Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center

'From Self LOVE to Matrimony'- Relationship & Intimacy Seminar

2012-02-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

Mind on the Matter in partnership with
Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center
PRESENTS...

Dr. Jeff Menzise; Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Relationship Expert, Spiritual Life Coach

Saturday
March 24, 2012
1pm-5pm
NASHVILLE FRIENDS
MEETING HOUSE

From Self-Love to Matrimony
Relationship and Intimacy Seminar
Learn:
• How to break the dysfunctional relationship cycle.
• How to enhance and improve your current relationship.
• Techniques for cultivating sexual energy.
•Methods for improving sexual and reproductive health.
• The TRUE meaning ofLove
• And much more...

Cost: Love Offering ($2 minimum to cover meeting space)
Individual Consultations Available: (Must schedule in advance)
-Personality & Sexual Compatibility
-Relationship Ready: Self Improvement Plans
-Holistic Regimen for Reproductive & Sexual Health -Etc.
Pre-Register! Seating is limited!!!
Mind on the Matter

For more info contact:
240-988-9639
dr.jeff@mindonthematter.com
www.mindonthematter.com

Nashville Women's Empowerment Workshop Series

2012-02-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

No more excuses, it’s time to turn your dream of owning and operating a business into reality. If you have the desire to start your own business, you are ready to make a positive change, attend The Nashville Women’s Empowerment Workshop Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) - Feb 03, 2012 -

Nashville, TN: February 1, 2012 - On March 17, 2012- Announcing the launch of the cutting- edge and trend- setting Nashville Women’s Empowerment Workshop Series. The theme for the Nashville event is “Creating Economic Impact through Entrepreneurship.” The workshop is the first of its series, which is inspired by the books authored by Renee Bobb herself called Start Smart: A Women’s Entrepreneur Guide to Starting a Business. Upon registration each workshop participant will receive a complimentary autographed copy.

The Nashville Women’s Empowerment Workshop Series was created to supply women with the necessary tools to become a competitive and successful entrepreneur. Empowering everyday women who are having a challenging time securing employment and meeting the financial needs of the household has been the driving force, said Renee. I want to encourage the participants to tap into their passion and turn it into a profitable business. Even if they have to start part- time and transform it into a full- time industry. Our mission is to train women on how to become a CEO and, then, capitalizing on its intrinsic rewards. The women will obtain a clear appreciation for their purpose and how to execute it efficiently.

Who should attend this event? -Women who are unhappy in their current jobs or desire to start a business. The workshop also accommodates women seeking a life- change or even women who are current authors/experts and business owners. The event will cover a variety of topics to include; how to start a business, creative financial resources to start a business, overcoming the fear and challenges when starting a business, building a support system to help you start your business and create a step- by- step income generating process that will produce results. The women’s empowerment event embraces a compilation of opportunities for women on the rise.

Guest Speakers Include:

Lenore Gilbert, Mary Kay Sales Director for over 9 years, Owner of A and L Cleaning Services as well as Realtor with Century 21. www.marykay.com/lgilbert3

Renee Bobb, CEO of R.B.I. Enterprise, Radio and TV Talk Show Host, Empowerment Coach and Trainer for several non-profit agencies. She is also the author of 9 books. www.ReneeBobb.com

Ann Haney, Best Selling Author and Motivational Speaker. She is also the CEO of Living Abundance Couponing and Aaron Publishing Company www.aaronpublishing.com

Trzana Staples, Author and CEO of Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center http://www.anotheravenueculturalresourcecenter.blogspot.com

Date: March 17, 2012
Time: 9:30am to 3:00pm.
Cost: $45 Early Bird Registration (before February 18, 2012)
$75 Regular Registration
Location: Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc. The Goodwill Lifsey Training Center, 937 Herman St. Nashville, TN 37208

Light Breakfast and Lunch will be provided

For more information about the Nashville Women’s Empowerment Workshop Series, visit http://www.nashvilleempowermentworkshop.eventbrite.com

R.B.I. Enterprise is an Empowerment Training and Development Firm that specializes in Financial Empowerment, Career Development, Small Business Coaching and Book Publishing Training. Renee is the host of the weekly Radio Show called, “Empowerment Talk for Today’s Women,” which airs on 760AM The Gospel in Nashville, TN and www.BlogTalkRadio.com/TheReneeBobbShow. She is also the author and publisher of 9 books. For more information contact us via email at bobbrenee@yahoo.com or by phone (615) 753- 5647.

Health advocate plants seeds of change in North Nashville neighborhood Personal transformation inspires Trazana Staples to share knowledge with others

2012-02-01T05:31:00.000-08:00

The kitchen table was filled with color on family night at Trazana Staples’ house.

Staples’ daughter Erica chopped spinach as son-in-law Roy stirred a sizzling pot of red and green pepper with onion. Staples prepared a kale salad while her grandson Joseph, 8, zipped through the kitchen carrying the peel from a banana.

“Is this for compost?” he asked of a bag by the back door heading out to Staples’ 15 garden beds.

After turning from fast-food to a diet of fresh vegetables — and losing more than 140 pounds — Staples has become an advocate for healthier eating in her North Nashville neighborhood, one of the largest food deserts in the city. She founded an organization called Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center that she hopes will help engage her neighbors. So for this month’s installment of Nashville Cooks, Staples invited us to her home for family night to show us how she prepares a healthy, simple Mexican feast for six — with plenty of leftovers — for less than $50.

“I’m discovering food in a whole new light — it’s a mind, body and spirit journey.”

Healthy changes

Just a few years ago, Staples weighed more than 300 pounds. And though she had tried to lose weight with Weight Watchers and diet pills, her health continued to decline. She’d had multiple surgeries in her 20s and 30s and had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and as pre-diabetic. Her doctor warned her that she needed to decide whether to live or die.

Then in 2007, Staples saw the movie Food Inc., and began making connections with those in the local food community. She also focused on growing her own food, a skill she had learned from her 103-year-old grandfather in Ohio. “I’ve been around the garden all my life,” she said.

And indeed, when she asked him the secret to his longevity, he had two tips: He grew everything he ate, she said, and he didn’t chase women.

These days, Staples says she grows her food or finds it at the farmers’ market. While her winter garden includes turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, garlic and fava beans, she’ll later have strawberries, blackberries, herbs, corn, peas, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, sweet potatoes and anything else she can fit on her half-acre of land near Tennessee State University.

But in addition to growing food as her grandfather does, Staples takes health a step further by preparing food, whether it be Mexican or soul food, in healthy ways. She’ll saute greens in olive oil, for example, rather than cook them for hours in animal fat.

Inspiring others

On her weekly family night, Staples invites her children and grandchildren for a meal.

“We cook, eat, probably watch a movie, talk,” Erica said.

“And enjoy family,” her husband Roy added.

So as Erica heated tortillas in a pan, filling them with the sauteed vegetables, Staples added dressing to her kale salad.

She named the healthy properties of the green — such as antioxidants — as she worked. Then, as they filled plates for the children, they opened the quesadillas and added chopped spinach and mashed avocado. It’s these easy but effective lessons that make Staples’ message strong, and she hopes her kitchen and garden will become a resource center for those in her community, which has a high rate of unemployment and diet-related illnesses.

“Because I’ve been able to help myself,” she said, “I want to be able to share it with others.”

She hopes to empower her neighbors and encourage them to take responsibility for their health through Another Avenue’s programs, which could include a natural foods co-op.

“Once you start applying it to your life every day, it becomes easier. I feel good,” she said. “Anyone can do it, and I love food.”

Written by:Jennifer JustusThe Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120201/LIFE02/302010097/Health-advocate-plants-seeds-change-North-Nashville-neighborhood?odyssey=nav|head

Soul food survivor: The transformation of Trazana Staples

2012-01-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

Grist is proud to present the Change Gang — profiles of people who are leading change on the ground toward a more sustainable society and a greener planet. Some we’ve written about before; some are new to our pages. Some you’ll have heard of; most you probably won’t. Know someone we should add to the Change Gang? Tell us why.

In her backyard in Nashville, Tenn., Trazana Staples is growing turnip greens, mustard, kale, and two kinds of garlic (white and Siberian). “That’s the winter garden,” she says, with a tone of pleased satisfaction.

Her vegetable patch isn’t just a good source of produce. For Staples, it’s a daily reminder that profound personal change is possible.

Ten years ago, says Staples, her idea of “eating healthy” was to choose the chicken sandwich instead of the burger at McDonald’s. And it wasn’t working. Only 5 feet 4 inches, Staples weighed 325 pounds and suffered from a host of fitness-related medical problems. Before she turned 40, she’d already had her gallbladder removed and had a hysterectomy. Her doctor was warning her “that I had to decide whether I was going to live or die.”

She began trying to stick to a diet, but after losing weight, she’d quickly gain it back. “I was like a yo-yo,” she recalls, ruefully.

Then, one day in 2007, she went to a local theater that specialized in independent films and saw Food, Inc., the documentary on the dark side of the industrial food system.

“That movie totally changed my everything,” remembers Staples. “I saw how healthy food is connected to the environment — there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And from that point on, I got involved.”

“I started learning how to blend and prepare my food. I began eating a lot of raw foods, fruits and vegetables, healthy food, tasty food. One of the challenges is to maintain our culture in natural foods, and I found that I can do that. I can keep my greens, and prepare them in a healthy way and they still taste good, and I can prepare my cornbread without the eggs, without the butter, and without the milk, and still have my soul food meal.”

Staples not only managed to change her eating habits once and for all (she has lost 120 pounds, and counting); she also remade herself into a crusader for healthy, sustainable food in her own community. She founded Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center to spread the new gospel and joined a half-dozen local progressive advocacy organizations.

The deck is still stacked against her. North Nashville, she says, is home to the largest “food desert” in Davidson County — a vast region where the only outlets for residents to buy groceries are corner stores that are more likely to sell fried potato wedges than bananas or apples. Even worse, notes Staples’ business partner, Bryan Trotter, some of the stores within driving distance that do sell organic food don’t accept food stamps for their produce. That places low income people who want to upgrade their diets in a double bind. To top it all off, for the last two years, Staples was pushing her healthy eating agenda with the help of a grant from the Tennessee Alliance for Progress — but when that group lost its funding, she lost hers.

But there’s no defeating Trazana Staples. She still intends, eventually, to turn the Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center into a natural foods store. She and Trotter have set plans in motion to create what they call a “Village of Industry” — a network of cooperative businesses based on sustainability that will provide sorely needed green jobs in an economically depressed area. In January, she kicked off Fruits Over French Fries, a new program targeting childhood obesity.

“I had to get a full-time job to keep the ship afloat until we get more funds,” acknowledges Staples. “We do have some people that give donations, or they come and do some physical labor; building garden beds or the compost bin or planting and composting, and all of that makes a difference, little by little. Rome wasn’t built in a day — these things take time. We have to change the mindset, and the best way to do that is for people to actually see you living it, doing it and applying those principles in your life. “

Andrew Leonard is a staff writer at Salon. He lives in Berkeley, California with his two children and likes to ride his bicycle.

http://grist.org/food/soul-food-survivor-the-transformation-of-trazana-staples/

Fruits Over French Fries © Let’s E.A.T.T.™

2012-01-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

Fruits Over French Fries ©

Let’s E.A.T.T.™

Fruits Over French Fries will kick off on Saturday, January 14, 2012 11am-2pm with an overview and open house of our project for Youth Service America & United Health Care at Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center and continue every Saturday until Saturday, April 21, 2012.

During MLK Day and Global Youth Day, children will be taught the importance of giving back, caring for the earth and caring for each other. In teaching G.R.A.C.E (gardening, recycling, activism/action, composting, education) children will learn how to keep valuable vegetable and fruit peels from going into landfills. Winter leaves and vegetation to be composted make soil and prepare garden beds for spring planting. We will also engage helping elders in the community who need help with minor yard work, or minor task outside their homes. In addition will provide homework tutoring and a healthy snack.

Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center

1104 33^rd Avenue N

Nashville, TN 37209

For more information please call (615) 852-6203

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts: Michelle Pendoley

Youth Service America

202-650-5064

mpendoley@ysa.org

Trazana A. Staples

Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center

aanaturalfoods@gmail.com

615-862-6203

ANOTHER AVENUE CULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER RECEIVES YSA,

UNITEDHEALTH GROUP ‘HEROES’ GRANT

Youth-Led Project Addresses Childhood Obesity, Encourages Healthy Lifestyle in Nashville as Part of Global Youth Service Day

Nashville, Tennessee – January 10,2012 – Trazana A. Staples Founder/Executive Director at ANOTHER AVENUE CULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER in NASHVILLE, was awarded a $500 UnitedHealth HEROES Grant from YSA (Youth Service America) and UnitedHealth Group. UnitedHealth HEROES grants support youth-led service-learning initiatives addressing childhood obesity and healthy lifestyles.

One of 282 grants awarded nationwide, Trazana’s project; Fruits Over French Fries© will teach children will be taught the importance of giving back, caring for the earth and caring for each other . The semester-long initiative culminates on April 21 with Global Youth Service Day, the world’s largest and longest-running youth-led service campaign.

“These grants were extremely competitive, and Fruits Over French Fries© exemplifies service-learning and the UnitedHealth HEROES program,” said Steve Culbertson, President and CEO of YSA. “Young people in Nashville want to make a difference, and UnitedHealth Group, in conjunction with YSA, offers them resources to make a positive, measurable impact on their community.”

In its 24^th year, Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) engages millions of young people via partnerships with schools and community and faith-based organizations. Projects and events will occur in more than 100 countries and all 50 states, and will address the most challenging local, national and global issues facing the world including health, literacy, childhood hunger and the environment.

“We believe that children are uniquely positioned to come up with creative ideas to help their peers in the fight against obesity and to encourage healthier living,” said Kate Rubin, UnitedHealth Group vice president of Social Responsibility. “With UnitedHealth HEROES, we are helping young people take action to improve their overall health and quality of life in a way that’s not only educational, but beneficial for their entire community.”

“UnitedHealth HEROES is part of UnitedHealth Group’s overall commitment to help stem the rising tide of obesity, and related chronic health conditions like diabetes,” said Rubin.

(more)

For more information about Fruits Over French Fries© visit www.anotheravenueculturalresourcecenter@blogspot.com. For more information about Youth Service America and Global Youth Service Day, visit www.YSA.org.

# # #

Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center provides healthy living education and resources to address critical health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension

YSA (Youth Service America) improves communities worldwide by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles. Founded in 1986, YSA supports a global culture of engaged youth committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership, and achievement. The impact of YSA’s work through service and service-learning is measured in student achievement, workplace readiness, and healthy communities. For more information, visit www.YSA.org.

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

Looking At The World With My Sunglasses’ Off

2011-12-29T14:01:00.001-08:00

Today was an ordinary day for me. Waking up, making things ( wo)manifest into my life. Every now again there are obstacles that I must overcome. Like this morning, my electricity was disconnected yesterday. I knew it was coming, I haven’t paid my bill since October and there was no need for me to call NES and try to make arrangements, because I knew I could not keep any commitments. I had utilized the one time social service help for the year. I don’t to anyone’s church, mosque, or temple in this matrix. My money has been slow, trying to keep my ship afloat. Yes, I am dealing with some life issues, however, I know this temporary set back will change so I remain positive and “keep it movin”. So, this morning, I woke up at 7am, did my daily restroom rituals in cold water, meditated, envisioned my electricity being restored, and drank my water and headed off to get my service turned back on. I put on my sunglasses because the sun was very bright and began walking. I stopped at Harpers Restaurant to indulge in a very unhealthy breakfast. I talked myself into it, “Hell you will walk it off today, besides you will start your detox after your birthday” So, I ordered coffee, grits, hash browns and fish…yes fish! I said.” fuck it today!” I had to send the hash browns back because they were cold and old. As I ate the rest, I charged my phone, texted a couple friends, and reflected on how my day would turn out.

Walking up Jefferson I go. I received a call from a dear brotha friend of mine who was able to help me see something else on another personal matter. As I walked up to Rosa Parks and Jefferson to Regions Bank on the corner. I withdrew my remaining balance of $200 to pay an electric bill that required $305.10 to reconnect. I already knew I could not give them all of it because a Sista has to eat and black bean chili was on my menu since I could not prepare it yesterday. I left Regions and went to the NES Customer Service Station on Monroe and 9^th all for the customer service agent to politely tell me I would have to go to the Church St Main Office to make payment arrangements or pay the full amount of the bill. So I headed out to Jefferson S. again with my sunglasses on to catch the next bus downtown. I purchased an all day MTA Bus pass. I stopped and purchased a homeless news paper, and entered onto the bus #29. I reflected on my friends who came to me within in the last few days seeking a ear and shoulder to cry on because they too are going through some life altering changes. I looked around the bus and saw many things but I was the only one with sunglasses on. I saw a man sippin on a bottle of brandy, I started to ask him to slip some in my coffee, and decided that would not be a good idea. I saw a lady I passed on Jefferson St. three times, on the same bus. Finally I made it downtown to transfer to the #10 bus to take me to NES Main Office. I had made up in my mind that all I could give them to reconnect my service would be $150. I waited to speak to a customer service representative and after speaking with her supervisor; my service would be reconnected for $166.78. I had it so I paid. With about $15 left, I could stop by the farmers market on my way home. As I went back out to the bus stop with my sunglasses on, an older gentleman who was on the #29 with me had the same disconnect notice except his power was not disconnected like mine. He was an older gentleman who shared with me that he had been unemployed for over a year. All of this was new to him. I asked him about going into business for himself. His reply was; ” how can I do that? All I know how to do is work for someone else and they are not hiring anyone my age these days.” The #10 come back to pick us up, and I get off on 5^th Street to walk to the Farmers’ Market with my sunglasses on. I went to my favorite vendor and

friends at Hardy’s Produce. I saw 6 over ripe tomatoes on a table, I asked, “Brotha Hardy, what’s wrong with these tomatoes? He replied, “Oh Sista T, they are too ripe to sell”. I said, “ I will kindly take them off your hands”. I purchased some onions, green peppers and tangerines. My purchase of the bag full of produce came to $5. I love Hardy’s Produce, they always take care of me.

So I proceeded to walk up Rosa Parks with bag of produce in tow, and forgot to put my sunglasses on. Someone honked the horn. “Beeeeeppppp Beeeeeeppp, Do you need a ride? I’m one of your Face Book Friends, I know that hair anywhere”. I didn’t think anyone would recognize me walking up Rosa Parks. But my sunglasses were off, now I am exposed and transparent. Anyway, “No Sista, I am on my morning stroll, I just left the Farmers’ Market and I am on my way to Kroger’s.” She said, “Is it far?” I said, No, I’m close by” she waved and went on. I wondered who she was, I flipped my mine to my Face Book Friends, and I thought to myself, I bet that is Andrea, and it was. Anyway I continued my walk to Kroger on Monroe.

Looking at the world before me, with my sunglasses ON; I saw broken glass, homeless people, and sad eyes. With my sunglasses OFF, I see a beautiful people with lost hope, no determination and no will. I also see those who just don’t give a damn. Those who don’t have a clue, and to be honest why should they? No one is sensitive to the needs of others until they have to walk in those same shoes. It is up to each individual to create their own sustainability, so why not have enough compassion and help someone else along the way? You don’t have to, but it would be a nice thing to do.

Now I am walking with both pair of those shoes with my sunglasses off. I’m sequencing my eyes so I don’t go blind by the rays of the sun. I enter Kroger’s. I introduced myself to the store manager, who’s name is Joe, who happen to be standing at the front door as I entered. I said, “Hi Joe, My name is Trazana (as I extended my hand to shake his), I just came from the Farmers’ Market and purchased produce, but they put it in a Kroger bag so I am going to check my bag in a the customer service counter”. He looked mighty puzzled and said, “thank you”. I checked my bag in at the customer service desk. I finished my shopping with the $10 I had left. I continued my walk back to Jefferson St. to head home. I waited for the bus with my sunglasses off. I am smiling knowing that this morning although a bit irritated, everything I set out to do today (wo)manifested. I know that the day is not lost and I find it an honor to help others to see the world with their sunglasses off. Everyone I encountered today helped me with my mission today, and if I had kept my sunglasses on, I may not have been able to see the blessings. As long as I have breath and good health, I can do anything! Who knows what tomorrow will bring. My water bill is due next, my rent is past due. Having my sunglasses on I wasn’t transparent. People could not recognize me. My eyes are the portal to my soul, and I there I stay hidden. Keep it real and let others know you are a “UNIVERSAL Woman”, a “GODIS” who is an a hue-(wo)man body. I write this because even the strongest of us go through things, be it financial, spiritual, relationships ect. We have problems, in order to overcome them, we have to be transparent, take off our sunglasses and see the world for what it is. We need each other; we need to make each other accountable. We need to our system work for us together.

My grandfather who will soon be an 105 years old once told me, “you will never be able to get over the system, you must learn how to maneuver through it, in order to live and be happy” . I see that now. I know so many others are dealing with same problems, but with my sunglasses off, I can see clearly and know I can overcome that too. You must discover who you are and what you are. Don’t let life beat you down to the point that you can not see your future. I am an advocate for healthy living, green jobs, ecoprenuership, and community and know these are our keys to get us out of this mess in the matrix. Owning your own business takes time, due diligence ,perseverance, determination, and patience. I am not going to lie, this is hard work. You must do what you need to do to survive for yourself and your family without maliciously harming others along the way.

In a few weeks I will be going back into an office setting. This has been the most fulfilling, exciting, challenging, and evolutionary year of my life. I would not have been able to do anything without support from so many beloved friends and family, especially my mother and children. Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center will still stand and continue, and the decision to go back to a 9-5 is only temporary. I need to recharge and renew energy, which is money ,until I begin law school in August. Everyone must come to their own reality, find your own truth, but do so with your sunglasses off.

Thankh you for reading, and I hope having my sunglasses off helps someone too.

Peace, Love, and Light!

Trazana

PORCELAIN PROJECT 2011

2011-12-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

The  Porcelain Project 2011 is a social enterprise initiative of Another Avenue  Cultural Resource Center, that was made possible by Fox Farms.

Click Here To Learn More About The Porcelain Project 2011

           http://porcelainproject2011.blogspot.com/

Thank You

2011-11-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

We would like to Thank All who supported and attended the

'Total Health, Healing, and Well Being Seminar'.


Trazana Staples & Attendee

Return To Balance Display Table

Rare Jewel Designs Display Table

Azizah Nubia

Azizah Nubia & Isis Swink

Huni Bak Atun

Isis Swink

Huni Bak Atun

Dr. Jeff Menzise (J Menaq)

Dr. Jeff Menzise

EAT...ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHALLENGE?

2011-10-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Eat to Live...Are you ready for the challenge?

The bond between mother and daughter is a great experience... especially when mother and daughter overcome, dis-ease, hardship, and obesity together.
Trazana & Azizah are that duo..Both suffering from diabetes, high-blood pressure, depression, and many more illnesses that stem from obesity. With a collective of over 200lbs lost.. these women know the secret to ultimate weight-loss..

2004

Trazana's Story:

2006

"For ears I suffered from and was diagnosed with hypertension, pre diabetes, and obesity. A one time I weighed in at 320 lbs at my height of 5'4" 1/4" tall. I was absolutely miserable! Everything about me was hurting, my mind, my spirit and my body. I could not walk two feet without being out of breath. I felt as though my entire life was crumbling around me.
Before the age of 40 I had several major surgeries, which included, removing my tonsils, adenoids, gallbladder, uterus, and a blood transfusion. My health continued to deteriorate, besides developing upper respiratory problems, I stayed sick all the time. Missing work and other activities all because I did not feel week. My medications were costing me over $300 per month and that was with insurance."

2007

Azizah story:

2010

"At the age of 22 I was was diagnosed with diabetes after giving birth to my 2nd child.. along with already dealing with high-blood pressure I knew if I kept up with my current life style I would not live to see 40. At 236 lbs I was depressed and unhappy with myself.. I knew I needed to make a change for the sake of my health and my children health."

What was the Changed?

2010

In 2004, Trazana decided she wanted to live Azizah 17 at the time followed in her foot steps. We loved food, and wanted to find ways of preparing food that was good for us but still tasteful. Trazana began seeking and searching for ways to lose weight." I read books, joined several weight loss programs, local and national. By 2006, I was on what appeared to be a see-saw. I had tried everything! Considering I had not eaten beef or pork since 1995. I thought there was no hope, and my doctors told me I would be on medication for the rest of my life. My weight and health was up and down. I refused to go through weight loss surgery after it was recommended by my physician. I started asking more questions and seeking more answers".

2011

In 2008 after the birth of her child and the news of being a diabetic Azizah began her quest for natural ways to heal... One day, my mom called me from Tennessee, ( I living in Cincinnati at the time) she had just seen the movie Food Inc. and shared with me how it changed her whole outlook on the food we eat.

2011

Thus the journey began... Trazana & Azizah transformed their lives by educating themselves on natural food, herbs, and a holistic way of living.
Making food her priority Trazana is now a author, premculturist and Founder / Executive Director of Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center who's mission is to educate the community on the importance of healthy foods , ecopreneurship and sustainable living.. as well as providing a natural foods market for the North Nashville Community.
Azizah is now a author, natural herbalist, healer, and talk show host of Return to Balance is making it her mission to teach other how they can transform themselves by searching deep within to unlock the emotional roadblocks that cause dis-ease.
Together these woman are prime examples that healthy living requires a complete lifestyle change of mind body and spirit.

2011
Trazana in her garden

Azizah
Performing emotional clearing 2011

Sharing with the world their story of success Trazana & Azizah are starting their very own life transformation program to assist others on their journey of self renewal. The Eat to Live Program will be available November 11, 2011 to the world and as a special incentive Trazana & Azizah will open a contest for two lucky individuals to try the program completely free. The lucky winners will not only receive the free program, but they will be coached personally by Trazana & Azizah for the duration of the program.
To enter into the contest go to www.returntobalance.webs.com

To learn more about Trazana and Azizah Journey check out www.returntobalance.webs.com

ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

2011-10-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Peace, Love and Light! My name is Trazana Staples, I am the Founder/Executive Director of Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center. I want to fulfill my passion to help and support the community in making available natural, healthy sustainable foods in what we know as ‘Food Deserts’ in poverty stricken neighborhoods.

For years I suffered from and was diagnosed with hypertension, pre-diabetes, and obesity. At one time I weighed in at 320 lbs at my height of 5'4 1/4" tall. I was absolutely miserable! Everything about me was hurting, my mind, my spirit, and my body. I could not walk two feet without being out of breath. I felt as though my entire life was crumbling around me. Before the age of 40 I had several major surgeries, which included, removing my tonsils, adenoids, gallbladder, uterus, and a blood transfusion. My health continued to deteriorate, besides developing upper respiratory problems, I stayed sick all the time. Missing work and other activities all because I did not feel well. My medications were costing me over $300 per month and that was with insurance.

In 2004, I decided I wanted to live. I loved food, and wanted to find ways of preparing food that was good for me but still tasteful. I also began seeking and searching for ways to lose weight. I read books, joined several weight loss programs, local and national. By 2006, I was on what appeared to be a see-saw. I had tried everything! Considering I had not eaten beef or pork since 1995. I thought there was no hope, and my doctors told me I would be on medication for the rest of my life. My weight and health was up and down. I refused to go through weight loss surgery after it was recommended by my physician. I started asking more questions and seeking more answers.

Then one by one, although years a part, The Creator began sending people into my life to help me while on my journey. People who would either support me, encourage me, and/or give me helpful advice and tips. For them I am so grateful. I will always hold dear to my heart, Shronder Gentry, Iris Wray, Sizwe Herring, Willam Scruggs, Cherokee Lewis, Djehuty Ma'at Ra, Dr. Jeff Menszie (J. Menaq) and Huni Bak Atun. With their help and support, I discovered wellness activities, new ways of eating; preparing my food, and gardening. I learned about full body detoxing, meditation, yoga and metaphysics. I was given a new look on life and discovered that healthy living was not a 'get well quick' pill, but a lifestyle change.

Today, although I am still on my weight loss journey, I have lost over 130lbs. I am no longer on medication of any kind, I can breath, walk, run, swim, and garden. There is nothing I can not do. I am enjoying my life!

Being healthy required a well rounded state of mind. Not only did I have to get my body right, I had to get my mental frame of mind, and my spirit right. I had to change the way I thought about food. I had to learn who I was, and learn to love myself. I had to spend time and become one with nature. I had to learn how to forgive by releasing hurts, pains, and disappointments that occurred throughout my life. I had to learn to build healthy relationships and participate in community. A healthy lifestyle, Mind, Body, and Spirit is a daily application. I chose to live and enjoy the life given to me.

It is my desire to share with my community and the world the resources I found on my journey. My journey to healthy living unlocked many doors: sustainability, Green jobs, saving the earth, permaculture, and making new friends.

My ultimate goal is to have an natural foods market in the community in which I live, which is a 'food desert', until then, Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center is dedicated to educate support and outreach for those seeking healither ways of eating and living. We have a backyard sanctuary and a 15 bed community garden, however we need your support to continue on our mission to help support others in taking control of their lives to be happy and healthy.

All 3 of our presenters for the 'Total Health, Healing, and Well Being Seminar'; Djehuty Ma'at-Ra, Dr. Jeff Menzise (J.Menaq) , and Huni Bak Atun, have helped me through my journey. Separately from 2007 to present, they all have been a part of my healing journey ,and now they are coming together in Nashville to share with you too! Please register and Let YOUR Healing Begin! on Saturday, November 12, 2011 9am-4pm
http://anotheravenueculturalresourcecenter.blogspot.com/p/eventsworkshopsseminars.html

Please Join our Blog and Thank you for reading!

Trazana has a Bachelor's degree in Management and Human Relations from Trevecca Nazarene University and an Associate’s Degree from Xavier University in Criminal Justice. She has over fifteen years of progressive administration and management experience working as a community organizer and with various community organizations. Trazana is also active with the Green Jobs Task Force of Davidson County, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, and EarthMatters TN. She has volunteered with Health Care For America Now and Organizing for America Now. She is affiliated with several community organizations such as; The Urban EpiCenter, Re/Storing Nashville Program, and Community Food Advocates. In addition, she an author, song writer, mother and grandmother.

BEFORE

NOW

Why Total Health, Healing, and Well Being?

2011-10-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center from it’s creation and envision was always designed to be a another avenue of resources and support for the community. The Founder, Trazana Staples, overcame her personal health and life challenges and wanted to share with her community and the world a more sustainable way of healthy living.

It is our goal is to ultimately have a natural foods market along with the services we provide to help support those wanting to live healthier sustainable lives. Until then, we are focusing on healthy living education outreach from a holistic point of view. Our services include, and are not limited to; G.R.A.C.E. ( Gardening, Recycling, Action/Activism, Composting, Education), financial empowerment, spiritual alignment, cleansing, detoxing, healthy & positive relationship building, and ecopreneurship (Green Jobs).

Our partners: Partners in Prosperity, Renee Bobb Enterprises, Mamushi Nature Farm, Return to Balance, Ray of Light Studios, Thaxton Abshalom Waters, and It’s A Family Affair Catering are contracted for several of our services offered such as yoga, video production, gardening, vegan and vegetarian catering, chakra balancing, visual art, book publishing, financial empowerment, and healthy food preparation.

We want to help and support the community in being healthy and happy. We know and have heard about the critical health epidemics in communities such as; hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and obesity in our communities which are considered ‘Food Deserts’. We know the problems that our communities face in economics, health, and education. Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center was birthed to help bring forth solutions for those wanting to take control of their lives. We want YOU to know; ‘what to eat’, ‘when to eat’, ‘how to eat’, ‘what are Green Jobs’, ‘how to create a Green Business’, ‘how to align your mind body and spirit’, “and how to build and maintain healthy relationships’ as a defense against depression and other challenges that life may bring. We want to be your ‘One Stop Shop’ for all the resources you need when it comes to healthy living.

We have created our LET’S EATT™ (Lifestyle, Enrichment Teaching Solutions, Eating Awareness Through Teaching ) presentations and ‘Fruits Over French Fries’© activities book for children as inspirations to help support healthier choices in living and eating.

What to expect from the Total Health, Healing, and Well Being Seminar

We have three dynamic speakers donating their time to Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center to help bring forth awareness and uplift the importance in taking control of ones life to be healthy and happy; mind, body and spirit. If you attend this seminar on November 12, 2011 in person or on live stream you can expect to walk away with keys to help you on your journey of living a positive healthy happy abundant life. Your life will be transformed and your outlook will never be the same again.

Our presenters are bringing FIRE, BRIMSTONE ,and TRUTH about food, healthy lifestyles, relationships, spirituality, and financial empowerment. Be open and prepared for your life to be transformed into a more vibrant healthier you!

TOTAL HEALTH,HEALING
& WELL BEING SEMINAR

A LIFE CHANGING EVENT YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS!

Djehuty Ma’at Ra

is owner of Djehuty’s Health Store, is an world renown international Herbalist. His expertise has been sought after by various entertainers and world leaders. He is also an expert health researcher, hygienist, metaphysician, occultist, hermeticist, gnostic, writer, jurisperitus, ecopreneur, motivational speaker, life guide/coach, thought minister, astrologist, student of life, prosperity coach, relationship counselor, career advisor, and life magician. His world famous natural products can be found on http://www.Dhealthstore.com

Huni Bak Atun

has over 27 years of Metaphysical education and uses what he has learned through his studies of various religions to help others connect the dots to spirituality and relationships. “My journey here On Plan ET Earth has allowed me to have a personal experience to be able to seek the truth, speak the truth, and be The Truth. Only the sincere at heart and mind will see through all of the lies that have caused this blanket of ignorance, not only to be pulled over the eyes but the entire body. How can one expect to know the truth accept the truth if one doesn't take time to investigate? I am sent to help liberate the mind, heart, soul, and body, and No Lies will be able to stand against it! Self evidence is the key that will free you but only if You let it. Amunu.”

J. Menaq (Dr. Jeff Menzise)

is a doctor of clinical psychology, certified hypnotist, researcher, professor, holistic health consultant, initiated and ordained multi-faith priest/minister, author, certified Kemetic Yoga teacher (level 1), reiki master, life coach and consultant. He has worked extensively in matters concerning holistic health, mind, body & spirit alignment, marriage and family planning, self-development, initiation and rites of passage program development, life purpose guidance, meditation, yoga and pranic healing.

Dr. Menzise uses both modern and ancient techniques in his craft including meditation, yoga, chi (qi) gong, spiritual cultivation, principles of modern psychotherapy, crystals, stones, botanical essences, creative visualization, reiki, hypnosis, Kundalini and Tantric instruction, Pranayama breathing modalities, pranic healing techniques, herbs and meal planning. He has received strong support and praise from various organizations, individuals, couples and families and is excited to make these services available to you.

LET THE HEALING BEGIN!!!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

9am – 4pm

Nashville Friends Meeting

530 26th Avenue North
Nashville, Tennessee 37209

$25 includes a Continental breakfast, lunch, and lecture materials

Click here for Elder (60 years) or Student Registration $15

Total Health, Healing, and Well Being Seminar Sponsors

Mumushi Nature Farm

Thaxton Abshalom Waters

Ray Of Light

Studios

Tennessee's obesity epidemic: Fighting the big fight Efforts range from a veggie garden to fitness programs

2011-09-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Trazana Staples was an unlikely candidate to lead North Nashville’s vegetable revolution.

Four years ago, she tipped the scale at more than 300 pounds. She steeled herself against the inevitable diabetes or high blood pressure diagnoses that awaited.

But Staples had her reasons. It’s much easier to get a super-sized, fast-food meal in her food-desert neighborhood than a bunch of broccoli. Exercise didn’t fit into her daily schedule. But her frustration at being constantly out of breath, even after a few steps, was the catalyst for a lifestyle change.

Now 140 pounds lighter, Staples has applied for nonprofit status for her Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center. The center includes 15 garden beds in her backyard — open to neighbors for the picking — a gathering space in her living room and cooking demonstrations in her kitchen.

“This is my passion, and I’m doing what I love to do by helping others enjoy their life,” she said.

Local organizations as small as Staples’ and as large as Vanderbilt University are fighting the state’s obesity crisis, moved by personal experiences or grim statistics. They’re reaching out to obese Tennesseans where they live, trying to prompt lifesaving changes. But they find clients facing a variety of challenges with money and access to programs.

“Five years ago, it was like, this is the issue we need to be dealing with,” said Pat Whitaker, Rutherford County UT Extension agent for family and consumer sciences.

Her organization takes government housing residents to the Murfreesboro farmers’ market, teaching them how to buy and cook what’s in season. The extension runs parent-child cooking and fitness programs at high-poverty schools in Smyrna and La Vergne and free wellness programs through businesses.

She said most people are already thinking about their weight issues by the time they encounter a program. Lascassas resident Kristy Gates said she’d tried and failed at a couple of commercial weight-loss programs before Whitaker brought her free Tennessee Shapes Up program to Gates’ employer.

Workers met with Whitaker once a week for six weeks to discuss wellness strategies and do some stretching together. They tracked their exercise plus fruit, vegetable and water intake for 12 weeks. Gates lost 34 pounds.

“It was simple. You just carried around your little piece of paper and wore your pedometer,” she said. “It’s the only thing I’ve had any luck on.”

Waistlines have grown faster in Tennessee than in all but two other states over the past 15 years, a recent Trust for America’s Health report revealed. More than two-thirds of Tennesseans are either obese or overweight, producing health issues that some estimate cost the state almost a half-billion dollars annually.

The problem lies in how Americans live, said Richard Hamburg, deputy director of Trust for America’s Health. Kids don’t play outside after school before starting their homework. There are “sidewalks to nowhere” that don’t provide uninterrupted, safe paths for walking. Many Americans live in suburbs and drive everywhere.

Hamburg’s group seeks policy changes that affect large groups of people, but there’s value in small groups reaching people where they live, he said. Especially in rural areas, people can get positive messages at church, the barber shop or from social groups.

The idea is to get to people before they end up at the doctor’s office with an obesity-related condition, he said. “Anything based on the premise of getting people more active or eating a healthier diet is going to be a good thing.”
National initiatives

Some Tennessee groups are taking note of national initiatives such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to fight childhood obesity, said Joan Randall, executive director of the Tennessee Obesity Task Force. They’re following suit with their own programs.

“Everybody realizes that obesity has such far-reaching consequences, that it’s not going to be solved easily or quickly,” Randall said. “We all know we have a stake. It’s affecting the health and economy of everyone. Our partners have their respective populations that they serve, and it just totally broadens the audience we can reach.”

Nonprofits that delve into obesity work often look at their current mission and see how it fits in.

Megachurch Mt. Zion Baptist sponsors Church-Fit, large group workouts that attract hundreds of congregants from age 4 to senior citizens. The idea is to assist with their spiritual and physical health.

The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt recruits youngsters to run its summer farmers’ markets, educating them about nutrition in the process. The Veggie Project brings farmers’ markets to communities with the lowest concentration of grocery stores.

The Junior League of Nashville sponsors Kids in the Kitchen, teaching children how to make healthy lifestyle choices. Next year, the organization plans to add a parent component to its yearly event, which will be held at the Martha O’Bryan Center in March.

“We have a focus on children and child health, and one of those needs is the obesity epidemic,” said Michele Toungette, president of the Junior League of Nashville. “We try to determine what are the unmet needs in our community and how we, through trained volunteers, can support them.”

Candice Cannon, a Springfield mother of four, said the more options Middle Tennesseans have, the better. Diverse programs in varied locations make it convenient to get involved.

Cannon was concerned her 12-year-old son Chase’s lifestyle and family history would make him vulnerable to diabetes. Distractions such as television and video games sometimes prevent tweens from getting active, she said. She recently enrolled him in the Franklin YMCA’s free Diabetes Smart program, where he works with a personal trainer twice a week and meets with a nutritionist once a month to improve his eating habits.

Three weeks in, she’s already seen positive changes in her son.

“He’s understanding more what he needs to be eating and taking it on his own to exercise more,” she said. “This will give him a good foundation.”
Big picture elusive

While groups offer countless anecdotes about individuals whose lives were changed, it’s tough to get a picture of how the efforts affect Tennessee as a whole.

Randall points to Tennessee’s 31.7 percent obesity rate, down from 32.9 percent in 2009. Tennessee was the fourth most-obese state last year, an improvement from the second spot in 2009. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey showed the number of obese high school students fell from 16.9 percent to 15.8 percent from 2008 to 2009, but CDC researchers say it will take years of falling numbers to claim victory as the first state to reverse its childhood obesity rate long term.

“We believe that with the state working together, we have halted the progression (of obesity) and it has been reversed in a number of areas,” Randall said. “We are all following the national trend in a good way.”

But Jim Myers, executive director with Community Food Advocates, said many neighborhoods considered food deserts are on their first step: ensuring everyone has access to quality fruits and vegetables. His organization signs up neighborhood convenience stores for a program that gives them assistance securing fresh foods, small-business support and publicity.

“You can’t begin to have people address their diets if there’s not access to healthy, affordable food,” Myers said. “You have to solve the access piece first and, along with it, the education piece is important. The American palate has such an overdeveloped taste for fat, salt and sugar that it’s hard to re-educate people about what good food is.

“We are tackling obesity on such a scale now that it’s hard to measure (the success), as we don’t have the data on it yet.”

Smaller groups are getting a boost from cities in Middle Tennessee. The NashVitality campaign, funded with a $7.5 million federal grant and administered by Metro Public Health, works to inspire residents to eat better and exercise regularly.

Mayor Karl Dean got Nashville residents moving earlier this year with his Walk 100 initiative, which was part of the campaign. More than 4,000 Nashvillians took to city greenways and park trails, walking more than 100,000 miles in the campaign. Dean has since issued another challenge, rallying residents to walk or run a 5K with him on Nov. 13.

That’s what Kathy Sherrell said she needed to jump-start her weight-loss regimen. The Madison resident said she’s struggled with her weight all her life, but now she’s determined to lead a healthy lifestyle and set an example for her 9-year-old daughter.

She’s captain of the 5K training team at the East Park Community Center.

“I don’t like exercising by myself, and it’s just more fun when you have people with you,” she said. “It’s a good idea the mayor came up with because this is the encouragement a lot of people need.”

Heidi Hall contributed to this report. Contact Nancy DeVille at 615-259-8304 or ndeville@tennessean.com.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110918/NEWS01/309180079/Tennessee-s-obesity-epidemic-Fighting-big-fight?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Ecoprenuership, 10 Steps to Creating your Green Business

2011-08-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ecopreneurship

10 Steps to Creating Your Green Business

By: Trazana Alecia Staples

“Applying the steps presented in this book will lead you to live your greatest dream of becoming an ecopreneur.

Although I am yet still an aspiring ecopreneur, speaker, community activist, song writer, mother, grandmother, and visionary, life was not always easy for me. Through my journey I have learned to use my creativity and gifts to sustain my lifestyle, care for the planet and give back to the world.

It took years for me to discover my passion, but once I figured it out, I began to live and enjoy life. What I have learned that it does not need to take a lifetime to discover, all it takes is being shown your path. It is my hopes that this booklet will lead someone to their path of ecopreneurship.”

“I designed this booklet of resources to be used as a tool to give information to be an ecopreneur. It is my hopes that the information and resources in this booklet will help lead those who inspire to be an ecopreneur in the right direction to discover their passion that will lead to their sustainability and contribution to the earth."

“Ecopreneurs go beyond organic, beyond compliance to laws and regulations (or redefine them), beyond consumerism, beyond minimum wages and beyond the free market economy to conduct business. Entrepreneurs become EcoPreneurs when their spirit, boldness, courage and determination not only transform the landscape but coalescence into a movement to transform global problems into opportunities for restoration and healing.” http://www.ecopreneur.co.za “

$10.00

No returns on Ebooks

Healthy eating a peaceful mind

2011-08-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

Healthy eating a peaceful mind

Lets get it Started!

2011-05-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

As I have said many times before, I am not a health guru, health/medical professional, nutritionist or herbalist. I am a simple woman on the journey to be healthy and enjoy the life given to me. On this journey I have found that the more healthy foods you eat, the better you will feel. Your outlook on life will change, your perception on things will be more positive, and you will also discover that the things you spend lots of time and energy on really does not matter. I know for a fact life is meant to be enjoyed with little are no struggles. It is up to each individual to create his/her reality. Just know from this day forward, whatever happens to you is in your control, you determine its outcome, and yes, all of this can happen through eating more healthier, natural foods.

Below are some tips that have helped me along the way. I have picked up these valuable health tips throughout the years from the Sonoma Diet, Dehuty Ma’att-Ra ,Dr. J MenaqAmurr (aka Dr. Jeff Menzise), Dr. Llila Afrika, Cherokee Lewis (of the Body Love Temple), and many other resources since 2004 when Another Avenue was given to me in a vision.

· Eliminate white foods from your daily intake these will include, sugar, salt, white rice, pasta, dairy products ect…replace them with natural unprocessed choices if possible. Pink Himalayan salt or sea salt, organic raw, agave nectar or raw maple syrup, brown or wild rice, gluten free whole grain pasta, almond milk, or coconut milk.

· Replace coffee with herbal tea

· Break your fast with water. Water should be the first thing you put in your body when you wake up, then followed by fruit. Leave all the unhealthy breakfast foods along..bacon, eggs, grits…they actual do more harm than good for your body.

· Water, water, water make sure you get plenty of it. Alkaline water or kangen water is great. Distilled water or spring water and squeeze a lime in it will help raise the ph level. Water should be at a ph level of 9.29, tap water or bottled water will not get it.

· Do a full body detox every three months to help eliminate toxins out of your body. I wholeheartedly recommend dherbs full body detox www.dherbs.com

· Go out connect with nature! Plant a garden, go hiking, camping, or just go outside and get some natural vitamin D from the rays of the sun.

· Learn a new hobby beside the latest television craze. Swimming, bicycling, walking, jogging, skiing, belly dancing, afrikan drum & dance…anything to get your body moving will help increase endorphins in your body and helps you to eliminate stress

· Cook and prepare more foods at home. Stay away from fast food restaurants.

· Herbs herbs herbs…will help repair what ever ails you. Herbs will help you to get to your optimal health initially however; your food should be your medicine. Many of the basic herbs we have in our kitchen anyway, we just need to know what, where, how, and when about them.

· Study, research, and learn on your own. Don’t just let anyone one tell you anything. Being healthy requires a change of mind about food, it requires discipline, deprogramming from this horrible western diet, and an understanding of the foods we eat everyday.

· Meditation, yoga, and quite time with yourself will help YOU connect with YOU! To thy own self be true. Stay focused, positive and see yourself healthy. Create some daily affirmations or mantras to say to yourself everyday. My daily mantra is: “I am healthy, I am wealthy, I am wise, I am protected, I am positive, I am powerful, I am rich, I attract lots of money, I love myself, and I am loved” The truth will resonate with your spirit and you will have no doubts, if, ands, or buts about it.

· Stay positive! Always think happy thoughts. Do not embrace negative energy from others or from yourself.

· Last but not least surround yourself with like minded individuals; this will help tremendously with temptations.

Thank you for reading!

Peace, Love, & Light!

Trazana

Healthy Eating

2011-04-25T08:41:00.001-07:00

We live in a time where everything is fast and in a hurry. We rarely take the time to just stop and breathe. This fast paced life style that we have been accustomed to makes it hard for one to sit down and prepare a healthy meal. leaving us to grab whatever foods are avaliable to us fast and in a hurry.

This lifestyle is one of the reasons why America is in a state of crisis due to poor diet. We Americans consume too much processed foods that are high in sodium and sugars. We eat too many fast foods which are full of trans fats, not to mention that all of these foods are full of harmful chemical and preservative. When I say harmful I mean to our bodies, our bodies are holistic vessels, when we put harmful chemicals into our bodies they cause alot of problems and illness that people live and suffer through everyday. Substituting more natural foods in the place of process food will do wonder for your health, not to mention save you some money from expensive doctor visits. It is time to make changes people and Another Avenue Cultural Resource Center is the solution to the problem. www.anotheravenue.org

Until next time good people

Peace & Love

Fly High PiP, A Ray of Light Studios

2011-04-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Nutritional Epiphany

2011-04-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

Peace good people. Thank you for taking some time out of your busy day to check out The Another Avenue blog page. The topic of which I will go in-depth today has to do with being aware of the foods that we are putting in our bodies and the effects that these particular foods cause. People, it is time for a Nutritional Epiphany. Just little over a year ago, I weighed 359lbs. I would go to the breakfast bar and eat sausage links until my eyes hurt. I was fat. My idea of a healthy meal was baked chicken and canned vegetables that were loaded with butter and bouillon cubes(which is purely MSG). MSG is a excitotoxin which is a chemical transmitter, that as the name suggests, excite the brain to death. Just about everything I was eating contained these harmful toxins, which have also been linked to seizures, stroke, and brain tumors. I started to research topics of this nature and the information that I received led me to my Nutritional Epiphany. I cut beef and pork completely out of my diet and limited myself to fish and chicken occasionally. Once I started consistently eating this way the weight MELTED off of me. I have lost 123lbs since last April, and I feel better than ever before.

I encourage everyone reading this to watch the movie Food Inc. It goes deep into how the processing companies are damaging the food that people eat before it ever reaches them, which in turn causes your body to eventually break down. Dr. Laila Afrika is also extremely knowledgeable and breaks down matters of the body as well as anyone you will ever see. You can find them both on Youtube. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN YOUR BODY. I can’t stress that enough. Not just for the obvious reason, which is your physical well being, but also for your spirituality. Know what you put in is what you get out, and you are what you eat. Never have clichés been more on point. People it’s time for a Nutritional Epiphany.