10 Simple Ideas to Eliminate Racism - YWCA USA

YWCA USA offers 10 simple ideas to eliminate racism. Think before you speak, be a role model and explore the unfamiliar are just a few easy ways to promote life without racism. Follow the link below to read more.

Are you making these simple efforts to eliminate racism in your life?

10 Simple Ideas to Eliminate Racism - YWCA USA

Happy Earth Day! Did you choose organic?

According to Maria Rodale, chairman and CEO of Rodale Inc., publisher of Women's Health, choosing to buy organic foods can improve your health and the environment. While eliminating toxic chemicals where the food is grown, you're supporting locally grown foods and promoting a healthier planet. Rodale says that organic farming can actually slow global warming, as well.

Conventional farming uses chemicals that are known to cause many health problems, including allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity and more. According to Rodale, you can lessen your risk of many serious health conditions by switching to organic foods.

"Organic foods are grown without any artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, sewage sludge (which often includes toxic pharmaceuticals and cleaning supplies), or GMOs (genetically modified organisms)," Rhodale explains. "If it's an animal, it is fed organic food and raised without the use of artificial growth hormones, antibiotics or GMOs."

For more information about buyng organic, read the rest of Women's Health Magazine's article http://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/maria-rodale

Who said walking wasn't a workout?

We all know that it can be hard to get the ball rolling with a fitness routine. Walking is a simple adjustment to your daily routine that can benefit your fitness and overall health tremendously.

According to the National Women's Health Resource Center, Inc., you can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by 65% by briskly walking regularly. Brisk walking (a 15-minute mile or 4 mph) can burn nearly as many calories as jogging for the same distance.

Walking burns fat, boosts your immunity and energy and relieves stress. While having a low impact on your back, it can be a great way to work out without straining your body. Not only does walking increase your muscle toning, it strengthens bones too! It can be beneficial at any speed, but swifter paces have a more effective result on your overall leg strenght. Finally, try to incorporate big arm swings. This will increase your walking pace and cardio level.

So next time you talk yourself out of going to a workout class, make an effort to increase the amount of walking in your daily routine. Your body will notice the change!

Inspired? Get a YWCA gym membership for only $40/yr. With a variety of fitness classes available and an open gym, you can be on your way to an improved figure. Call (865)523-6126 for more information.

Photo credit- www.motherinc.com.au

Kiera Knightley's PSA on Domestic Violence (UK)

Kiera Knightley starred in this public service announcement in 2009 for Women's Aid, a UK charity. The video features an extremely graphic domestically violent scenario. Does the public service announcement reach its goal to shed light on domestic violence? Are more public service announcements necessary like this one? Is the UK eliminating domestic violence with more direct awareness?
Please join the discussion and leave a comment. "2 women die from domestic violence a week" the public service announcement states. By starting the conversation, you can help save lives. For more scary statistics and more on UK's national domestic violence support charity, go to www.womensaid.org.uk/

Domestic violence themes found in popular songs

Anyone would admit that domestic violence is a dangerous issue plaguing many relationships. So why do popular artists sing about it? Many chart-topping hits contain violent scenarios and themes. A few popular examples:

"Halloween"- Dave Matthews Band

"Down by the River"- Neil Young

"Kiss With a Fist"- Florence + the Machine

"Delia Gone"- Johnny Cash

"M.E.M.P.H.I.S. (Makin' Easy Money Pimpin' Hoes in Style)"- The Disco Biscuits
"Papa Johnny Road"- Widespread Panic

"Stan"-Eminem

"Getting Better"- The Beatles

"Black Eyes Blue Tears"-Shania Twain

"Janie's Got a Gun"- Aerosmith

"Peace Frog"- The Doors

"Can You Control Yo Hoe?"- Snoop Dogg

These songs range in genre and style, so odds are pretty high you have enjoyed their music. While being widely popular, many of these artists are aware of their influence over their fans. Are these songs meant to teach a lesson against domestic violence? Or are they glamorizing it?

Continuing to make history: Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi made history in November 2002 when House Democrats elected her to be the first woman to lead a major political party. She was elected the first Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2007. While in her second term as Speaker of the House, Pelosi continues to make history.

With her strong leadership, Pelosi has proved to unify her Democratic Party and has helped pass important legislation. Pelosi has worked with President Obama and legislative efforts for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the recent Healthcare Reform Bill.

According to a congressional scholar at the Brookings Institution, Thomas Mann, “She's probably gained the reputation of one of the strongest and most effective speakers in decades.”

With all of this talk about the new Healthcare Reform Bill, you might be looking for answers about the goals of the Democratic Party. For more information about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the 111th Congress, go to www.speaker.gov/

Kick off Women's History Month by sharing some inspiration

We heard their biographies in history classes in high school, but maybe we have not realized how much appreciation they really deserve. So, to kick off Women's History Month, here are quick bios of three incredible women.

Maya Angelou, one of the most famous African American authors of the twentieth century. Over the span of her career, she expressed her talents through her acting, directing, poetry, screenwriting, singing, dancing and more. Her autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" exemplified the self-determined journey of a young woman who overcame rape and served as a civil rights activist.

Rosa Parks, dubbed the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." As segregation laws forced compliance around the country, Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus in December of 1955. Her defiance with this law marked the start of the Civil Rights Movement. Parks rallied a boycott, lasting 381 days and thus causing the overturn of segregation laws.

Ella Fitzgerald, "The First Lady of Jazz." Fitzgerald was one of the most famous singers of the twentieth century. She is known for her huge role in the emergence of jazz. Her unparalleled talent earned her immense popularity as she recorded around 2,000 songs in her lifetime.

For more biographies of influential African-American women, check out http://www.biography.com/blackhistory.