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  • Home
  • Our Services
    • Do You Need a New Beginning?
    • Baby Boutique Programs
    • Community Resources >
      • Medical
      • Education
      • Parenting
      • Financial
      • Housing
      • Legal & Mental Health
      • Food Pantry
    • Testimonials
  • Donate Now
    • One-Time Donation
    • Recurring Donation
    • Gift Catalog
    • Material Donations >
      • Target Registry
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Wish List
    • Merch
  • Getting Involved
    • Career Opportunities
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Time Log
    • Internships >
      • Resident Supervisor
      • Media Design Internship
      • Film Production Internship
      • Resident Support Internship
      • Marketing Internship
      • Social Media Internship
      • Customized Internship
    • Events >
      • Ministry Presentations
    • Change for Life Program
  • About Us
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    • Our Team
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The Importance of Nutrition

5/8/2018

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​This week for group night we welcomed Chris, an RN who is also a licensed nutritionist. She showed us the importance of paying attention to what we eat. It is possible to be at the right weight without medications and just by eating a healthy, balanced diet. At fifty-six, Chris is the same weight as she was when she was thirty-six and had her last child. Your body is a gift from God and we must be good stewards for the gifts he has given us. 
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​Now that we’ve covered some basics, let’s go over good and bad fats. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperate and include olive oil and oils from nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are also liquid and include oils from seeds such as sunflowers. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and include butter. Lastly, trans fats should be avoided at all costs. They are also solids and often go through a process called hydrogenation. This is used to process foods to make them last longer. For example, natural peanut butter has a layer of oil that sits on top. Hydrogenated peanut butters such as Skippy use the process to make it smoother and more appealing.
If you want to be healthier, there are several steps you can take. Several websites such as MyPlate have several tools to help you plan meals and what ingredients should be avoided. Instead of drinking soda or athletic drinks, choose tea or water with a slice of ginger or cucumber. Sometimes what we eat depends on how we feel. This is called emotional eating. We do it to get rid of a bad feeling. We don’t know what we’re feeling and it is not the proper way to address it. Slow down and properly eat your food. Food won’t fix it. Look for other ways—talk, pet a dog, pray, or take a nap. It will pass, life happens. Eat in a positive way. Lastly, heavier foods are foods that are low in the glycemic index. They are high in protein and fiber. These include beans, sweet potatoes, and brown rice.
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Nutrition is important because we need to have energy to do daily tasks. We need to maintain a healthy body weight and it also lowers the risk of health problems such as heart disease. A few easy things to start doing are to watch portion sizes and eats lots of foods that are dark green, red, and orange. Look on the packaging before eating any food because portion sizes are often smaller than they seem. 
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Our Group Night (nutritious) snack!
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Group Night is held at New Beginnings.  Every Thursday, we meet as a group to discuss important life skills and educational topics.  Discussions are led by community volunteers and can cover a broad range of topics.
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How to Reduce Stress

5/8/2018

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What is exactly is stress? Stress is a chemical reaction in response to a negative reaction. It’s your body telling you that it doesn’t want to get hurt. This isn’t always bad; it helps keep you safe. However, too much stress can get you stuck in a negative state of being. When people are over-stressed, they typically worry too much about silly things or become desensitized to problem areas in their lives.
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What are symptoms of being too stressed?
Stress has many symptoms and here are a few: increased heart rate, feeling lousy, feeling overwhelmed, forgetting things, loss of focus, and high blood pressure. Being stressed is much worse for pregnant mothers because the baby feels everything that his or her mother feels.
How do I deal with stress?
A big part of dealing with stress is recognizing it so you can plan for before, during, and after the fact. Many people only recognize what stress made them do after-the-fact. When you feel like you’re overstressed, give yourself a moment. Realize you’re having a rough time and get a fresh start. There are many simple ways to help relieve stress: write in journals, take a walk, bathe, color, listen or sing to music, pamper yourself, use a stress ball or something similar, read, take a nap, make lists, or exercise. Be proactive. When you’re really engaged it’s hard to think about all the extra stuff. Crying may not be a bad thing because it makes you feel better afterwards. It’s easier to spiral than to stay at a bottom. Everybody’s life is different. Everything has different meanings to different people. Hold yourself accountable by doing activities with others, such as working out. Get to a place where you can even compromise. Somethings will come with time. Take care of yourself.
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Mind full vs. Mindful
Mindfulness is doing actions with purpose. Your mind is sometimes so cluttered that you don’t realize what you’re doing and live life on autopilot. You’re too busy thinking about the next thing that you neglect what you’re doing in the now. Focus on your breathing two minutes a day. Clear your mind. Learn awareness, self-acceptance, and letting things go. Set apps with reminders to force you to pause throughout the day. Close your eyes and take very deep breaths. Be aware of the noises around you. Open your eyes and say five things you can see, five you can hear, five you can touch, and try to find five things to taste and smell.  Be at peace. Accept things the way they are.
How to prevent stress
Find things that are important to you and make time. Say no to a new responsibility when you need to. Make sure to make yourself laugh every once in a while. Seek out that person who always puts a smile on your face or re-watch your favorite comedy. Intentionally build things into your day to brighten it up. Make your own day. Take long breaths—quickly count 1,2,3,4. Be aware of the right now and intentionally focus on what’s around you. If you need further help with your stress, many hospitals offer courses. A stress-free you is the best you!
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Resident Shawna is stress-free at this moment!
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Group Night is held at New Beginnings.  Every Thursday, we meet as a group to discuss important life skills and educational topics.  Discussions are led by community volunteers and can cover a broad range of topics.
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Interview With a Single Mother

5/8/2018

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​For this blog I interviewed one of my friends, Alexis. She’s 25 and the mother of Lola, who’s almost three. Alexis recently finished her associate’s degree and is continuing her education. She’s one of the strongest people I know, and I couldn’t wait to get some of her insights on what it’s like to be a single mother.
​What’s something you wish you would’ve known when becoming a mother?
Alexis wishes her father would’ve told her how hard it was to have a split family. She has one full brother, plus a sister from her father’s first marriage and another sister from a different relationship. Things never worked out with Lola’s father, but she remains in regular contact with him and Lola sees him often. However, it is so hard to make everyone happy. She’s trying to make it work, but there’s always something that doesn’t sit right.
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Alexis and daughter Lola
What’s the best part about being a mother?
Alexis’s favorite moments are those quiet nights. Lola is always quick to announce her affection with an “I love you mom,” “Thank you mom,” or “You’re safe now.” “You can just tell by their look that you’re the greatest person in the world to them. Suddenly this gooey wet thing on your chest is the most important part of your life,” said Alexis. Unconditional love is an amazing thing. “You’re not doing half a bad job,” Alexis assures, “Always raise your child to be polite, helpful, and respectful.”
What are struggles you’ve faced as a single mother?
“Stability!” Alexis quickly responded, “Financial stability especially.” She’s currently looking for a new home for just her and Lola. She wants to be able to be the parent that she wants to be. She stated that even if you are living with someone rent-free, “pay rent” but put it into your child’s savings account. Additionally, when seasonal clothes go on sale, buy the next size up.
​What does your faith mean to you as a single mother?
When Alexis was a senior in high school, she was a hot mess. A person close in her life made her go to church with them, and she has been going to that same church ever since. When you feel alone and insecure, it’s comforting for people to pray with you and for you. Church is a place to go when you don’t know where your life is going. “It’ll make me feel happy, everything will turn out fine. I have another human being I can’t let down,” Alexis stated, “make sure I’m doing my best with this healthy, smart girl.” 
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​How important has education been to you as a single mother?
Alexis’s father got his doctorate when she was sixteen. He studied all the time even at school events like basketball games. He showed Alexis how to achieve. He has four kids and he still did it. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a significant other but family support is good. Nowadays you need credentials. Finishing school is Alexis’s top priority. She balanced out the hard part when Lola was a baby and knows what it’s like to be completely overwhelmed.
What advice would you give to single mothers?
“It’s okay,” Alexis said, “It’s okay if you have it together or if you don’t. If you have a baby you’re strong. You’re giving, caring and nurturing. You will be okay. Nothing will be as bad as you think. To Lola, I’m the best person. Don’t make your kid think it’s not okay. My parents sometimes didn’t have the best of times but that never stopped them from giving us a good life. Sky’s the limit. Never too late to go to school, even if you have two, four kids. Always resources out there.” 
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Proverbs 20:5: “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”
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Rachel Christian is an intern from Wisconsin Lutheran College. She is a senior Communicative Arts major with an emphasis in business. She grew up in Sullivan, Wisconsin and graduated from Lake Country Lutheran High School. In her free time she enjoys movies, the outdoors, and spending time with her cat, Cleo.
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