CWUW making it happenin'

The Center of Wellness for Urban Women - CWUW (pronounced C-Woo) empowers women and their families to be proactive in their health by improving the mind, body, and spirit through education, advocacy, prevention and care.

CWUW is a service organization. We will only provide programs and services that are needed in the community and will partner with women serving organizations to assist them in their health promotion efforts.

How will get this done?

Advocacy is vital.

Addressing access to care issues where we find them.

Helping women to understand the 7 Dimensions of Wellness and why each dimension is vital for total health and wellness.

Community involvement. We can't do it alone.

CWUW wants all women to Live Life Well.

Join us today!

Http://www.cwuwonline.org
http://www.myspace.com/cwuw

volunteer@cwuwonline.org

Positive Thought For The Week

Perspective

I was sitting around the other day thinking about all reasons why I had not accomplished more in my life. I was saying that at my age I should have accomplished more. I was busy beating my self up about all the things I thought I should have done by now. You know things like: I should be married by now. I should have moved into a bigger house. I should have gone to Europe. I should have lost that 20 pounds. I was having what some folks may call a glass half empty day. I hate those moments because I'm usually an up beat happy positive person. The truth of the matter is lately I have been wrestling with who I am really vs who I see my self as. The truth of the matter is even though there are many things I would still like to conquer there is nothing wrong with me because they have not happened yet. Every day God gives me breath. He gives me another opportunity to reach my dreams. I'm still here and I still have a chance to make them happen. It's also very important to understand that a life that is filled will real quality can only happen when you understand the power of perspective. Perspective is if I truly just wanted to be married, I would be married. But the truth is I didn't just want a ceremony I want a marriage. Marriage in the sense that God designed it for man. If I really wanted a bigger house, I'd be in it. Instead I choose not to try impress others and invested what I had into something else. Something that would give me greater dividends for my future. I could have lost the 20 pounds but I want to do it the healthy smart way. I'm not as small as I would like to be but I'm healthy, active and working towards that goal. The truth of the matter is you can spend every waking moment obsessing over the things you don't have or you can prayerfully move forward making every day count and enjoying what you do have. You are going to have some down moments. It's life, but take those moments as an opportunity to plan for your tomorrow. Make every moment count because some of these moments may never come again and so the next time you are tempted to focus to long on your half empty glass remember this be grateful that at least you have something to put in a glass.

6 Myths about Bottled Water

for weekly email delivery
from the Meatless Monday Website

(Marie Claire) MYTH #1: BOTTLED WATER IS BETTER THAN TAP.

Not necessarily. While labels gush about bottled water that "begins as snowflakes" or flows from "deep inside lush green volcanoes," between 25 and 40 percent of bottled water comes from a less exotic source: U.S. municipal water supplies. (Bottling companies buy the water and filter it, and some add minerals.) That's not really a bad thing: The Environmental Protection Agency oversees municipal water quality, while the Food and Drug Administration monitors bottled water; in some cases, EPA codes are more stringent.

MYTH #2:PURIFIED WATER TASTES BETTER.

The "purest" water — distilled water with all minerals and salts removed — tastes flat; it's the sodium, calcium, magnesium, and chlorides that give water its flavor. The "off" taste of tap water is the chlorine; if you refrigerate it in a container with a loose-fitting lid, the chlorine taste will be gone overnight.

MYTH #3:BOTTLED WATER WITH VITAMINS, MINERALS, OR PROTEIN IS MORE HEALTHY THAN REGULAR WATER.

"Vitamins, color, herbs, protein, and all the other additions to water — those are a marketing ploy," says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., professor of nutrition studies at New York University. Plus, the additives are usually a scant serving of the vitamins you really need in a day, adds Amy Subar, Ph.D., a nutritionist with the National Cancer Institute. Enhanced waters usually contain sugars and artificial flavorings to sweeten the deal and can pack more calories than diet soda. When it comes to providing fluoride, tap water usually wins, though that element is increasingly being added to bottled waters.

MYTH #4:YOU NEED EIGHT 8-OUNCE GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY.

The Institute of Medicine recommends about 91 ounces (a little more than 11 8-ounce glasses) of fluid daily for women. But here's the thing: It expects 80 percent of that to come from water, juice, coffee, tea, or other beverages and the remaining 20 percent from food. That means if you drink a 12-ounce cup of coffee and a 12-ounce can of diet soda, you only need 48 more ounces (three 16-ounce glasses, or four soda cans' worth) for the day.

MYTH #5:AFTER AN INTENSE WORKOUT, BOTTLED WATER IS BEST.

There's a reason volunteers hand out Gatorade during marathons. If your workout lasts longer than an hour, you need to replace the water and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, that you've lost (that's what sports drinks generally do). For less intense workouts, regular water is fine.

MYTH #6:WATER BOTTLES ARE EASY ON THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THEY CAN BE RECYCLED.

Wouldn't it be nice? And it's not just the bottles. Eco-costs include manufacturing, trucking, shelving, and marketing. And meeting the annual U.S. demand for plastic bottles requires enough oil to keep 100,000 cars on the road for a year, says Janet Larsen of the Earth Policy Institute. Sure, the 70 million empty water bottles the U.S. produces per day can be recycled, but the sad truth is, about 86 percent of them end up in the trash. Hardly worth it, for what flows out of the tap and into a reusable glass for free.

Great Northern White Chili

Makes 8 servings

Great Northern beans are large and white - and native to North America. They're most often used in soups and cassoulets.
1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 (15-ounce)

2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce)can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

1 (14-ounce) can white sweet corn, drained

Coat a large pot with nonstick cooking spray, then sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Stir frequently so vegetables don't stick. Empty one can of the Great Northern beans into a food processoror blender and process with one cup of the vegetable broth until smooth. Add everything to the pot: the pureed bean mixture, the second can of Great Northern beans,the garbanzo beans, the remaining 3 cups of vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, green chiles, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. Garnish with a dollop of tomato salsa.

Nutrition Information per ServingCalories 220, Total Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 980mg, Carbohydrates 40g, Fiber 9g, Protein 13g

CWUW is Living Life Well!

Center of Wellness for Urban Women - CWUW is truly moving forward in its efforts to provide women with an organization that cares about their health and wellness needs.

CWUW has partnered with the Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC) to develop research projects focusing on health disparities concerning minority women.

CWUW will be represented on the community advisory board with the IU National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health.

CWUW has gained permission from Mental Health America to access their resources to provide up to date mental health information for women and their families.

CWUW will still conduct additional health focus groups in the upcoming months. We had a very successful group last month and look forward to hearing what Indy women have to say about their health and wellness needs.

CWUW continues to look for volunteers and board members. If you're interested, contact CWUW at volunteers@cwuwonline.org

Lastly, one of the 7 dimensions of wellness touches on social health. CWUW believes that relaxation and even entertainment can be beneficial to your health. Its a way to recharge your spirit. We, as an organization, also believe in the power of the Arts for healing.

In November, CWUW will present, "Life Jam" with the tentative line up:

Rusty Redenbacher of the Mudkids
Dj Kortez
Organic Soul
A-Bondz
James Walker Trio
and more!

Silent auction and a raffle for your chance to own art by Kortez

A smoke free event!

More details to come!

CWUW is teaming up with the Lyrical Rhapsody Foundation to present "Planet Girl Online" - empowerment tools for girls! More to come!
You can contact Planet Girl at planetgirlonline@cwuwonline.org.


Be a part of the CWUW Crew!
http://www.cwuwonline.org

Live Life Well