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TheFosterFirmWins.com • 404-559-8325 • August/September 2023
MY JOURNEY TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT
If you know me, you know I’m in a perpetual mode of self- improvement. Every day I try to be better in some way, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. And while I’ve always had a hardworking, entrepreneurial spirit, it was 11 years ago that I decided to apply that same work ethic to improve myself. I bring this up because I recently read that September is Self- Improvement Month, and while many people in my life now know me as that perpetual self-improver, I think it’s important to recognize that it took time, sweat, and sacrifice to become this way. My journey started when I moved to Georgia. I’m originally from LA, where everyone looks fit and in shape, or, as my husband says, “like a Barbie doll.” Of course, there are unhealthy people in LA, too, but for the most part, you see people who eat healthily and spend their How I Transformed My Life days zipping around town in jogging shorts and sneakers. But in the South, things are a bit different. In general, people tend to be unhealthy thanks to the food we eat here. Sugar, salt, and fat are the main ingredients in many dishes, and don’t get me wrong, I’ll be the first to say they taste amazing. Slowly but surely, I began to gain weight. I’d tell myself, “Okay, when I become x, y, or z size, I’ll start eating better.” I did become all x, y, and z sizes but continually kept moving the goalpost of my healthy aspirations further and further back until I was eventually wearing double digits. It wasn’t so much about the size as it was the fact that I was only becoming older and unhealthier as time went on. I knew that’s not what I wanted for my life; I wanted to become healthier, stronger, and younger, so one day, I looked in the mirror and said, “Okay. That’s it. You are going to the gym, and you’re going to change your life.”
At that moment, while looking in the mirror, I set a start date of Jan. 4, which was just a short while away. I told myself that to make this transformation work, I had to make it nearly impossible for me to fail. My first requirement was that I could only choose a gym 30 minutes or less from my house, so I could never complain about it being too far. Once I found a gym nearby, I chose three classes off of their group fitness schedule simply because I thought they sounded fun. I wouldn’t force myself into lifting weights or running on a treadmill — I had to enjoy it. Lastly, I only attended classes early in the morning, so exercising wouldn’t hinder my daily tasks. When it came to my diet, I made minor adjustments over time, choosing to skip foods high in sugar or fat and adding more fruits and vegetables to my meals. Over time, I lost 25 pounds. I was also surrounding myself with other people who were healthy and fit. We constantly talked about exercise, recipes, health trends, tips, and tricks, so my obsession with health and fitness took off — and it didn’t go unnoticed. One day, my Zumba class teacher approached me and said, “You know, you should really be an instructor.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, you’re crazy,” I said. But slowly, over time, her words and my passion for fitness really sunk in, and I became an instructor! I absolutely love it. Now, many people around town know me as “The Zumba Lawyer.” So, to anyone who also wants to work toward self- improvement, I encourage you to take that first step. Be honest, say what you want, and set a date to make it happen. And, if your goal is to become healthier, I’d love to see you in my Zumba class at the LA Fitness at Camp Creek and Old National!
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Wake Up Refreshed With Sleep Syncing SLEEP LIKE A CELEBRITY
How do you start sleep syncing? The first step to sleep syncing is to create a consistent sleep schedule, which requires a bit of self-research. Start by writing down the time of night you feel sleepy, when you fall asleep, and how many hours of sleep you need to feel rested. Collecting data may take a week or two, but once you know how much sleep you need and when you start to feel sleepy, you can choose your new sleep and wake times. Pick a realistic morning wake time to get ready (no snoozing!), and then reverse engineer your sleep time. For example, if you need eight hours of sleep and must be up by 7 a.m., you likely need to be in bed by 10:30 p.m. to fall asleep by 11 p.m. The key to successful sleep syncing is to stick to your schedule — even on the weekends. With consistency and practice, you’ll wake up naturally feeling more rested and ready to take on your day!
If one thing is for sure, Americans are not getting enough sleep. One in three people report not getting enough rest,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 40% of people admit to falling asleep during the day without meaning to at least once a month. Celebrities are no exception, which is why many stars use “sleep syncing” to ensure they get their beauty rest every night. And you can use it too! So, what is sleep syncing? Sleep syncing aligns your circadian rhythm, your body’s natural internal clock, with your daily routine. Unlike many celebrities, ordinary people don’t have much control over what they do every day; things like work, appointments, children’s schedules, and family duties more or less set our daily schedules for us. That’s why the trick with sleep syncing is to align your body around that schedule so waking up for work or taking the kids to school feels natural. After a while, you may not even need an alarm!
OUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVING TIPS
How YOU Can Keep Kids Safe
We hope everyone has had a fantastic summer and a chance to unwind and relax. With months off from the hustle and bustle of school, many of us have gotten used to speeding through school zones or not having to worry about when and if buses stop and children cross. But unfortunately, these summer habits can become dangerous during the school year. In fact, school zone accidents injure approximately 25,000 children and kill 100 each year, according to the Transportation Research Board. At The Foster Firm, we know that no one wants to injure or kill a child accidentally, and doing so is every person’s worst nightmare. So, in an effort to help everyone in our community stay safe, here are three back-to-school driving tips to remember when on the road. No. 1: If a school bus stops, lights are blinking, and the stop sign is out, you must stop your vehicle. This includes both directions of traffic, too. So, even if a double yellow line separates you and a school bus stops in the opposite lane, you must stop your car, too, in case children need to cross the road. Also, if you are behind a school bus that stops, never pass it. Children may be walking in
No. 3: Check your car seats, as your children may have grown over the summer. Two months is a long time for a growing child, so before loading them into their car seat, check their height and weight against the limits of the car seat you have. If your child needs a new car seat or booster seat and you are unsure how to install it, your local fire department will help you! And most importantly, remain alert. Children can be unpredictable and dart out in front of cars, so keep your eyes on the road and pay attention while behind the wheel.
front of the bus to cross the street, and you won’t see them until it’s too late. No. 2: Be mindful of school zone speed limits; they’re photo-enforced.
When you see the school zone signs flashing during pickup and drop-off hours of the school day, you must slow your car to the posted speed limit. And once these signs begin to blink, the cameras attached to them activate, so if you speed through the school zone, you will receive a ticket in the mail.
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How to Infuse Fitness Into Your Life SMALL STEPS, BIG IMPACT
On Page 1 of this newsletter, I talked about my goal to become healthier and more fit. For me, that meant attending classes at my local gym. But for you, incorporating exercise into your life may not mean a gym membership, at least maybe not right away. For some people, they may feel more comfortable slowly moving more and more over time — and that’s okay! Any movement is better than none. So, whether you’re looking to make fitness part of your everyday life, or you would like to add extra steps to your day, here are four easy The easiest way to encourage yourself to move more is to make your walks into grocery stores, your job, the mall, and even restaurants longer. Park at the farthest point away from the building, even if that means all the way across the parking lot. Obviously, if it’s nighttime and the far edges of a parking lot have no lighting or seem unsafe, you should park closer. But in the middle of the day, with people all around, make yourself walk! No. 2: Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Did you know that you burn three times more calories climbing stairs than you do walking? You use 50% more energy climbing stairs than you do walking up a steep hill, according to Harvard Medical School. ways to encourage exercise in your routine. No. 1: Park farther away from buildings.
With that said, it’s always better to take the stairs instead of an elevator when you see them. No. 3: Find a 15-minute workout on YouTube. The most common reasons I hear people say they don’t exercise is that they don’t have time and wouldn’t know what to do anyway. To that, I say everybody has 15 minutes somewhere in their day, and the internet is a helpful resource! You can find many videos online with step-by-step instructions and examples for entire workout routines. Plus, you can do them in the privacy of your own home with no equipment needed. No. 4: Take your family on a walk!
After your kids get home from school, before or after dinner, or even before bed, encourage your family to get out and walk together instead of watching TV or sitting and staring at your phones. Or, if you have a pet, take them out and walk around the block!
Sweet Potato Jalapeño Poppers
Inspired by ForksOverKnives.com
What They Do: “Since 1993, we have been the premier branding publication for Black businesses in Metro Atlanta. Our most popular featured businesses are attorneys, physicians, chiropractors, and dentists. Contact us at SparkPlugPR.com and let us make you look like a superstar.”
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces • 1/4 cup unsweetened plant- based milk • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
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2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• Salt and pepper, to taste • 7 fresh jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large saucepan, place sweet potato chunks in a steamer basket. Add water just below steamer basket and boil. Steam for around 10 minutes. Remove sweet potatoes, and let cool in a bowl before mashing. 3. In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, yeast, vinegar, and turmeric. Boil, then cook for 1 minute or until thickened. 4. In a blender, combine milk mixture and mashed sweet potatoes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Spoon sweet potato mixture into jalapeño halves. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
SPOTLIGHT
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
How I Became ‘The Zumba Lawyer’ page 1 Say Goodbye to Grogginess! page 2 The Back-to-School Driving Essentials page 2 Step Toward a Healthier You page 3 Sweet Potato Jalapeño Poppers page 3 Unleash Your Child’s Full Potential page 4
How Extracurricular Activities Benefit Your Kids UNLOCK A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES
As children return to school in August, they’ll likely be interested in one or more extracurricular activities. Opportunities both in school and in the community can pop up, such as participating in a local play, joining a school club or sports team, and countless others. Extracurricular activities are perfect for getting kids out of the house, but these ventures will also help them gain valuable experiences along with these three benefits. Improves Social Skills
your kids a chance to communicate with others outside of a school setting. They’ll learn how other people think and how to best respond to certain situations. Bolsters College Applications If your child wants to attend college after high school, joining a club, team, or organization will give them a leg up on other candidates. College admissions officers love to see students who participate in extracurricular activities because it shows they are involved in their community and possess leadership and teamwork skills. While extracurriculars are not as important as other factors for college admissions, they still play a decisive role in the college’s choice to accept your child. Helps Them Discover Their Passions There are countless examples of kids discovering their true passion from participating in extracurricular activities. Your child might not become a professional athlete, but they might discover an alternate career path, like becoming a physical therapist or personal trainer by playing a sport. If your kid likes animals, they might find a prospective career path by volunteering at the zoo. If one activity doesn’t appeal to them, try another. Before long, you’ll find the perfect interest for your child.
One of the biggest concerns parents have had since we experienced lockdowns
during the pandemic is that their children struggle to
communicate with others. Most of these kids were away from their peers for a year or more, which weakened their social skills. Participating in an extracurricular activity gives
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