I can and I will
I have to admit I had major mom guilt when I sent out the last issue of HWGP. I only work on this newsletter when I’m in the car picking my daughter up at school—but I have no Internet connection to put it into layout. Last week, I decided at 5 p.m., after I finished work, to quickly send out Issue 2. That turned into an hour, cut into dinner, and was followed by me on my phone for another hour that night to post all over social media that the issue was out. I was tired, felt like I lost quality time with my kids, and stressed because I didn’t give myself enough rest that day. Can you relate?
Would love to hear your story!
Part of me wants to show my kids that sometimes you have to make time to chase your dreams. Part of me tells myself to stop feeling guilty because I literally never leave the house or do anything without them. And, part of me is so excited to see something new I created out in the word…hoping people read and share it! I am deciding if I should publish every week or bi-weekly as I try to find the balance between pursuing my dreams and not stressing myself out.
WHAT DOES GIRL POWER MEAN TO YOU?
I ask girls of all ages and life stages, “What Does Girl Power Mean to You?”
“Girl power is continually rising from the ashes and rebuilding the self-sufficient woman I once was and know I always will be.” – Cori Buscemi, Finance Manager @ LG Electronics USA & NJ Licensed Real Estate Agent
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE
“Let go of social media expectations. Social media is a construct that can alter your thinking and behavior to the point that you’ll make irrational financial decisions to meet unrealistic expectations.” - Dasha, financial analyst @thebrokeblackgirl
Thank you, Dasha! So many of us need to hear that. We follow influencers and think if we wear the same things or buy the brands they plug, we will suddenly feel popular and fulfilled. The first step is to recognize what is happening and then make change.
FEMALE FOUNDER SPOTLIGHT
LUNA MAGIC
LUNA MAGIC is a new indie beauty and lifestyle brand founded by Afro-Latina & Dominican-American sisters Mabel and Shaira Frías. By combining their passions for beauty and lifestyle, they created a vibrant brand that celebrates their mutual love for their multicultural heritage, Latin culture and music—in living color. Perhaps you’ve seen them on Shark Tank or checked out their products at Target. Their line includes matte lipsticks, faux mink lashes, and high-pigment eyeshadow palettes. I am really excited to try the Luna Magic vegan, non-toxic nail polish.
EXPERT TIP
Eat your way to your goals.
Really. The food we eat is a key determinant of productivity, according to Adrienne Youdim, MD, FACP--an internist who specializes in medical weight loss and nutrition.
“Diet is often conflated with weight loss in our society,” says Dr. Youdim. “In my clinical practice, there are three main dietary errors my patients encounter. Not eating, succumbing to eating what is easy, and failing to incorporate what is right. This strategy is not only unhealthy, but also adversely affects productivity.”
For starters, don’t skip meals or wait until you’re starving to eat. “When blood sugar drops from prolonged fasting, the body releases adrenaline,” explains Dr. Youdim. “Adrenaline, also called epinephrine, is a stress hormone that is released when the body senses danger. Adrenaline triggers the sympathetic or ‘fight or flight’ response of the body which increases heart rate and blood pressure, directs blood flow to the muscles preparing them for action, diverts blood flow away from the digestive tract causing nausea and ‘butterflies,’ causes tunnel vision and creates racing thoughts and difficulty focusing on tasks.”
Dr. Youdim recommends incorporating eggs, banana, spinach, Greek yogurt, salmon, walnuts, berries and avocado into your day.
Dr. Youdim is author of Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out and host of Health Bite podcast. Dr. Youdim served as the Medical Director of the Cedars-Sinai Weight Loss Center, then brought her passion and expertise to her own private practice in Beverly Hills, California. She currently holds positions as Associate Professor of medicine at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She is known to prescribe books, podcasts, and has even written a prescription for a puppy.
Follow Dr. Youdim @dradrienneyoudim.
HERO WITH GIRL POWER
I first started following Dr. Sarah Kiani on Instagram when the pandemic first started. I was in awe over how brave she was, working in medicine while she was pregnant and there was so much risk and unknown. I love her posts about motherhood and real life (like a recent IG reel about whether she would rather go to sleep or spend time with her husband). And she’s also teaching me--and her 39K followers-- a lot about her Islamic culture. Follow her for fashion, skincare, empowerment and parenting posts @drsarahkiani.
BOOK SPOTLIGHT
Moms don’t have time to do a lot of things, but Zibby Owens makes it easy for them to get in five minutes of community and connection with her two books, Moms Don't Have Time to Have Kids: A Timeless Anthology and Moms Don't Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology. Each collection features contributor essays that are quick pick-me-ups for however you may be feeling. Lack of time for friends, sex, passions? Jump to one of those essays and get the comfort you need without even having to text a friend about it. (Because sometimes moms just don’t have time to respond to a text!)
Zibby Owens is host of the acclaimed Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast and has been dubbed "NYC's Most Important Book-fluencer" by Vulture. She is a regular books columnist for Good Morning America and Katie Couric Media. Can’t wait for her forthcoming memoir, Bookends! Follow her @zibbyowens and @zibbybooks.
THE FINE PRINT
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO WRITE YOUR OWN STORY AND BE THE HERO OF IT, TOO.
Thanks for reading this newsletter, which I wrote the week I took a food challenge at my allergist and got cleared to eat corn! I had major anxiety and share more on this IG post.
Hero with Girl Power is inspired by the children’s book I wrote for my daughter, Princess Genevieve: The Hero with Girl Power.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram @thejoellesperanza and @herowithgirlpower
To submit for a spotlight in the next issue of Hero with Girl Power, email me at joelle@joellesperanza.com
Please share and tell your friends about this to help fuel my dream!
Always grateful,
Joelle
Empowering girls of all ages and life stages.
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