So if laughter really is the best medicine, let’s all get giggling. No co-pay necessary. Available in unlimited quantities and happily contagious. Share a story about how humor has been healing. What about a joke or funny story. Recount a side-splitting moment. We would love to hear it all. Make us laugh. Let’s get the gigglefest going!
I never expected it to go this far. I never expected to launch an international crusade for our kids or for the New York Times to call me “food’s Erin Brockovich” or to appear on Good Morning America. And I certainly never expected my life to change abruptly and irrevocably over a plate of scrambled eggs. But that is exactly what happened one morning two years ago when I was serving my four kids breakfast.
It was an extraordinary morning in the sense that it was absolutely ordinary. You know the ones? Where the kids come screaming down the stairs and you’re not sure if the chaos is in the form of a game of chase, a favorite T-shirt that can’t be found or those mornings of glee when the kids are just happy to be up, having finally got a good night’s sleep. No matter. It was one of those mornings.
So, as I powered down a few cups of joe, I set to serving up breakfast to my four children, which that morning consisted of some Eggo waffles, tubes of blue yogurt and some scrambled eggs.
As I did each morning, I pretty much drove a groove into the floor with the constant trips back and forth across the kitchen, serving up food.
As I passed by my baby’s highchair, I decided to slip a few spoonfuls of scrambled eggs onto her tray. My older three loved scrambled eggs, so I figured my littlest one would, too. But she didn’t really seem interested and fussed and pushed them away.
As I cleaned up the mess, still unsure how the blue yogurt had found its way to the ceiling, I noticed that my baby seemed tired. And since she was only 9 months old at the time, I took her upstairs to put her down for her morning nap.
I don’t know what made me check on her that morning. She was my fourth child, I knew to let sleeping babies lie. But a few minutes later, in an act that can only be defined as Mama Instinct, I went upstairs to check on her.
I lost my breath the minute I walked into her bedroom. Her face was swollen shut. As I grabbed her from her crib, I was stunned at the thing that I held in my arms. And I went screaming downstairs, calling out to the older children, asking if they had put something in her face, in her crib, in her eyes.
All I got were those blank little kid stares. You know the ones? That let you see straight down into your children’s soul? The ones so full of innocence and honesty that you have no doubt. And at that point, I got really scared, because my older children had no idea what I was talking about.
I turned back to my baby, whose face was swollen, red and angry and whose eyes had been reduced to slits in her face. My God. What had happened to her?
I called the pediatrician in a complete panic, and she told me to come in immediately that it sounded like an allergic reaction. What the hell? None of my older kids had ever done this. It was eggs. And hadn’t I rolled my eyes at the mothers who spoke of their children’s allergies? What was happening?
I felt completely out of control, unable to protect my baby from something as normal as food. What kind of mother was I?
Little did I know what that day and that diagnosis would bring.
I began to learn about food allergies, what causes them, and how they are indicators for other childhood conditions. But no one told me how to protect my child, to prevent any of this. If a condition had been specifically designed to drive a mother crazy, this was it. How could something as intimate as food pose such a threat? Little did I know, that on that day, the world that I had always known began to slip away. As I continued to learn about this “American epidemic”, I learned about the proteins in foods that threaten a child’s immune system. As I tried to create awareness of my child’s condition, in my attempt to protect her health, I learned something else. I learned how to start a company, file patents and meet with lawyers, all while holding a diaper bag, a sippy cup, and a baby on my hip. As I grew my business, I found remarkable support, from CNN, ABC National News and other TV shows, but at the same time, I found remarkable opposition from the most unlikely organizations, the food allergy world.
And I found myself.
Armed with an MBA and a background in research and finance, I unearthed a story that would change my life. Food allergy research had been funded by chemical companies responsible for engineering novel proteins and allergens into our food supply. Proteins designed to increase the profitability of crops. Proteins either banned or labeled in children’s foods around the world. Proteins never before tested for their safety on children. Proteins that appeared to have created the allergy epidemic.
As I continued to unearth this remarkable research, research that mothers in Europe, Japan , Australia and even Russia, already knew, I sat stunned, almost paralyzed. Though with four small children, paralysis was not an option. And in those desperate moments, I heard my call to action. If our government and corporate interests had failed to protect the health of our children, while protecting the profit of the chemical companies, then it would be up to me – up to all of us – to protect the American kids.
And so my crusade began. It has been a remarkable journey. There were days, weeks, even months, when I could hardly take another step forward. Crushed and almost crippled by the research that I continued to unearth. But then there were days, weeks and months when the wind came under my wings, blown in by Erin Brockovich, Nell Newman or Robert F Kennedy and other inspiring individuals who not only believed my story but helped me to move it forward. And with four small children, I had no option by to move forward. Some days they were baby steps. Some days they were leaps of faith. Some days they were steps backward. But as I looked at my children, I continued to move, as they deserved nothing less.
And today, I stand in awe of what we are able to accomplish, as women. There is nothing more powerful than the Mama Instinct of a mother protecting her child. There is nothing more pure than a heart so moved by love that it can accomplish what otherwise might seem impossible. We all have that heart in us. And if you listen to yours, you will hear your call to action.
And if you are inspired to protect the health of your children, the way that mothers around the world are able to protect their little ones, then please consider visiting www.allergykids.com to learn more.
We are the voices for our children, you and I, all of us. Together, we have a remarkable story to tell. I have shared mine, when will you share yours?
According to the New York Times, Robyn O’Brien is “food’s Erin Brockovich”. Robyn is the founder of AllergyKids, an organization she launched on Mothers’ Day 2006 to protect the 1 in 3 American children that now has allergies, ADHD, autism or asthma. She has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America and CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and lives in Boulder , Colorado with her husband and four children. She loves the inspiration found in passionate hearts and invites you to learn more about how to protect your family at www.allergykids.com.
Last Saturday, I put the Empoword concept into action when I competed in the YMCA St. Croix Croixathlon – a sprint triathlon. I woke up to a beautiful cloudless blue sky and thought, “Am I really going to do this?” Despite my best intentions to train long and hard, I simply had not. The end of the school year for my two kids, running a business and the latest rollercoaster ride of the return of my dad’s cancer had not been conducive to long training sessions. But I made a decision to use the Empoword mantra: thought produces outcomes. If I was running our business – Empoword – I better be able to walk my talk.
I knew the concept of mind over body had worked for me in the past in athletics and had been using the Empoword concept for years. I had finished a marathon with two injured Achilles, because I willed myself to do it. Time to see if I could make it work again.
I had self-selected into the “elite” start group – where you put yourself if you thought you would be in the top third. No problem, I thought…until I got to the start at the beach and noticed that I was the oldest one (at 41), didn’t have on the fancy tri-gear and was one of only five women. I said to myself, even if you actually aren’t elite, time to act like it. Something clicked in my head and throughout the wavy swim on the St. Croix River, gulping in the chocolate colored water, I kept saying to myself “focus,” while picturing the Empoword focus cling in my head. I kept telling myself, you can do it and I was.
When doubt crept into my head, “I really should’ve trained more, this is hard, I am going to drown”, I pushed it away with my mantra “power, strength, focus.” I wasn’t the last one out of the water, but close to it.
Up the beach hill path, a brutal steep climb to get to the bikes, I thought I was going to throw up at least a few times. I looked at the “E” that had been sharpied onto my leg, and said to myself “walk the talk” or in this case, get your butt up this hill!
I transitioned to my bike in a very sloppy manner, gasping for breath. It was when I clipped into my bike that everything really clicked. The beautiful Wisconsin rolling hills were comfortable and familiar. I told myself it was time to crank it. Two young women who had started in the 25 and under wave, three minutes behind mine, passed me. That was it. I said, no more! Focus, focus, focus. Power and strength. Breathe, breathe, breathe. The 15 miles flew by. It felt wonderful. The endorphins were kicking in.
Cruising into the transition area, I felt like throwing up again. I stumbled to get my running shoes on and hit the 3-mile trail run. “You can do this in your sleep,” I convinced myself. Running through ravines and around horse poop, a couple young boys passed me, but I keep saying, “see it, think it, be it” over and over again. See the finish line, think power and strength, be the elite athlete.
I finished strong and tired. I went to put my bike on the car and was about to head home when my parents showed up. We decided to go back and watch the awards. When they called the 40-49 age group, I thought maybe, just maybe, I placed third. They called the third and second place winners, then announced first place. It was me. I had done it! I had thought it and it had worked. A sweet purple ironman watch was a nice little prize to boot, my favorite color and all. See it, think it, be it really does work!
Send us your Empoword in Action story and stay empowered!
-Wendy
Turns out this age old proverb is no joke. Medical research is showing us that laughter really does lead to better physical, emotional and mental health. A good laugh can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, elevate mood, boost immune function, improve brain function, protect the heart and the list goes on. All this from a giggle.
To learn more about the health benefits of laughter, check out these websites:
No question laughter feels good, but knowing it is actually good for you makes laughing all the more important. Life is full of demands and challenges and days do go by when we don’t have a good giggle. It sounds funny (Ha!), but we may need to make time to laugh. Our health depends on it.
At least that is what physician Dr. Madan Kataria thinks. Dr. Kataria believes laughter can improve health, increase productivity and maybe even bring about world peace. So he scaled back his medical practice in hopes of triggering an international laughing epidemic. So far, he is off to a pretty good start. Dr. Kataria’s brainchild – Laughter Clubs – numbers in the 5000’s and exists in almost 50 countries.
To learn more about laughter clubs, visit:
Or to find a club near you, click:
Laughter clubs don’t sound like your kind of thing, try Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., authors of the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine
Of course we are bias, but number 9 could certainly be wear an Empoword giggle tee shirt. From experience, we can tell you wearing “giggle” brings a smile to the face of everyone you see. No matter what way you choose to bring more laughter and joy into your life, we hope you remember to make time to relax, to smile, to enjoy your friends and family, to be playful and silly, and of course, giggle.
Empoword: A new business that is more than just words!
Stephanie Ross and Wendy Lutter are the women behind Empoword. Their friendship, lives, and the creation of Empoword are testimony to the power of how one right word can manifest change and help realize a goal. Stephanie realized that people need support and help to sustain their journey, as well as inspiration in their “fight”, whatever that may be – cancer like her mother, weight loss, a tough time, or even the ubiquitous need to breathe more and reduce stress. Hence, Empoword was born.
Empoword products are accessible, everyday items - Tshirts, water bottles, mugs, reusable decals. Yet they have a big job. They are designed to support personal growth, transformation and healing. What do you want? Better health, less stress, strength and courage, overall well-being and happiness? Empoword products remind users of their goals, dreams and intentions. Every time the user sees the word on their tee shirt or water bottle, they think it and overtime those thoughts manifest into meaningful outcomes.
“We know our products will empower and inspire our customers to dream big, conquer challenges, and live authentic lives.” – Stephanie and Wendy.
Published June, 2008
Reprinted here with the permission of Twin Cities Naturally
We’d love to hear how you have incorporated Empoword into your life.
What word did you choose and why? What are your goals, intentions, dreams? How did you put the Empoword philosophy - see it, think it, be it - into action? What happened? What kind of results are you seeing? How are you using the products? Which do you find most effective? What advise or ideas can you share?
We look forward to hearing your stories, because they matter and make a difference to all us.
Imagine is Empoword’s word of the month. This month we are imagining long walks, festive picnics, blooming gardens, and time just being lazy, lying in the grass watching the clouds roll by.
Dream big. The sky is the limit. The possibilities are endless.
What are you imagining this month?
Germ Warfare
It’s a magnificent May morning and I’m driving to White Bear Lake to open the doors of Survivors’ Studio for another day of health and healing for some special women in my life. The windows are down and the radio is blaring and I’m so happy I could cry. The next song starts to play, one that I haven’t heard in ages, by a one-hit wonder band, the New Radicals. And its lyrics are so perfect that I swear they were written just for me. Finally, I have a name for what is afflicting me these days. It’s called The Dreamer’s Disease.
Eighteen months ago, just after turning 45, I was diagnosed with another disease, a life-threatening one: CANCER. Also known as the Big C, cancer upended my world and I’m still dizzy with the aftershocks. To combat my fear, I studied my disease with the single-mindedness with which I approached my dissertation. I went to Cancer College and graduated with a Ph.D. I learned that the single best thing I could do for myself was exercise. Exercise would help me manage the depression, the pain, and the fatigue of cancer treatment. Even better—no, make that stupendously, astoundingly better—regular exercise would appreciably lower my chance of the cancer coming back and reduce my chance of dying by up to HALF. And guess what? Exercise wouldn’t make my hair fall out, make me throw up, or get stupid. Talk about side effects you can live with. Literally.
Why had none of my healthcare providers, all smart, conscientious, well-intentioned people, given me this simple piece of advice? How many other women weren’t getting it? As I pondered these questions, the universe began to speak to me. It gently at first, and then with more vigor, told me that it was my responsibility to deliver this life-saving information to others. If not you, then who? it asked. And when I accepted the call, the universe responded by putting people in my path that I needed (and, once in awhile, a few people that I didn’t. The universe doesn’t guarantee that the road will be free of potholes).
Thanks to the New Radicals, I have a handy metaphor for my life’s arc. I’ve been infected and my new disease, unlike the Big C, is highly contagious. Be prepared: There’s an outbreak about to happen, an epidemic of empowered enthusiasm. You see, people with Dreamer’s Disease can’t be quarantined, and despite all the efforts and lots of money of a few bad actors, there is no known cure. Go ahead, expose yourself. A good place to get sick is at our event on June 7, Yogapalooza. The Empoword gals (deathly ill, the two of them) will be there, and you will meet many more incredibly unwell people. Don’t take two aspirin, don’t call your doctor, they will be of no avail. As the New Radicals song also goes, “can’t forget you only get what you give.” Be a germ!
Wendy Rahn was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2006 and underwent a bilateral mastectomy. In July 2007, she founded Survivors’ Training, a non-profit organization with the mission to raise awareness of the importance of exercise for cancer survivorship and to promote regular physical activity as an essential therapy for those diagnosed with cancer. In January 2008, Survivors’ Training opened the doors of its own fitness Studio in White Bear Lake, MN, exclusively for women living with a cancer diagnosis. To learn more about Survivors’ Training and the Studio, visit the website: www.survivorstraining.org.
Friends Spread the Word About Wellness
Highland Park residents and longtime friends Wendy Lutter and Stephanie Ross have launched Empoword, a new product-based business that is built on the premise that focusing on the right mantra can lead to changes in a person’s life.
Their products include such everyday items as T-shirts, water bottles and vinyl decals that are emblazoned with a single word and graphic image to promote positive thinking.
Ross grew up in Mendota Heights and graduated from St. Paul Academy. Lutter grew up on Summit Avenue and graduated from Central High School. They both attended Smith College as art history majors and have been friends since they moved back to St. Paul and met in a college book club.
They worked on special events and fundraisers around the Twin Cities together while raising their children. When Ross, a holistic wellness coach, came up with the idea for Empoword, she turned to Lutter, who along with being a close friend is a marathoner with an MBA in marketing.
Once the partnership was formed, both women marveled at how they had been independently testing the Empoword concept for years to attain personal and professional goals.
Empoword products are now being sold in shops, fitness studios and wellness centers in four states and are expected to expand to three more states by July, Lutter said. Locally, they are being carried at the SweatShop on Snelling, the Bibelot Shop on Grand and Inner Strength Fitness in Minneapolis. They also may be ordered on-line by visiting www.thinkempoword.com.
Published May 7, 2008
Reprinted here with the permission of The Villager
Almost two years ago, the idea for Empoword (pronounced empowered) began to germinate. We knew it involved using a single word as the jumping off point for bigger things. We knew it was about creating your life, not just living it. We knew it was about using the power of thought to manifest change. We knew it was about being empowered.
We sent out an online survey to 120 people across the country ranging in age from 20 to 70. From a list of over 100 words, we asked them to pick the top 10 items on the list they wanted to be, do or have. The response was amazing. The shear number of replies stunned us (over 65%), but what was more dazzling was the number of unsolicited comments people sent along with their rankings.
Some of the comments were poignant. Some were very funny. A few actually took our breath away. People wanted to know more. They wanted to talk about the words. They wanted to talk about their choices. And they wanted to talk about how the words were defining their lives.
We learned a lot from the survey. Most of all we learned: words matter. Words make up the stories of our lives. They describe who we are. And they guide us as we create who we want to be.
We started Empoword because we wanted to create something meaningful, something that mattered. You matter. That is why the key ingredient in all Empoword products is you. You pick the words, and you give them meaning. Your positive thoughts turn single words, mantras, into life stories.
We wanted a place for people to tell their stories. It is our intention that this blog will be that place – a place to talk about the power of words and how they shape the stories of people’s lives.
You asked for a place to have a conversation about words. Here it is. So let’s get started, tell us your stories, tell us your thoughts, tell us about the words that matter most. Say it, think it, be it!
