoid collisions, optimize traffic flow, etc. Or allowing you and everyone at your company to simultaneously download a training video or webcast, from personal mobile devices, in the same room.
If you want to know how 5G is really going to change our world, then play this four-minute video. It’s an excellent overview of what we’re in for.
I’m excited about the future, and my head is spinning with ways the IoT will enable us to do things we’ve never even thought of. As my 95-year-old mother likes to say, “Technology is amazing.”
Karen
About 18 months ago, a dear friend of mine suggested I read a book entitled Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown. I really had no idea who Brené Brown was, but I felt an instant connection to her since she narrates her books (I listened to the book on Audible).
Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW, is a research professor at the University of Houston. That’s her day job. But her real calling is that she has spent the last two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. Her TED talk – “The Power of Vulnerability” – is one of the top five most-viewed TED talks in the world, with more than 35 million views. That is a lot of views!
She talks about shame and vulnerability – not the typical subjects of speeches and presentations. Mostly because no one likes to talk about that. If you haven’t listened to her, I highly suggest you either watch her TED talk or listen to one of her books. Her Texan accent, her speech is punctuated with swear words (her talks are heavily peppered with the word “bullshit”) and her authenticity are contagious. I learned years ago that to use a swear word properly in a speech can actually connect you with your audience.
But Brené’s use of swear words is more than a connection tool, it is the truth, exemplified. Like when she was asked to speak at a Very Big Business Conference, with the limitations of 1) no swearing and 2) no mention of her faith (her personal values are faith and courage). She talked about her thought process on this request, and finally she decided, “This is bullshit.” She is who she is, and she will not give in to anyone who asks her to NOT be her authentic self.
Brené has written five New York Times #1 best-selling books: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness and most recently Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
You can probably tell, I am a bit of a fangirl for Brené, so when I learned that she was speaking in Houston at a small private event, my friend Lisa, who lives in Houston, offered to have me sit at her table for the dinner. I booked my ticket to Houston immediately – I was in!
Let me start by saying that I must have mentioned to Lisa at least five times that I wanted to meet Brené personally. I was so determined that Lisa sent me a screenshot of the seating chart for the event, to show me where we were sitting (table #4) and where Brené would be. I wrote a note to Brené on my personal stationary and carried it with me in my purse.
So, it was no surprise that when we arrived at the pre-event reception, I spotted Brené across the room. I don’t think anyone had really seen her yet. So I quickly pulled out my phone, recruited someone I didn’t know to take our photo and moved toward Brené.
I was immediately struck by how she connects with people. She looks directly into your eyes and genuinely smiles. When it was my turn to say hello to Brené, I passed her my note (to open later) and told her that I flew from California just to see her. I also shared that her latest book, Dare to Lead, was so amazing that several months earlier I purchased 10 copies of it to distribute to every member of my leadership team at work.
After our photo was taken, I looked and there were dozens of other people lined up to talk with her.
After the dinner portion of the event, she got up and spoke to this group of 250 people about the Five Barriers to Courage: Tough Conversations, Fears & Feelings, Stuck in Setbacks, Problem Solving/Action Bias and Inclusivity, Diversity + Equity. And she ended her talk with the Four Skills Sets Needed: Rumbling with Vulnerability, Living into Our Values, Braving Trust and Learning to Rise.
She is such a compelling speaker that even though the dinner ran long and she wasn’t able to start her talk until 9 p.m. – not a single person got up to leave before she finished at 9:45 p.m.
As I rode in the car back to my hotel, two takeaways rolled around in my head.
First, there is no courage without vulnerability. (I decided that it is okay for me to be vulnerable. Even though I feel like I am supposed to have that big red “S” for superwoman on my chest, I think it is better for me to be vulnerable and ask for help when I need it.)
And second, clear is kind. Unclear is unkind. (I asked myself, how many times do I beat around the bush with people and am not direct with my ask or my opinion?) I am really being unkind by being unclear?
This trip to Houston to meet and hear Dr. Brené Brown was a revelation for me.
The name of the event was: Dare to Show Up. It took a little scheduling and a plane flight, but I’m so glad I did dare to show up. I hope YOU will dare to show up when the opportunity presents itself to you.
