Leaders Communicate

"Communication is a wonderful thing - but you need to do it!" It's one of my favorite expressions that I use often with my family and employees. All of us communicate is a wide variety of ways. People much smarter than I am have proposed several factors that Goman* refers to as "The Silent Language of Leaders"...

• FACE FOLKS DIRECTLY - even a slight turn away creates a barrier indicating a lack of interest. Close your laptop, turn off that cell phone, put away briefcase



• POSITIVE EYE CONTACT MATTERS - look directly into my eyes. As long as you are looking at me I believe I have your full attention



• OPEN GESTURES WORK - keep movements relaxed, show the palm of your hands. These are signals of credibility and candor. Arms crossed, hands hidden create barriers.



• USE YOUR HEAD - Nod your head the next time you want another person to talk more. Research shows that people will talk 3 to 4 times more than usual when the listener nods.



• SMILE - it directly influences how other people respond. Smiling is contagious - people smile back which can change a person's emotional state both listener and speaker

*"The Silent Language of Leaders" by Dr. Carol Kinsey Gorman

Choose Your Attitude

Taking responsibility for how your respond to life when it happens - and it does - impacts everyone around us. Not just the people with whom we work but family, friends, neighbors, store clerks and people passing by on the street. It begs the question "Is my attitude helping my team, (family, clients? Is it helping me be the person I want to be?

There is always a choice about the way you do your work even if there's not a choice about the work itself. Some may feel like there isn't a choice about where to work - maybe you're not qualified to do what you really want to do and don't have the resources to get additional training. Perhaps you aren't able to move from where you live due to familal obligations and where you live offers little choice. So changing the workplace or geography may not be an option. But the way in which you do it IS a choice.

When you are doing what you are doing, who are you being? Are you crabby? completely unapproachable? Or are you being the absolute best you can be? Being the best you can be is infectious and can reap huge rewards...

• Accepting that attitude IS a choice demonstrates a level of accountability and proactivity that fills the workplace


• Choosing your attitude and playing the victim are mutually exclusive


• Making the decision to bring your best self to work allows us to bring our best qualities to work even though we are not able to do exactly what we want at the time

IT IS A CHOICE!

Leader or Follower?

"True LEADERS act with courage not fear;
Stand tall in the face of adversity and
Go where few have gone before!"


It's tough to be a good leader. Leadership is often thrust upon us with not formal training and yet we so want to excel at it. The question often emerges - what do I do first when there's so much that has to be done? No doubt about it - the multi-tasking duties and deadlines and challenging goals that professionals face each day are stressful. So what can we do to maintain a positive attitude and keep stress in check?

We often hear about stress being the result of being overworked, but postponing tasks leads to more worry and increased anxiety than lots of work ever does. You can actually overcome certain types of stress by picking up the pace of your work and here's how:

-Avoid postponing jobs - Tackle them head-on. Begin with the most unpleasant tasks first.
-Be the master of your day - rather than react to each day's circumstances, list and prioritize daily tasks then stay focused on their completion.
-Delegate - only do what you HAVE to do. Much of what we do each day could easily be done by others, those who report to us, our colleagues, our friends. We choose to do things not because we have to but because we think no one else can do them as well. They really can!! -Challenge yourself - don't stop after you've completed the first one - keep going. You'll be surprised how much more you can accomplish by taking a break and then returning to what's next.

While you may feel some level of stress related to working harder, the resulting reward of accomplishment will transform worry and anxiety into improved self-confidence and self-satisfaction.

And that reduces stress. And that's Leadership!

Why Eat Local?

Eating local is a good thing for a lot of reasons - many of which we have heart before; some of which may be new to us. Some of obvious; some more subtle. Here are two major reasons to eat local that relates to food quality...

1. Local Foods Are Seasonal - that means that there are certain times when some of our favorite foods (strawberries; spinach; fresh herbs) are just not available. That means we appreciate them more when they are in season and more importantly from a nutritional standpoint, we build more variety into our diet by eating plums in the summer months and apples in the winter.

• Dietary Guidelines have been issued by the USDA every 5 years since 1980 and without exception one of the recommendations has been to "eat a variety of foods" in order to get all the nutrients needed for health

2. Local Foods are Fresher - vendors at the market pick their greens, berries, beans and squash at the optimal time for ripeness which maximizes the flavor, freshness and nutritional profile.

• - It tastes better and lasts longer


• - Lettuce from Florida or apples from Washington State or upstate New York are picked early to allow for the time needed to truck it to its destination and to withstand the stress inherent in the process.

Here are some ideas for enjoying the local food bounty available NOW. Kale is most often used as a liner and not eaten. Try one of these and you'll become a convert overnight.

Sweet and Savory Kale

• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1 small onion, diced


• 2 cloves garlic, diced


• 2 tablespoons brown mustard


• 4 teaspoons white sugar


• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar


• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth


• 4 cups stemmed, torn and rinsed kale


• 1/4 cup berries (or dried cranberries if fresh berries not in season)


• salt and pepper to taste


• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale cover and cook 5 minutes until wilted. Continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half. Add berries and almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tomato and Bocconcini Salad

• 1/2 cup olive oil


• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper


• 4 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried


• 2 cups arugula, rinsed and dried


• 2 cups grape tomatoes


• 1 cup fresh bocconcini chesse, cut in bite-sized pieces


• 1 cup minced red onion

Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper into closed container. Set aside. Gently toss spinach, arugula, tomatoes, cheese and onion. Shake dressing to combine ingredients and drizzle over salad and serve.

Choose local foods to get the best fresh and flavorful foods available. Then enjoy!!

Give a Healthy Toast to 2011

Forget the typical New Year's resolution to lose weight! Join friends and neighbors commited to making a healthier you, community and nation. Anyone who has not heard about the epidemic of obesity has either been asleep or doesn't care. However, research tells us that the most common resolution is that pledge to lose weight (increasing exercise is a popular one as well). Unfortunately being that obesity is still running rampant we haven't been very good at keeping those resolutions.

What's the answer? Focus on health not weight. Pick foods and lifestyle choices that will contribute to a healthier you and healthier world. Every little step counts whether it's walking for 5 minutes longer or another day of the week; leaving some food on your plate or taking smaller amounts (portions) of food; substituting lower fat foods for more traditional or cooking differently. Here are some ideas that the chefs use:

• Poach fish, chicken or other meat in highly flavored broth instead of frying in oil; poach fruit in juice rather than sugary syrup
• Intensify flavors with high-heat cooking such as grilling, broiling or panfrying meat to seal in juices - just don't overcook
• Use highly spiced rubs rather than salt and pepper to add loads of flavor
• Add fuller flavors with whole grains including brown rice, quinoa, bulgar and wild rice
• Serve bean purees or olive tapenade instead of butter or margarine as table condiments
• Add nuts - peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans; even a small amount packs flavor and nutrition
• Use big, bold flavor ingredients - just a little adds lots of flavor - feta cheese, pomegrante seeds, chipotle pepper, fresh rosemary just to name a few

Enjoy what your are, what you eat and what you become! Happy Healthy New Year!

Marcia

Healthy Approach to Holiday Eating and Beyond

You really can enjoy friends, family and food without piling on extra pounds. On average, Americans gain one to two pounds during the holiday season. While this weight gain isn't dramatic, research shows it tends to stick and accumulate over the years. Fortunately those pounds can be avoided through mindful eating and following a few simple strategies. In anticipation to a party or event, don't skip meals throughout the day as this often results in overeating. It is especially important to have breakfast as research continues to tell us that people who eat a morning meal tend to consume fewer calories throughout the day. Include lots of fiber in your diet by filling up on fruits vegetables and whole grains. My husband and I stayed at a hotel over the weekend that included a brunch with the package. At brunch there was a huge bowl of cut up fruit into which we both indulged and added a pile to our plates. High fiber foods are high in volume and will satisfy hunger while being low in calories.

Holiday meals tend to be large, buffet style and include second and third helpings. While most wouldn't consider eating an entire cake, a common mistake is eating large portions of foods that are perceived to be healthy. It's important to include nutrient-rich foods in your diet but remember that these foods have calories too and should be consumed in moderation. Too much of a good thing is not necessarily better.

Employing all the techniques that you use year around to control calories and keep eating in control can be followed in December and January as well. Like using a smaller plate so less food fits on the plate and looks like more. Also, begin with vegetables and salad before heading to the entrees and dessert. Two of the favorites that have become Scheideman traditions are a crisp green salad that includes red pears and green apple slices for a festive spirit. I add a light vinegarette that is made with cider vinegar and maple syrup and top with some pecans or walnuts. Another favorite is combining winter vegetables like butternut squash, red beets, turnips and onions, cut up and tossed in olive oil and some seasonings and roasted in a hot oven until tender. Both are nutrient-rich and calorie-poor and full of flavor. Research shows that if you eat a green salad before the meal you can decrease the amount of calories consumed at the meal.

Eat slowly and savor every bite and wait ten minutes before going for seconds to determine if you are really still hungry. Remember you get more pleasure out of the first and last bites than any of the ones inbetween!

Have a Healthy, Happy New Year,

Marcia

Have Your Turkey and Eat it Too!

While holiday food often gets a bad rap, turkey rises to the top as a lean, nutrient rich choice. Being the mainstay of the holiday meal it's the company it keeps that can get it into trouble. That means the side dishes that go along with the main course (turkey). Surprisingly however, the way in which the turkey is cooked doesn't change the calories and fat by much. Take a look see...

Roast Turkey

• 663 calories
• 37g fat
• 211 mg cholesterol

Roast Turkey Legs

• 643 calories
• 37g fat
• 241 mg cholesterol

Deep Fried Turkey

• 603 calories
• 34g fat
• 228 mg cholesterol

The company kept by the turkey on the plate is quite another story however. For me, when all else fails there's always the vegetable, bread and or salad that I can depend on to help balance out the extra fat and calories that often come with a special feast. Unfortunately when the steamed green beans almondine turn out to be a cream soup laden green bean casserole all that goes out the window.

And it's not just the green beans, crusty whole grain dinner rolls have a habit of transforming into pumpkin nut bread or cinnamon rolls and a crisp green salad becomes pineapple, orange marshmallow sour cream combination during the holidays throwing the best laid plans out the window.

If you are the cook, try incorporating a healthier alternative. Believe me it is very much appreciated by all concerned. Not the cook? Offer to bring something. If nothing else, you will have a choice but my guess is that others will appreciate it as well. If you are like me, the fresh, lean choices are not only just as good but in many cases better than the more traditional fat and calorie laden sides.

Enjoy the holidays, just come out ahead on the other side.

Happy, Healthy Holiday Eating

Marcia