Minnesota Girls Don’t Get the Munchies

By Jordan Lofton - May 18th, 2012 Category: CCMBA 2012

It’s dinner time in Dubai and you have to decide which delectiable entree you’re going to select from the buffet.  But they all look so good.  It was a long hard day of lectures and guest speakers.  All of these dishes look so good….how can you choose just one?  You’ve earned it haven’t you?  And the dessert bar at the end, well that’s just to make sure you have enough energy to make it to the team meeting for the deliverable due at midnight.

If this internal dialog sounds familiar, you’re not alone.  Sticking to a diet while in residency is tricky.  So I reached out to our own health guru Kari Severson for her recommendations on what to look for on the dinner menu.   She has provided a list of foods we often see on the buffet that we should load up on.  So here they are!

 

Kari’s Top 10 Vitality Foods:

  1. Greens to the rescue: try to hit up plenty of leafy greens from the salad bar, the darker, the better – spinach salad is perhaps the most healthy option
  2. Lean, not mean, protein: as tasty as that hamburger or steak might look, you’re better off opting for lean protein like chicken, turkey or fish
  3. Fishing for seafood: Speaking of fish, either fresh fish or a fish oil supplement is a great addition to the diet – providing essential omega 3 fatty acids. Beware of large mouthed, salt water fish as they contain high levels of mercury and should only be eaten once per week. Small mouthed, fresh water fish (like WALLEYE, yes I’m in a Minnesota girl) are your best option
  4. Beans are wonder food: Bring on the beans! Black, pinto, kidney – it doesn’t matter. This affordable, simple food works wonders for the body.
  5. The joys of soy: an expert panel  at the Mayo clinic has concluded soy may prevent cancer and help cognition (it also helps menopausal symptoms, but thankfully we don’t have to worry about that just yet) Try a glass of soy milk to get you started – pouring it over cereal might make it easier to palate
  6. Whole grains are holy: Whole grains is the way to go, always. White, starchy bread is the equivalent of sugar. The way your body processes it, you might as well drink a soda. Make whole grains the healthy, default choice.
  7. Crusade for crucifers: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bok choy, make it happen.
  8. Berries are beautiful: The brighter, the better. Aim to add a handful of blue, black, straw or raspberries into your diet each day.
  9. Go Nuts Over Nuts: Not too crazy, now. We’re not talking a full jar of Planter’s Peanuts, but a handful of unsalted almonds will work wonders.
  10. Get Friendly with Flaxseed: Some call flaxseed one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. Full of omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans and fiber, studies show it can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Try adding some to a protein shake or fruit smoothie.

And if you’re looking for more health tips from a Minnesota girl, then Kari recommends Eat Clean with Kate.  Kate provides healthy tips daily about your favorite food products to help you pick the right foods for the right reasons.  If it’s a question about MSG or diet sodas, Kate is your girl.

Here’s to a healthy and happy term!

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A Thanks to All the CC-MBA Moms

By Jordan Lofton - May 13th, 2012 Category: CCMBA 2012

The Duke CC-MBA 2012 class is an amazingly diverse group, full of people from across the globe and cutting across industries.  Our class has 28% women, a number higher than most MBA programs.  So what I am about to say may come as a bit of a shock to many.  The Duke CC-MBA like most MBA programs is lacking one key demographic.  Mothers.

By just doing a quick review of our class Facebook page I’ve come up with some unscientific  numbers.  Out of the 156 students, 24 men are fathers and only 3 of the women are mothers.  I don’t believe this is a problem at an organization level that is creating this phenomenon.  What I believe is that when women become mothers they take on what is a second and sometimes a third job.  All the doctors’ visits, the carpool pick up lane, the parent teacher meetings, play dates, birthday parties, soccer games, bath times, bed time stories, dinners, and so much more are added to the daily to do list of even the most successful woman.  While it’s true fathers have that same list of to do’s added, what our demographics show is that for most women it’s hard to add on the additional task of self-investment.

So on this Mother’s Day I want to take a brief pause to thank all the wonderful mothers who have made the CC-MBA possible.

  • To the mothers in our program, you have taken on yet another full time job of gaining your MBA, in addition to your career and in addition to your job as a mother.  You are showing all of us, and most importantly those mothers considering an MBA, that it can be done.
  • To the wives of the men in our program, you have taken over many of the to do’s your husband would take on as a father for these 16 months so your husband can pursue his degree.  The bed time stories you tell while he is studying for a Finance mid-term and the Skype calls you make to him with the kids during residency, you do so your family will one day benefit.  We as classmates recognize your contribution to our program.  We thank you for loaning your husbands to us as classmates so that we can learn from them, and after seeing so many of them turn in strong deliverables while missing their family, we know that the sacrifice you make during these 16 months will be worth it.
  • To the mothers of each CC-MBAer, who instilled in us the values of hard work and drive for something greater.  The foundations of global leadership started long before we arrived at Duke.  So thank you to each of the mothers who believed that we were leaders of consequence long before a degree ever proved the point.
  • To all the hopeful CC-MBA mothers thinking of applying and wondering how you can manage yet another set of responsibilities, I want to encourage you that the Duke family and in particular the CC-MBA program, is full of people who support you in your endeavor and are anxious for the opportunity to learn from women of your caliber.

So with that, I wish everyone a Happy Mothers’ Day!

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