How did you get started with Black Girls Do Bike?

I often found myself riding alone after purchasing ‘Lady Pearl’ (a lady’s Trek 7.4 bike) in 2014 as a 50^th birthday gift to myself. I hardly saw women who looked like me (women of color) riding bikes. I wanted to rediscover a childhood activity with other like-minded ladies. I searched online for a woman’s cycling group and stumbled across a Black Girls Do Bike Facebook post. I reached out to the founder of the national organization, who helped me set up a chapter in Rochester.

What do you want people to know about Black Girls Do Bike?

Black Girls Do Bike (BGDB) is a friendly, non-intimidating, relaxed cycling space for women. We embrace and welcome all shades on BGDB rides, but especially black women and girls. Women of color are hungry for images that reflect them. We seek to share positive images of ladies and their bikes to affirm the truth that black girls DO indeed bike!

We also join with and support the many other bicycling events and activities in Rochester. In May 2017, we expanded our horizons and traveled as a group to New York City to meet our sisters from other chapters and enjoyed the 40-mile Five Boro Bike Tour!

Where are your favorite places to go cycling?

I’m always looking for a reason to eat ice cream! Some of my favorite places to ride definitely include a stop at any of the local ice cream parlors. We make these stops guilt free because we’re burning the extra calories with muscle power!

I like riding to my granddaughter’s house, where I model the joy of cycling to a six year old as we ride around her neighborhood.

I frequently ride around downtown Rochester, especially the area around High Falls and the Genesee Riverway Trail, which are both very beautiful areas to visit on night rides. Other favorites include trails around Seneca Park and the Erie Canal.

Since taking the League Cycling Instruction safety training earlier this year, I have grown more comfortable cycling in and around the city streets of Rochester. I’ve enjoyed the chance to help other women understand how to safely share our roads with cars and pedestrians.

You must bike – a lot. Do you do anything else to stay active?

I stay active by doing the things I enjoy. I love being outdoors during the summer. This summer, I experienced my first (although, not my last) weekend-long bike camping trip in Canada. I had a fantastic time, riding almost 60 miles and exploring a variety of trails and landmarks.

I coordinate monthly hiking trips exclusively for women and I enjoy recreational swimming. I learned to swim when I was 46 years old! During the winter, I typically stay active by taking aqua spinning classes, indoor spinning classes at Exercise Express, dancing and some winter hiking. I wholeheartedly believe self-care is an extension of self-love, which is why engaging in and having fun with physical activities that I like is a top priority for me and a way of life.

Any healthy eating tips?

At 53 years old, I’m fortunate that my primary care physician is quite pleased with my health!

Being an empty nester, I barely turn on the stove, although I do make oatmeal and eggs! I keep meals simple and easy, yet healthy and wholesome. I eat several, small meals throughout the day. I regularly eat a diet high in protein and fiber and low in carbs and sugar. I never, ever skip breakfast. I keep my breakfast light, although filling. Most days, you’ll find me eating two boiled eggs, one small banana with natural peanut butter (from Abundance Food Co-Op), Greek yogurt with granola, oatmeal and water.

I usually eat fresh fruits daily, including apples, grapes, strawberries and oranges. For dinner, I’ll indulge in a spinach salad packed with avocados, blueberries, walnuts, carrots, and mushrooms. I have a friend who is on a personal quest to transition my diet solely to vegetarian and he’s not hearing any complaints from me.

My drink of choice is water with lime, although I do drink a glass of red wine at least three times a week.

You seem very busy. How do you juggle it all?

My organizational skills are some of my strongest attributes! I tend to do pretty well balancing all of the varied hats that I wear.

I would consider myself ‘old school’ since I still keep a traditional paper calendar and write a weekly ‘to do’ list which helps to keep my life in order. I tend to listen to my body, especially when she says, “Kecia, you are tired and need rest.”

I’m a stickler for sleeping seven to eight hours a night, which keeps me focused and productive throughout my day. I set aside time to be alone and to be with my granddaughter and close family and friends. Most importantly, I’m very careful about not taking on too much. I am also not afraid to use the powerful two letter word, “no”.

For more information on Black Girls Do Bike: Rochester, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlackGirlsDoBikeROCHESTER/

EDITOR’S NOTE: With the stigma surrounding mental illness, many people are reluctant to seek treatment. After the birth of her son, Emily Glossner Johnson experienced wild mood swings. She sought help from different sources and at times denied her bipolar disorder. Today, thanks to the right medications, a great therapist, and a loving family, Emily has her symptoms under control. Here’s her story.

For a long time, Emily Glossner Johnson hid her bipolar disorder. For many years, she didn’t realize she had a mental illness and even after diagnosis, she sometimes refused to admit she has it. Today is different. She’s gone public about her condition—through her own blog, this one and public speaking engagements. She’s also written about it in published essays.

“I want to help remove the stigma that many people who have a mental illness face and clear up any misunderstandings about what it means to be bipolar,” she said.

“I’m very open about my bipolar diagnosis because I feel I put a ‘normal’ face to this illness,” she wrote in her March 30: World Bipolar Day blog.

“Those who know me…know that I’m not scary or dangerous. They may know that I struggle, but they also know that I work very hard to maintain balance. They know I want to be well, and that I’m not just ‘doing this for attention’…” she wrote.

Her diagnosis is not who Emily is, but it’s a big part of her. First, she’s a mother, a wife and a writer. With the support of her family, the counsel of her psychiatrist, and the right medications, Emily leads a balanced life today. Yet, there are many days, weeks and months that are “lost” to her because she can’t clearly remember what happened during some of her early manic episodes and times when she was severely depressed.

Although Emily believes she may have been bipolar as a teen and even as a child, the illness didn’t manifest itself completely until after the birth of her son in March 1995. The hormonal upheaval of pregnancy and childbirth may have triggered what her doctor initially diagnosed as post-partum depression.

Couldn’t Stop Crying

Emily recalls that she couldn’t stop crying. She was afraid of everything. Her doctor prescribed an antidepressant. It seemed to be working, she thought, as she unknowingly entered a manic stage. She felt elated and so driven to write her first novel that she stopped eating and sleeping.

“I was on fire,” she said, explaining that when you’re in a manic episode, you think everything you do is brilliant.

She’s quick to point out that she’s never allowed her illness to interfere with the care of her son. “He’s always been my first priority, my comfort, my joy.”

Her first husband, however, was anything but supportive. He wanted her to “snap out of it” and resume teaching. (She taught writing at Monroe Community College for 10 years.) He resented the cost of her care and medications when she started seeing a psychiatrist in September of that year. That’s when she received the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. For six years, with the help of her psychiatrist, she managed to keep on a fairly even keel, her moods stabilized. Then he retired.

Under the care of several psychiatrists from 2001 to 2003, Emily experienced several episodes of highly fluctuating moods. During that time frame, she had four mental health inpatient stays and two treatments in a partial hospital day program.

Stopped Medications

When Emily found the courage to divorce her first husband, she felt a kind of catharsis. Away from the abusive relationship, she began to wonder if her marriage had been the source of her mental problems. She stopped taking her medications.

“I thought it was just the stress of a bad marriage,” she said. A single mom, Emily began working full-time. “I can handle this,” she thought. Soon, however, the manic and depressive episodes were back.

“I was just not right,” she said. She couldn’t hold down a job. She realized she needed a new psychiatrist.

Using the “find a doctor” tool on the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield website, she was directed to Ann Griepp, M.D., a psychiatrist whose practice is in Rochester. “My first visit I told her I wasn’t bipolar,” Emily remembers. “She told me, ‘first, let me get to know you.’”

As Emily’s trust in Dr. Griepp grew, she found she did not mind the 90-minute commute from her home in the Syracuse area to her appointments, especially since she has family in Rochester she can visit. Griepp, who also is a medical director for Excellus BCBS, champions reducing the stigma of mental illness.

Mental illness can look like a lot of things, but at its core, it’s a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling or mood. As the National Mental Illness Alliance writes: “Such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis.”

More Common Than Cancer

One in five U.S. adults experiences a mental health condition over the course of a year, making mental illness more common than cancer and  heart disease combined.

In an interview, Dr. Griepp noted that mental illness often results in decreased use of medical care, reduced adherence to treatment for chronic diseases and higher risk of adverse health outcomes as well as tobacco use and alcohol abuse.

The shame and stigma surrounding mental illness can cause affected people to deny symptoms, delay treatment and refrain from taking part in daily life, she continued.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You wouldn’t feel bad about others knowing you have diabetes or asthma. Yet, with mental illness, people feel they have to hide their diagnosis. They’re often afraid of what others will think about them.”

Even if you haven’t been treated personally for a mental illness or addiction, you may have a family member or friend who has, Griepp noted.

“Or, you may have been personally affected by someone who has died as a result of suicide or drug overdose,” said Griepp, who has spearheaded the “Me Too” campaign at Excellus BCBS the last three years to help enlighten employees about mental illness. By reframing how we think about mental illness, we can bridge the empathy gap and encourage loved ones to get help, said Griepp.

“We do that by seeing the person and not the illness and by offering him or her support by saying, ‘We’ll get through this together,’ or ‘I’m here for you.’”

Ready to Accept Diagnosis

A few months after seeing Griepp and undergoing a change in her medications, Emily was fully ready to accept her bipolar diagnosis. The admission was an important step, but one that often comes with obstacles.

“There’s a fear to thinking you’re crazy and might go out of control,” she said, “Then, there’s the stigma of being labeled by your mental illness.” Yet, acknowledging her diagnosis has been freeing.

“Now, I live one day at a time,” Emily said, adding that she does better when she sticks to a routine; she takes her meds at the same time, gets up and goes to bed at the same time, and eats at the same time. She regularly exercises by walking, running or swimming and does not smoke, drink alcohol or use illicit drugs.

When she feels an episode coming on, she focuses on the moment, asking herself what she needs to do next, going from one task, such as folding laundry, to the next.

Her current husband is caring and supportive, she said. “He accepts my bipolar diagnosis as being part of me. He’s a great caretaker.”

He’s also been a good stepfather to her son, who’s always been Emily’s primary focus. She’s learning to let go as her only child makes his way into adulthood. The proud mother describes her son as “a remarkable kid, extremely intelligent, artistic, sensitive and caring.”

Having to deal with his mother’s illness has made him more empathetic to others, she believes.

Writes What She Knows

Emily, who writes “for love, not money,” belongs to a writers’ group and discusses her disorder openly.

She’s published 18 short stories and three essays, written two as yet unpublished books and is working on a third book. Her own experiences have provided fodder for her fiction; mental illness is something she understands intimately.

“After all, I know what it’s like to be in therapy.” Her essay “Pity Party,” about the official onset of her bipolar disorder, can be read in Amygdala Literary Magazine.

Although life is tough enough without adding a bipolar diagnosis to it, Emily does not feel sorry for herself. In fact, the diagnosis answered a lot of questions and helped her find new resources within herself. “I gained a lot,” she said. “Strength, determination and a fighting spirit.”

Breakfast should never be boring. If you’re in a morning rut, try one of these better breakfast recipes to brighten your day.

Print Recipe

Cloud Eggs

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 dash salt and pepper

Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Servings people Ingredients 4 large eggs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 dash salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Separate eggs yolks from whites. Place the whites into one large bowl and the yolks in 4 separate bowls (one bowl for each yolk)
3. Whisk the whites until fluffy (tip: using an immersion blender or hand mixer would speed up this part)
4. Carefully fold in cheese or other additions (see Variations)
5. Spoon 4 mounds of whipped egg whites onto pan. Make a deep well in center of each using the back of a spoon
6. Bake whites for 3 minutes
7. Add one yolk to each, season with salt and pepper or other additions (see Variations)
8. Return to oven and bake 3-5 minutes, until yolks set to your liking.

Variation: Bacon Cheddar Chive

1. Swap parmesan for ¼ cup cheddar cheese (step 4). Add 3 strips of bacon (crumbled) and cheese to whites (step 7). Top cooked egg with 2 tbsp. chopped chives.

Variation: Salsa Cilantro

1. Swap parmesan for ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese (step 4). Fold cheese into whites. Top cooked egg with ¼ cup of salsa and 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro.

Variation: Ham and Swiss

1. Swap parmesan for ¼ cup Swiss cheese (step 4). Add ¼ lb. deli ham, chopped, and cheese to whites (step 7). Top cooked egg with 2 tbsp. fresh dill.

Print Recipe

Overnight Oats

Prep Time

20 minutes

Servings

person

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt

Prep Time 20 minutes Servings person Ingredients 1/4 cup quick oats 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients and additions (see Variations) in a large jar or seal-able container.
2. Shake the jar and pop it in the fridge overnight.
3. In the morning, eat them cold or microwave for one minute.

Variation: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana

1. To base, add 1 tbsp. peanut butter, ½ banana (sliced) and 1/2 tbsp. cocoa powder

Variation: Tropical Breeze

1. To base, add 1/3 cup chopped pineapple and/or mango, 1 tbsp. unsweetened flaked coconut and ½ tsp vanilla extract

Variation: Pumpkin Pie

1. To base, add ¼ cup pumpkin puree, 1 tsp maple syrup, ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, ½ tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp. chopped pecans

Print Recipe

Avocado Toast

Prep Time

5 minutes

Servings

person

Ingredients

• 1 slice bread of choice whole grain preferred
• 1/3 ripe avocado mashed
• 1 dash salt and pepper

Prep Time 5 minutes Servings person Ingredients 1 slice bread of choice whole grain preferred 1/3 ripe avocado mashed 1 dash salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Top toasted bread with mashed avocado, salt and pepper, and any additions (see Variations)

Variation: Avocado Egg Toast

1. To base, add an egg (fried, poached, scrambled, or even a cloud egg) and dashes of garlic powder, chives and onion powder

Variation: Chocolate Berry Avocado Toast

1. Mix in ½ tbsp. cocoa powder and 1 tsp maple syrup with mashed avocado. Top with strawberries or raspberries

Variation: Bruschetta Toast

1. Top base with diced cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Still hungry? Check out Five Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes for Fall.

Nurcan Sarbudak and Margaret Michailidis are busy, working moms. It took them a while to find the time to focus on their health

How did they do it? They joined the wellness program offered by their employer, ESL Federal Credit Union in Rochester, N.Y.

“Our lives are so busy,” said Deena Rodriguez, wellness coordinator at ESL. “If you can carve out a little bit of time in your day to go down to the fitness center, take a class or attend a workshop, that’s often very helpful.”

Nurcan & Margaret

Nurcan Sarbudak (left) and Margaret Michailidis (right) of ESL Federal Credit Union.

“I was able to make myself a priority,” said Margaret, who has two girls ages 11 and 15. “It’s become a focus – health and nutrition – and that work/life balance really helps me accomplish my goals.”

Margaret used to be an avid athlete, working out five days a week. After her divorce, she had little time to do the things she loved, like running and racquetball. Now she’s using the corporate gym and attending healthy eating workshops.

“I remember how it feels to work out and I wanted to recapture that,” she said. “Everyone has their roadblocks to being healthy, and corporate wellness programs can help employees overcome those obstacles.”

Nurcan has a similar story. She is the mom of twin toddlers and a teenage daughter.

“I found myself needing to put myself first,” she said. “That time away from my family is what I needed to be healthy.”

Get help, without leaving work

Employees might not realize that their employers offer help for those struggling with any aspect of their health and wellbeing, said Janette Westman, workplace wellness consultant at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

• Reason #1 for employees to join a wellness program is often to achieve a better balance between work, life and their health, Janette said.

  Employees might not have a lot of time to work out, but could squeeze in a quick class during lunch. Lunchtime yoga and Pilates programs, for example, are popular wellness programs for Cayuga County employees, said Deanna Hoey, public health educator for the county.

  But there are many others reasons employees might want to consider that corporate wellness program, Janette added, whether they’re struggling with stress, finances or chronic health issues.

• Reason #2: It’s free! Yes, those wellness programs are often free to employees, said Janette.

  Depending on your employer, you might even receive a gift card or discount on your health insurance premium if you participate in a program, such as a health screening.

• Reason #3: Catch critical health problems before it’s too late.

  At ESL and many other companies, employees can take a wellness screening to see if they’re at risk for certain health problems, such as heart disease.

  “A number of employees have thanked us for these screenings because we were able to detect critical health issues, including pre-diabetes and high cholesterol,” said Deena of ESL. “If those issues went unchecked, who knows what could have happened.”

• Reason #4: Get your finances under control.

  Visions Federal Credit Union, with locations throughout the upstate New York areas of Binghamton, Elmira and Syracuse, offers financial wellness as a cornerstone of its employee wellness program, said Emily Riley, human resources assistant for Visions.

  Visions officials share their internal expertise and resources with employees, including tools for budgeting, investing and getting out of the paycheck-to-paycheck rut.

  “It’s really important to offer a proper financial wellness program given its impact on emotional wellness and stress,” she said.

• Reason #5: Get critical health services without leaving work.

  It’s not unusual for employers to bring health services right to the workplace, such as flu shots and blood pressure screenings, said Janette of Excellus BCBS.

  Visions, for example, brought a mobile mammogram van to their sites so that female employees could get critical health screenings without leaving the workplace.

• Reason #6: Give back to your community. Once, employees at Visions grew vegetables, such as zucchini, at its locations and donated a lot of the extra veggies to a local food pantry.
• Reason #7: Learn how to fit physical activity into your day.

  Too often, said Riley, people think they need to run marathons to stay fit. But that’s not the case.

  Making “movement” a habit is just as important. So Visions has “movement” contests in which employees are encouraged to find ways to move 150 minutes a week, Riley said. They could walk, garden or play with the kids, for example, to meet their movement goals.

• Reason #8: Get help specific to you.

  Employees who work for Cayuga County can attend healthy eating demonstrations specifically for people with certain health issues, such as high cholesterol and diabetes, said Deanna from the county.

  “Employees feel as if they’re receiving one-on-one consultations based on their individual situations,” she said.

• Reason #9: Try something new

  You probably won’t stick with something if you don’t like it. That’s why Cayuga County offers a variety of fitness and holistic health programs, Deanna said. They hope employees will stumble upon something they love, whether it’s Zumba, Cross Fit or Reiki.

• Reason #10: Meet other employees! That was the initial reason Nurcan join ESL’s wellness program. She soon learned that there were other benefits. She relished, for example, the workshop that taught her about the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet. Now she eats more fruits, vegetables and fish.

  “You’ll feel better if you take care of yourself first before taking care of others,” she said.

We all do it. We know we do it. Yet we don’t know how to change it.

We sit too much.

Many of us think we are more active than we really are. I was shocked to find out that I spend an average of 13 hours a day sitting. I promise – I’m even an active person! I hit the gym whenever possible and I’ve recently taken up running (training for my first 15k this summer!).

But I sit at work – a lot.

Why is sitting so bad? Well, it can put us at risk for some serious stuff like heart disease or diabetes. This was even true for people like me who exercise regularly.

So I went on the hunt for fun, simple ways to get my body out of the chair and moving more. I consulted my co-worker, Eileen Wolff, a workplace wellness consultant, who offered the following advice.

You can also visit ExcellusBCBS.com/LiveFearlessNation for more on how to make small changes for a healthier life – one fearless step at a time.

1. Stand once an hour to improve your health. Research has shown that this super simple move can do a lot to counter the bad effects of sitting, which includes its negative impact on heart health.

1. Need help remembering to stand? Set a reminder to get up and move or stretch for a few minutes every hour. Your phone timer, Fitbit or other wearables or apps can help.
2. Try sleeping in your workout clothes. That way you can just get up and go for that walk or run.
3. But I totally get it if you’re not into sleeping in your workout clothes! Instead, maybe keep a pair of sneakers and a light jacket in your car or office to make it easier to go for a quick walk during the work day.
4. Rope others into your quest to move more. Turn a friend or co-worker into a walking or exercise buddy.
5. Skip the conference room and schedule a walking meeting. Walk the hallways near your office, or side-by-side on a treadmill (if you have a gym at work!).

The author’s co-workers skip the meeting room in favor of a walk around the workplace.

1. Stand while you work, even if it’s just for 5 to 10 minutes. Then slowly increase the amount of time standing. Here are some tips for creating your own standing desk at home: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/diy-standing-desks/

Another co-worker uses a laundry bin to construct an at-home standing desk.

1. Exercise at your desk by doing desk pushups, stretching your legs or working your arms with resistance bands.
2. Be social! Sign up for an exercise class or join a hiking, walking or running group that meets after work to avoid the temptation of going home and sitting some more. Maybe try a Hikyoga class?
3. Or, if you’re more of a homebody, there’s a lot you can do to keep you off the couch and get moving. Get out the push mower, wash your own car, rake the yard or weed your garden.
4. Exercise while watching TV. Use the commercial breaks to alternate between pushups, ab crunches, planks and squats. If you’re binge watching your favorite Netflix series, consider a 5-minute walking or standing break between episodes.
5. Go shopping! If you have to stop at the mall or store after work or on the weekend, make a point of parking farther away from the door and then walking around the perimeter of the store or mall first.
6. Add an exercise to the small things you do every day. I’m planning to take an extra lap around the office every time I get water. It’s a 2-for-1 for health!
7. Be “inefficient.” Most of us try to grab all of the grocery bags or the workday’s pile out of the car at once. Why not make a few trips back and forth and add some additional steps to your day?
8. Find a furry friend. They love walks and can be a great fitness partner. If you don’t own one, offer to walk the neighbor’s dog. Check out this spotlight on Randy Sabourin – the man behind the free Wellness Wednesdays in downtown Syracuse, N.Y. — who walks his dog every morning.

Were you able to tackle one or more of these tips? Celebrate! Tell yourself how awesome you are when you try that one, new, simple thing that makes you healthier. Check out BJ Fogg’s TED Talk on tiny habits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKUJxjn-R8

Do you have a tip that we missed? Tell us in the comments section below.