My Sister's Inspiring Journey with Crohn's Disease

By: Kimberly Jefferson

10 years ago today on June 14, 2001 my life changed forever.  At 16 years old I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease (an inflammatory disease of the intestines).  My family and I were totally taken off guard, unsure of what this disease entailed and how it would affect my life. Everything was different now. Taking medication 3 times a day, watching what I ate, countless tests, doctors appointments, IV infusions, bloodwork and even explaining things to my friends made me realize my life would never be the same. At times I felt discouraged, helpless, and afraid.  But through all my major milestones: dancing ballet for 15 years, finishing high school, cheerleading in college, joining my sorority: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, graduating from Florida A&M University, and even completing my Masters at the University of Central Florida, I was able to educate myself, change my lifestyle, get advice from doctors and even try new treatments to fit my needs. Because of this I am blessed to say 10 years later I am stronger and healthier thanks to the loving support of my family and friends.  Their loving words of encouragement and prayers have helped me through so many rough times. And to all of you I say THANK YOU!!!

Living with Crohns Disease on a daily basis is not easy and can sometimes be very draining. But knowing I will have this for the rest of my life pushed me to take a stand and do something. So to help I joined the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America to make a difference and join in the fight to find a cure. Every little bit counts. If you would like to get information on Crohns Disease and learn ways you can get involved please go to www.ccfa.org today.  Lets Find A Cure!!!

My Beautiful Sister, Kimberly

Jeanette Jenkins Tips!

Tips 

1. Do 20-60 minutes of Cardiovascular exercises (power walking, jogging, cycling, aerobics class, kickboxing, boxing, swimming, etc.) at least 4-6 times per week. This will help you boost your metabolism and burn calories.
2. Try to do your cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to boost your metabolism.
3. Hydrate with approximately 5 liters of water per day
4. Don't eat carbohydrates (sugar, fruit, juices, cereal, starches) during the first two hours following cardio.
5. Drink at least 1-2 liters of water after cardio
6. Do Muscular Strength/Endurance work (Yoga, sculpting, weight training) at least 2-3 times per week to boost metabolism, sculpt and define muscles.
7. Do Flexibility work (Yoga, pilates, stretching) at least 2 times per week to lengthen and define muscles and increase range of motion in your joints.
8. Eliminate complex carbohydrates (starches, rice, pasta, bread, etc.) from your evening meal.
9. Eat 6-7 small meals per day to increase metabolism
10. Follow the guidelines of a healthy nutrition plan.

Bikini Beach Body!

So I need to continue my workout since I have moved and I came across Chili's workout online. I think that this would be a great workout to try. And let's be honest, her body is sick'ning!

Workout Routine

Monday and Friday:

• Chilli jogs about 45 minutes and runs 12 sets of 60 yard sprints

• She also does 300-500 reps of ab exercises, including 50 crunches, 50 toe touches, and 50 leg raises

Tuesday and Thursday Strenuous leg-and upper body work including:

• Leg extension, four sets of eight reps

• Leg raises, four sets of eight reps

• Lunges- three sets of 10 reps

• Calf raises, four sets of 12 reps

• Push-ups, four sets of 12 reps

• Ten reps of dumbbell triceps extensions, superset with 15 reps

• Biceps curls three sets of 10-15 reps

• A walk through her neighborhood in the evening to relax and stretch all the muscles she’s worked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving Must Haves: Garmin The Great

My new Garmin GPS has been my savior during this process of moving to Miami! The turn-by-turn directions are a necessity in this big city. I think the best component of the Garmin is the "points of interest" tab. The Garmin will find food, gas stations, shops, and anything near the area! I don't know how I would get around without my Garmin GPS. Now, I will admit that I still got lost a few times because the directions sometimes confuse me. But, for the most part I have been able to explore the city with ease. This is definitely a great moving present for anyone relocating!  

A Whirlwind in Miami!!

Whew!! These past few days have flown by! All I can say is "LAWD HAMMERCY!!!" First my sorors and friends had a surprise going away party for me! How sweet!! I really have great people in my life that will support me no matter what. On Sunday, I relaxed with the boyfriend for my last day in Tally. On Monday I said my goodbyes (complete with many tears) and made the trip to Miami. How come nobody told me that the trip is that long! I have been to Miami, but every time that I traveled there I always stopped along the way to visit other cities. Making that trip alone was exhausting, but it gave me some time to think about things. I checked into the hotel to find that there were some Memorial Weekend stragglers around. Needless to say, between being excited about my first day and the loud music and talking I did not get a restful night of sleep. I woke up Tuesday morning and it's time for my first day of work! OMG!! I was soo excited! I woke up at 8am even though I did not have to report to work until 11am. I decided on my new Calvin Klein gray dress and black pumps with a cute black blazer. Although the office is pretty beach casual, I still wanted to make an impression. And let's be honest, I am a FAMUan! We are taught to always overdress for business occasions. Suits are a must in FAMU culture. I also wore my lucky pearls! They were a gift from my daddy after I crossed and are my first set of real pearls. I wear them at all interviews and first days. So I was ready to go! I walked into the office and met the office manager. I did the normal first day stuff and met the other girls in the office. Yes, the office is ALL girls! Whew chile! lol! I guess being in a sorority comes in handy in the "all girl" department! I also learned what exactly I would be doing. I have some great projects to complete and the client list at this company is stellar. I am excited to learn a lot and get my feet wet. This summer I will also be receiving my PR certification so I was told about the lecture series for that. I think that will be a good addition to my resume. Certified PR Girl haha! Later we walked to Lincoln Road which is literally a block away and explored all the cute shops, boutiques, and nice restaurants. This is such a nice area! I can't wait to eat brunch and shop there! Oh yeah, and guess who I see while sipping lemonade with the other girls?! Evelyn from Basketball Wives!!! Now from my previous posts (the trailer for the new season), you should know that I love this show! She was fly though and other girls on the street were asking for pictures. Well I didn't want to look too starstruck so I didn't ask for a picture. BUT you do know that I wanted to snap one with her so I could twitpic my first "celebrity" siting! Maybe next time. 
Well it was time for me to meet the lady to see the apartment. #1 She was soooo LATE!! I hate waiting! Call me impatient, but yes I am! #2 the outside of the building was not well kept! (My mom always said that 9 times out of 10 that is an indication of how the inside of an establishment is kept) Well Mommy's wisdom rang true again and I walk into the building and it SMELLS!! Not only did it smell moldy, but the smell of smoke was nauseating! It STANK! Not stink but STANK!! OMG!! She then told me that the elevator works but it is old and is a "hit or miss." Now how is an elevator a hit or miss?! Well we took the stairs up to the apartment and I found the hallways to be even more disgusting. A woman came out of her apartment cursing and smoking a cig! It honestly felt like a project building! The actual apartment was very dirty, the bed or "mattress" was on the floor with no bed rails, and the closet didn't open. The icing on the cake was when I entered the bathroom to find two bugs dead in the toilet!! OMG again! So in my true form and I mustered up as much manners as I possibly could considering the horrible situation, and told her no thank you and walked right out. When I made it to the hallway I took off running out of that nasty building! This is exactly why ads online should not be trusted. I am glad that I did not deposit any money for this horrible place. Now I don't consider myself some high maintenance princess, but I am however particular about where I lay my head. I am a young woman in a new city and I have to be careful about where I live. After that whole debacle, I drove around town trying to spot other places to stay. Finally after an hour of getting nowhere, I broke down and made the call to daddy. (He will always be my Superman). I had to tell him what happened and completely had a freak out complete with tears! So dad had the task of keeping me calm, all while trying to find a hotel for me. After a few tries, he found a nice hotel and booked a few nights to give me time to find a place. The night ended with my parents giving me a pep talk and encouraging me not to give up. The next morning I woke up and opened the blinds and to my surprise the beach was right there! Seeing the beautiful beach reminded me that I am now living in a gorgeous city! WOW! It helped me realize that there is beauty and positivity in all situations. I am blessed and I needed to be reminded of that! I researched other places and found one that was really pretty! I was however skeptical since I had been bamboozled the last time. 
Back at work, the next day was really busy! The company is getting ready for many events for the summer, including Swim Week! I'm excited!! I love fashion and I am excited to help with such major events. There is so much to be done and it is going to be hectic, but I am up for the challenge. The entire day was spent completing so many different tasks. I am glad to be busy instead of bored at work with nothing to do. 

After work I met the lady to see the new apartment. The location is great, not even a mile from the office. And the unit is a beauty! I really love it because it makes me feel like it's my own little beach house. An added bonus is the Publix right across the street! And I LOVE me some Publix lol! Today I moved in and got settled into my new place. I am relieved that everything is coming together. Without the help of my family and boyfriend, I would have had a complete breakdown! This adventure is definitely going to teach me many lessons. The lesson learned in this adventure is that everything will work out, but I must keep trying! Don't give up! I also learned the value of my support system. What would I do without them?! My parents have made so many sacrifices for me and I am eternally grateful.
But i know one thing, never trust a "hit or miss" haha!