Media Tour 2008 Complete!

I'm at the Phoenix airport and love the Southwest computer stations. Finally, enough plug-ins for to charge our phones and laptops.

Today, I did my last tv interview. I did a great show called Good Morning Arizona. Actor, Terry Cruz, was on before me. Then, as I walked into the station, anchor Brian Webb, said hello. It was a surprise for both of us as I worked with Brian a lot in Kansas City as he was an anchor for NBC in KC for many years.

My other interview earlier this week was on NBC in Philly on Monday. It was a busy day in the green room that day. Stephen Byrd, producer of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, starring Terrence Howard, Phylicia Rashad, and James Earl Jones was there along with actor Lou Myers. They were all very nice and invited me to the show in NY. I'm hoping to make it next month during a business trip.

Time for me to crank up my workouts a few notches which shouldn't be a problem since I am now being trained by former KC Chiefs Strength Coach, Billy Long. He has me doing many of the same things as the pro football players, so he is kicking my butt.

Thanks for following me around the country. I am happy to be heading home to hang out with my family.

Cheers,
Mitzi

Media Tour 2008- Continued

Sorry I haven't posted for so long! I have been traveling non-stop since March 21. I had beautiful weather in Arizona for my weekend of Spring Training with the Royals. I just met with some of the players to help them improve their diets so they can have better energy and lose/gain weight. I get to stay at a lovely resort called the Wigwam Resort and Spa but work pretty long hours whenever I am in Arizona.

I flew from Phoenix to Sacramento last Sunday night for my Monday morning interview in Sacramento. This was a fun interview. It was actually in a mall. The noon NBC show has an satellite in the Arden Fair Mall. The interviews are done almost Today Show style. With the carousel going around next to me and lots of people standing behind it was a new experience for me. It was really fun. Other good news. I forgot my eyelash curler for the trip. I like the Shu Umera one and when I went to pick one up at Target on Sunday...CLOSED for Easter. I knew I couldn't do the rest of the tour with uncurled lashes so I was in great luck when the mall had a Sephora!! I have never went shopping minutes before my tv interview. After my interview a car service took me to San Jose. I was able to meet my very good friend Alison for dinner in Palo Alto. The next morning I did an interview on NBC in San Jose. After the interview my media escort took me by my friend's cupcake place www.sibbyscupcakery.com. We went to high school together. Her business is doing great and I was excited to get a cupcake and t-shirt when I stopped by and surprised her. We actually lived only a few blocks from each other in San Francisco but went to high school together in Topeka KS.

Next stop, Minneaspolis, got in late Tuesday night, did my interview Wednesday morning on FOX and then flew back to San Diego. I love San Diego and stayed at one of my favorite hotels, Kimpton Hotel Solamar. The Kimptons are awesome. They are pet friendly and stand for a lot of great social issues. They offer free wine from 5-6 pm every night and LOccitane products. The decor is clean and modern which I love. When I got in I had a quick drink at the outdoor bar by the pool and then I had dinner at Oceanaire and I had a sensational ahi tuna recommended by my nice waiter, James. I had to get to bed since I woke up at 4:15 the next morning. I did my interview on NBC on Thursday morning.

We did the interview outside at about 6:45 am so I was done working by 7 am and had the rest of the day to play in San Diego. I went for a walk by the water and then just relaxed in the sun. I had an amazing salmon fish taco at Tin Fish by the Padres ballpark. One of the Chiefs players players recommended that I try Mr. A's in San Diego. The view was outstanding. It was a little chilly but they brought a heat lamp over by me and my nice waiter, Chris, took good care of me. I enjoyed my meal but my scenary even better. I sat outside and could see the water and the planes coming in at the airport. This was my "free day" as I didn't have an interview on Friday morning so I stayed an extra night in San Diego.

I got to sleep in on Friday and then go do a quick workout and go get ANOTHER fish taco since it was so yummy! Now it was time to go to Houston. I got upgraded to first class which is always nice. I got to Houston and stayed at the new, sleek and sexy Hotel Zaza. It had a great vibe and my room was spectacular. Too bad I will only be there a few hours. I went to Monarch which is the hotel restaurant/club. I grabbed a drink and a quick bite to eat. I could tell it really is a hot place in Houston to hang out but I needed my sleep as I had to get up at 4:45 am. Maybe next time but this is definitely a hotel to remember!

Interview in Houston went well. The anchor was very sweet. Then I headed straight to the airport and Washington DC. I am staying in a Kimpton again so happy about that. However, this was a brand new one and not the one I stayed in before in DC. I had a great room. I had a free glass of wine and then went to Al Tiramisu which was recommended by the concierge and media escort. I sat at the bar and had a great conversation with owner Luigi. He was so much fun. He ran a 1/2 marathon yesterday morning! My food was excellent and sitting at the bar chatting with Luigi for a few hours was a joy. A couple from Minnesota also joined us at the bar a little later and also a few folks from Ohio who want my opinion on improving nutrition for our schools.

Today, I took a train from D.C. to Philly. I have a nice room in a Hilton but I am exhausted from my travels. I took a shower and just relaxing. I ordered room service for lunch and might for dinner as well. I'm not downtown and I don't feel like grabbing a taxi tonight.

The great news is I get to go home tomorrow as I miss my family a lot! I've had a fun tour this year so far but definitely ready to see the family. Next Friday I make a quick trip to Phoenix to complete my final city of the 10-city tour.

I do think traveling offers so many cool experiences and feel very lucky that I have the opportunity to travel with my work.

Cheers,
Mitzi

Day 2 Hartford, Conneticut

Hello,

I did my 3 minute tv interview this morning. Besides my DVD I am talking about some products including Sambazon Acai Juices and Smoothies, Horizon Organic Milk with DHA, Buitonni Whole Wheat Pasta, and HomeBistro.com. It was a quick interview but was nice to see a familiar face as I have worked with the anchor before. Now, I'm sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Washington DC and then back home to Kansas City. IThis is a small airport so not many eating options during my 3 hour wait. I chose a tuna melt on wheat and only ate the bottom half of a bun along with a bottle of water and 1/2 raw revolution energy bar in my purse. Looking forward to my travel later this week since it will be warmer weather and good food!

Every trip I make to spring training in Surprise, Arizona I stay in the Wigwam Resort. It is a lovely resort although I don't spend much time there since I am working long hours. But, after I check in I head straight to Sprouts which is a great grocery store in Surprise that is a natural foods grocery store. Yummy!!

Healthy regards,
Mitzi

My 2008 Media Tour-blogged

I decided to blog my media tour this year as I often get asked what I do and it can sometimes be a little hard to explain. This year I am doing a 10-city media tour in the country's top 25 media markets. I will be talking about my Fuel Like a Champion DVD www.fuellikeachampion.com in addition to some other great products to fuel your family.

My first stop was Atlanta and I had my interview on Family Net this morning. This is a nationally syndicated show. The rest of my tour is with the local networks. The interview was about 11 minutes which in tv time is forever. Most interviews are between 3-5 minutes. During the tour I spend a lot of time in airports. I like to say that I travel for about 12 days to do about 50 minutes of work on-air. Typically you don't get hair and make-up but I did get make-up this morning. There are certain colors that look best on tv which are usually greens and blues. These aren't my usually colors so when I spot a good tv shirt I usually buy it. So, what did I talk about? The anchor and I discussed how to pick the right whole grains, menu options for families, healthy nutrient-rich drinks for energy. We also discussed a few gluten free options and how to get your kids to drink water. I will write more about these through my upcoming posts.

One of my favorite parts about my 10-city tour is finding fun places to eat in the different cities. I am definitely a foodie. I was fortunate enough to live in San Francisco for 7 years before I had kids and my husband and I got to enjoy the great food the City had to offer. Kansas City is a wonderful place to raise children and buy an affordable home. There are also some very nice restaurants in Kansas City but I don't think anyone would disagree that it ain't no San Francisco!

So, last night I did go to a restaurant in Atlanta called Nan that my friend, Tony Richardson recommended to me. It was delicious. I had a coconut soup with coconut meat and shrimp in it. One of the BEST soups I have ever had. Then had a sea bass with an amazing sauce then I called it a night and headed back to the hotel. I didn't sleep well even though the bed was very cozy.

Tonight I had some sushi here at the hotel in Hartford, Conneticut. Not too good. I will be heading home tomorrow to hang out with my girls until I leave again on Friday to go to spring training with the Royals and then the rest of the cities on the tour. Next stops on tour are Sacramento and San Francisco (WOO HOO!).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Cheers,
Mitzi

Creating a Legal Wellness Program in Your Organization-Discrimination Not Allowed!

With skyrocketing healthcare costs many employers are developing wellness programs to improve the health of their employees.

Programs often reward employees for good behaviors and penalize employees with unhealthy habits like smoking. What many people don't realize is that most of these programs violate the nondiscrimination provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 by treating employees differently based on factors related to their health status.

If a program treats all employees alike regardless of health status is permissible and not discriminatory. For example, reimbursing an employee for completing a smoking cessation program is permissible if reimbursement is based on participation in the program and is not contingent upon the employee's success at quitting smoking. Likewise, a wellness program that reimburses employees for health club memberships or which rewards employees for participation in a wellness event regardless of the outcome are also permissible.

To bring wellness programs into compliance with HIPAA, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued regulations which go into effect with plan years beginning July 1, 2007 or later. Employers with calendar year plans need to ensure that their wellness programs comply with the nondiscrimination regulations on or before Jan. 1, 2008.

The Department of Labor has provided a limited authorization for employers to reward employees who engage in healthy behaviors. In order to qualify for this authorization, a wellness program that provides a reward to an employee for satisfying a standard related to a health factor must meet the following five requirements:

1. The total reward for all the plan's wellness programs that require satisfaction of a standard related to a health factor is limited, generally, to no more than 20 percent of the cost of the employee-only coverage under the health plan. If dependents are included, then the program must not exceed 20 percent of the cost of coverage for the employee and dependents.

2. The program must be reasonably designed to promote health and prevent disease.

3. The program must give individuals eligible to participate the opportunity to qualify for the reward at least once per year.

4. The reward must be available to all similarly situated individuals. The program must allow a reasonable alternative standard (or waiver of initial standard) for obtaining the reward to any individual for whom it is reasonably difficult, due to a medical condition, to satisfy the initial standard.

5. The plan must disclose in all materials describing the terms of the program the availability of a reasonable alternative standard (or waiver of the standard).

If the plan meets the foregoing criteria, the plan may not only offer rewards based on healthy behaviors, but can also impose a premium differential between smokers and nonsmokers.

As noted above, most employers will need to ensure that their wellness plans comply with the foregoing criteria on or before Jan. 1, 2008. Additional information is available on the Department of Labor's Frequently Asked Questions page at http://www.dol.gov/

Fish Oil Favorite

I am often asked about fish oils and my personal favorite is the Ultimate Omega from Nordic Naturals. You can even get it for about a 15% discount if purchased through www.iherb.com. Aim to eat fish at least twice weekly in your diet and consult with your physician prior to taking fish oils.

The American Heart Association's 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations:
-Patients without documented CHD eat a variety of fish, preferably oily, at least twice a week
-Patients with documented CHD are advised to consume 1 gram of EPA plus DHA per day, preferably from oily fish. EPA plus DHA supplements could be considered in consultation with their physician
-Individuals with hypertriglyceridemia, under a physician's care, can consume 2-4 g of EPA plus DHA per day.

Be aware that at the 3-4 gm level of fish oil it can have potential blood thinning effects so make sure you discuss with your physician.

There is also some interesting research related to the anti-inflammatory benefits of fish oils and some for children with ADHD.

Tony Gonzalez's Wall Street Journal Article- The 247 pound Vegan

Hi All,


Reed Albergotti from the Wall Street Journal did a great article on Friday, January 25th on Tony Gonzalez's diet and his shift from junk food to a primarily plant based diet. Take a look! You can also view a video of Tony making his morning smoothie! Tony and I are currently co-authoring a book which will show you how you can eat to feel great and get healthy!


It is great to work with a professional athlete who gets it and realizes that you can perform you best by putting the very best fuel in your own gas tank!

So, you can start making some of your own changes by following a few simple steps:
1. Read food labels and avoid foods that have words you can't pronounce or know what it is.
2. Eat organic whenver possible. Now, nutritionally speaking the debate is on whether organic is better. However, we KNOW it is better for the environment AND it certainly can't hurt to avoid pesticides whenever possible since we don't really know the safe level.
3. Try to eat more local, meaning maybe join a CSA.
4. Take pleasure in eating. I know I do!
5. Start your own herb garden in your kitchen. Check out www.aerogrow.com. It is awesome! My kids love it and there is nothing like adding your own fresh herbs like basil to some fresh mozarella and tomato! Yummy!
6. Aim to cook more. When you are cooking you have a much better idea of what is going into your body.

Eat. Move. Live Better.