2009 Blogging While Brown Recap by Dallas South

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Shawn Williams

Everyone keeps asking me, “How was the Blogging While Brown Conference” and I either answer “great” or “excellent. I then think that this may sound vain in some way because I was responsible for helping to put the program together.

In actuality, I didn’t feel much different from last year when I enthusiastically sat on the front row of the inaugural conference (with Electronic Village, All About Race, and Pam’s House Blend). This year I set up shop at the very back of the room. The major difference was deciding to wear a jacket and slacks in Chicago rather than jeans and a T-Shirt in the ATL.

Shawn P. And Lola Adesioye of TheGrio.com

Even having spoken with all the presenters and panelists via email or on the phone, I wasn’t prepared for all of the wonderful information that was shared at this year’s conference. From Talkshoe to Justin.tv; MindMeister to Gravatars; Buddy Press to Outliers, there was just so much to learn.

John Davis and I interviewed by Carlos in D.C.

The presentation that gained the most attention (check Twitter #bwb) was Hajj Flemings’ session on Branding. Besides introducing up to the concept of Grustling (Grinding + Hustling = Grustling), he spit out a number of memorable one liners that have been making their way around the web today including:

“If you’re the smartest person in your group, then you’re in the wrong group.”

“Create quality content that is credible & creating quality contacts is paramount.”

“The best time to start something was a year ago. The next best time is right now.”

I appreciate the executive committee a.k.a. Gina McCauley for the small part that she allowed me to play, mostly trying to keep the schedule running on time. For some reason, I didn’t imagine myself saying much at the conference, but who wouldn’t want to have a few words in front of such a distinguished gruop. Other than that, I was able to kick back and allow these talented individuals to do their thing.

But I also want to thank Gina for her initiative. It’s easy to think that if Gina had not stepped up last year to create a blogging meet up for bloggers of color, then someone would have, but I don’t believe that’s the case. So many times in the African-American Community we can talk about a good idea or identify a need and then not act upon it.

Gina has created a venue that will always go on my calendar ahead of Netroots Nation, SXSW Interactive, NABJ, or an of the other wonderful conferences that are held each year. The benefits that I’ve gained in the last year from folks I met at the 2008 Conference are too many to count. I would expect to find the same thing to be true between now and next year.

I love this conference because it’s grassroots at it’s best, and we are trying to ensure that we are not left behind in the digital age. AT&T and other conference sponsors did their part towards that end, as AT&T sponsored scholarships paid the registration fee for a number of attendees.

And last but not least, next year my spades partner Deborah Smalls and I will be giving spades lessons since we won the first BWB Spades tournament hosted by the wonderful ladies of the 5 and a Possible blog. Picture us rollin’

BWB 2009 Attendees

James Guess: The Legal Lowdown on Credit Cards 2009

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Shawn Williams

BY JAMES “BIRD” GUESS

Credit cards do not put people in debt, financial decisions that people make is what put them in debt! On May 22, 2009, President Obama signed The Credit Card Holder’s Bill of Rights Act into law, which could potentially help people become debt free quicker.

This new legislation will dramatically help the roughly 50% of American consumers who have charged nearly $1 trillion, and carry an average balance of $8,000. Twenty percent of those who carry a balance are paying more than 20% interest on that balance.

Most of the new legislation will not become effective until early 2010, but it will finally use some common-sense methods regarding interest rates. For example, it prohibits lenders from increasing interest rates on existing balances (stuff you already charged) unless you are more than 60 days late on your bill.

And if you actually fall behind on paying your credit card bill and the rate is increased, the lender must restore the lower rate if you have paid your bill on time after six months. Also, borrowers are required to have periodic payment history reviews by their lenders and have their rates decreased if indicated by the review. This may be hard to actually enforce since it goes against the lender’s interest (no pun intended).

Furthermore, the law will require borrowers to receive at least 45 days notice before their interest rates are increased on new purchases, regardless if the customer is late or delinquent. This will help borrowers make better decisions and give them more time to create a plan before they are penalized with a higher interest rate.

Also, the notorious “pay to pay” concept will be disallowed. How are you going to charge me for paying my bill? No more will customers be charged for paying their credit card by mail, phone, or electronic transfer, except for live person or expedited services.

One of the most effective pieces of this law is the part that requires lenders to tell borrowers how long it will take, and how much interest would have been paid if only the minimum monthly payments are made.

Let’s face it! We live in a payment plan world, where most consumers do not care how much they pay for things, all they want to know is whether or not they can afford the monthly payments. Hopefully, borrowers will realize it is not worth paying for something twice and being in debt twice as long by making minimum monthly payments.

The Credit Card Holder’s Bill of Rights also has additional protections for students and gift cards as well. And no more over the limit fees, unless you decide you want to be allowed to go over the limit. Why would you? For more information and the complete bill of rights law visit www.govtrack.us and search for bill H.R. 627.

Create Wealth, Enjoy Life!

James “Bird” Guess
President & Founder
$chool of Money & Wealth LLC

www.SchoolofMoneyandWealth.com
www.JamesBirdGuess.com
www.TheBlackEconomy.com

Blogging While Brown kicks off with Welcome Reception & 1st Session

Posted on June 20, 2009 by Shawn Williams

Once again it’s on! Blogging While Brown got rolling last night with a welcome reception where AT&T gave away a new iPhone.

I had the opportunity to welcome our participants this morning and kick off the first session (5 minutes late, my bad) lead by Milt Hayes of Blacks Gone Geek. Milt is pictured with the image on this post.

You can follow us on twitter at #bwb. We’d like to thank our sponsors, AT&T, BlogHer, Next Gen Web, Daily Kos, FreePress.net, & BlackPR.com

REPOST: “Why” Part Two: Why I celebrate Juneteenth

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Shawn Williams

Bringing back a post from last year discussing Juneteenth. Don’t forget your red soda water.

I remember growing up in good old Paris, Texas and one day realizing that there was an extra holiday on the calendar. I recall having a good understanding of Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4th and Halloween, but all of a sudden around the age of seven or eight it was like Juneteenth came out of nowhere.

What was Juneteenth? Initially I knew it as a day that black folks were supposed to take off work, eat barbecue, and drink red soda water. And that’s pretty much what we did.

I eventually learned that Juneteenth was a uniquely Texas holiday and meant more than just cutting out on the job. A Juneteenth newsletter I received from Cora Marshall Gallery does a good job summing up this unique tradition.

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be, free.” It took until June 19th, 1865, two and a half years later, for the news that slavery had been abolished to reach Galveston, Texas. Even so, this news inspired a time of celebration and joy at started in Texas and spread across the nation.

On June 19th – later to be known as Juneteenth – in Galveston, Texas, African Americans also gathered to celebrate. The festivities centered around family, friends, and community and was a time for thanksgiving, reflection, remembering, and prayer.

In counter-point to their experiences as “Property of the Massa”, the freed men and woman dressing up and served up a bounty of food which included a main course featuring – of course – barbecue and red soda water.

Still, through my teen years I enjoyed Juneteenth celebrations because it gave us another excuse to go to the park, shoot off fireworks, and hangout. Besides, celebrating the end of slavery seemed like a good thing even if the news was a little late.

In my adult years as I began to rub elbows with the black bourgeoisies, many of them scoffed at the June 19th holiday. “Why would you celebrate slaves in Texas spending an extra 2 ½ years in bondage?” they would ask. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good question.

This caused me to really examine my feelings about Juneteenth and whether the occasion really was worth celebrating. I eventually came to a decision that will have me firing up the grill on Thursday.

I will continue to observe Juneteenth because our ancestors deemed the occasion worth of celebration. As we’ve gotten more and more educated, we get further and further away from the wisdom born out of the struggle of our people.

It’s like black folks I hear lamenting the gospel writer for the lyrics “Lord you don’t have to move the mountain, but give me the strength.” Now that we have been to seminary, we know that we can ask God to move the mountain. But give me that old time religion, its good enough for me.

Juneteenth was born from the mind and hearts of black folks, which already makes it tough for some of my middle class brothers and sisters to swallow. It’s now celebrated in many states other than Texas.

I remember a summer I spent in Muskegon, Michigan where black folks there had a Juneteenth program. It was odd seeing them observe Juneteenth as an African holiday rather than African-American one, but from my point of view it’s good to see black people celebrating anything positive.

Even though I’ll be working on Juneteenth for only the third time in my career, I’ll still take time to commemorate the end of our people’s forced servitude in this country. We rejoice not because they let us go, but because they couldn’t hold us down. We rejoice not because of Abraham Lincoln’s supposed conviction and generosity, but because of the strength and resilience of our people.

So we will honor those who came before us and reflect on their struggle for freedom. I remember my dad talking about “red soda water” in conjunction with Juneteenth like it was yesterday. I will say that if I barbecue, I’m going to pass on the cutoff jean shorts he used to wear that are also part of that memory.

People I Follow on Twitter

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Shawn Williams

Continuing my series about people I follow. This time on Twitter. I limited my entries to 140 characters, the maximum length of a tweet.

waynesutton wayne is a social media guru, mastering every form. 25K followers but he’s following 26. Tweets social media tips and advice thru the day

necolebitchie “gossip blogger” who gets the scoop, but also transparent about her own life. her testimony is awesome. holding it down for the ATL

ATLien – speaking of ATL, another entertainment type that i met at BWB last year. got me moving on twittter as we tweeted thruout conference.

PiKaHsSo Formerly of PPT, currently of AwkQuarius, Pik is a creative brother 2 say the least. 2 c how his mind works, check whackpiktures on YouTube

baratunde can speak on any subject relating to current events and politics, and funny to boot (he’s a comedian). always puts n a good word for dsouth

darthvader of course im a huge star wars fan, but this dude takes it to new level. tweets 1st person as if dv was living now traveling the galaxy funny

pamperry PR Coach and internet marketer that’s always pointing out good articles on branding and promotion. Has a presence on Blog Talk Radio also.

Blogging While Brown Conference starts Friday in Chicago, attendees announced

Posted on June 17, 2009 by Shawn Williams

The 2nd Blogging While Brown Conference gets underway on Friday at Chicago’s University Center with a Beginning Bloggers Boot Camp. Conference organizer Gina McCauley afforded me the opportunity to serve as programming chair for the conference, and I’m excited about the group of panelists and presenters that we were able to pull together. Here’ the schedule:

June 20, 2009 - Blogging While Brown Conference

8:00AM. – 8:30AM

Registration

8:30AM

Introductory remarks

8:35AM

Workshop: “The Competent Blogger”

This workshop will cover tapping into talent communities using web 2.0 tools and techniques to find lucrative and rewarding career opportunities. This is a must attend workshop for anyone interested in building an online presence or pursuing a long-term career in IT.

This presentation will address all aspects of careers In IT and the core competencies necessary to build and sustain a vibrant, fulfilling and prosperous career powered by the web 2.0 social networking phenomenon. The workshop includes , research results from the 2009 IT Job Outlook Readers Poll, skill sets that are hot in the current job market, and how to use social networking to “get discovered” for the hot job opportunities How to build a successful online business in the IT Industry

Presenter: Milt Hayes www.blacksgonegeek.org

9:45AM

Workshop: Mobility

Sponsored by AT&T

The Mobility Workshop is constructed to challenge third party groups to think about integrating wireless into their grassroots and advocacy activities as well as demonstrate AT&T’s leading positions in the areas of child safety (Smart Limits) and wireless technology (i.e. video share, 3G, etc.). The workshop includes an explanation of non-voice communications channels on wireless handsets, including SMS, WAP/Wireless Internet, Photo/Video Share, Video/3G, and Smart Limits and a hands-on demo of the service. Participants will walk through Web and SMS sign-up, SMS messaging and SMS mobilization. The training includes case studies from 08 election cycle.

11:00AM

Panel — Netroots in Action

Panelists will discuss how social media tools can be used to affect changes in policy, improve communities, and influence elections.

Moderator: Carmen Dixon Rosenzweig, www.allaboutrace.com

Panelists: Megan Tady, www.freepress.net

Pam Spaulding, www.pamshouseblend.com

Cheryl Contee, www.jackandjillpolitics.com

GROUP PHOTO & LUNCH

1:30PM

Brand Camp University:Building a Strong Personal Brand Online

The goal of this workshop is to teach attendees to develop a digitally relevant personal brand in a web 2.0 world using social media. Identify tools and strategies to create, define, and manage who you are distinctly to help you define your space. Build and manage the character of you online brand and community organically, authentically, and cost effectively with the top personal branding tips. Outline: Participants will learn: Basics of Personal Branding, Defining your Value Proposition, o Social Networking strategies for personal branding, Networking tips online and offline for career success, Organically building your community, Online reputation management, Create brand plan, Use Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter for business and career development.

Presenter: Hajj Flemmings, www.BrandCamp.us, www.hajjFlemings.com/blog

2:40PM

Panel: The State of the Information Monarchy- What’s Next for Traditional Media?

Panelists will discuss whether bloggers and citizen journalists can fill the void left by changes in traditional media.

Moderator: Monroe Anderson, www.monroeanderson.typepad.com

Panelists: Eric Easter, www.ebonyjet.com

Bruce Montgomery

3:45PM

Panel: Bloggerpreneurs

Panelists will discuss making a name for yourself in the world of social media and networking your way to better opportunities and personal success.

Moderator: Jonnice Slaughter, www.chatterboxpublicity.com

Panelists: Angel Laws, www.concreteloop.com

Fredric Mitchell www.brightplum.com

4:45PM

Closing Remarks

And here is a list of confirmed conference attendees:

* A Buzz in Your Ear
* Acts of Faith in Love and Life
* Afrobella
* All About Race
* Around Harlem
* Around NYC
* Awesomely Luvvie
* Beckie Has a Blog
* Beyond-isms
* Black Gyrl Cancer Slayer
* Black PR
* Blacks Gone Geek
* Blank Bare Clean
* Blog Not War
* blogHer
* Bronzeville Change
* Brother Bartell
* Brown and Bridal
* But You’re A Girl
* Carlos in DC
* Change You Can See
* Chartreuse
* Concrete Loop
* Consumer Blast
* Cyber PR Urban
* D Jones Productions
* Dallas South Blog
* Dante Lee
* Dragon Fly
* Ebony Jet
* Flack Me
* Fresh Manna of the Day
* Global Wire
* Global Wire
* Goddess Intellect
* Hajj Flemings
* Harmonic Leadership
* Haute Muslim
* Have a Wonderful
* I Hate My Developer
* IT Empowers U
* Jack and Jill Politics
* Jamal Street Journal
* Kiamsha.com:That Which Awakens Me
* Listen to Leon
* Live Life Posh
* Locs and Dreams
* Love a Black Woman
* Marty Blogs
* Megans Minute
* Miss Theda
* Mocha Mom 365
* Monroe Anderson
* Naomi Christine
* Pams House Blend
* Peruanista
* Philena
* Photo Solitude
* Pocket Book Protest
* Project New Era
* Queen Tahj
* Save the Internet
* See Your Worth
* Small World View
* Social Media Socialite
* South Shore Chamber
* TATV
* The Joba Group
* The Smak
* The Super Spade
* Theo Talks
* Urban Beauty
* Urban Science
* UWISHUNU
* We Are Black Women
* Woman Body and Soul
* YBP Guide

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Caraway and Martin Luther King III promote non-violence at youth summit

Posted on June 17, 2009 by Shawn Williams

DALLAS – Local leaders will join forces with parents and youth to promote citizenship and non-violence at the fourth annual youth summit on Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway will headline a panel of local elected officials as part of one local ministry’s commitment to stopping inner-city violence among teens and young adults. Martin Luther King, III, will also return for the fourth consecutive year to challenge youth and parents to get involved in their communities during the event titled, “Peace: the Final Frontier; Stopping the Cycle of Violence in our Community.”

“We envisioned this program as an opportunity to change lives,” said Rodney Dulin, Minister of Central Pointe Church of Christ in southern Dallas which has hosted and organized the previous three events. “We have graduating seniors who attended their first youth summit as freshmen who finished high school without on incident of violence on their records. We believe this program and others like it played a part in that.”

Free registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the summit starting at 9:00 a.m. Lunch will be provided followed by a free basketball tournament featuring Utah Jazz star C.J. Miles, a graduate of Dallas’ Skyline High School. Local agencies and support groups for victims and their families affected by violence will also be available

“Much of what we become when we are older is directly related to the choices we make when we are younger,” said Miles, who attended last year’s summit. “I want to help kids in my hometown make good choices so they can be successful.”

Dulin hopes parents, teachers and those who work with youth will take advantage of the opportunity to gather information on how to stop the cycle of violence in the community, or maybe even in their own homes.

“Our children have so much potential if we can get them focused on the right things. In addition to showing them where a violent lifestyle can lead, we need to open their eyes to other opportunities provided by a disciplined, non-violent lifestyle choice.”

The summit is sponsored by the Multicultural Development Center in partnership with the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute and will be hosted by the Central Pointe Church of Christ Youth Ministry, which is located at 7440 S. Westmoreland in Dallas. For more information, call (972) 296-5502.

People I Follow on the Internet

Posted on June 17, 2009 by Shawn Williams

This is the second installment in a series I’m doing titled “People I’m Following.” Tomorrow’s topic is “People I Follow on Twitter. As for today, it’s People I Follow on the Internet.

L.N.Rock African-American Political Pundit

I’ve been following Rock for a long time. He holds nothing back and can speak on any and every political topic. As publisher of the blog African American Political Pundit, Rock was a fellow DNC Blogger in Denver last summer .

He has also championed the cause for appropriate use of tasers/stun guns. And on top of all that, he hosts an entertaining show on Blog Talk Radio, AA Politcal Slugfest.

Carmen D. – All About Race

Carmen and I hit it off as soon as we met at Blogging While Brown last year. She brings a wealth of traditional media experience to the new media space through her blog All About Race.

Carmen takes a sensible and straight foward approach to discussions on her blog revolving around the sensitive topics. And I like the fact that you can never assume which position Carmen will take on a given issue.

Pam Pohly – Everyday Citizen

I met Pam at the Democratic National Convention, and there couldn’t be a more genuine person around. She has collected an impressive array of contributors at her website Everyday Citizen, including local bloggers Janet Morrison, Gerald Britt, and Larry James.

Pam has also become an expert on social media, using it as a vehicle to organize, recruit, and help promote progressive causes.

Wayne Hicks – Electronic Village

Wayne is one of the deans of the Black Blogosphere. Besides his inspired work at Electronic Village, he’s helped bring a semblance of order to a space that thrives on chaos.

As part of the AfroSpear, Hicks has helped standardize processes and moderate discussions. He also created the Black Blog Rankings. And don’t sleep on Wayne’s selections on Old School Friday each week.

Michael Davis – Dallas Progress

Mike D has used his blog Dallas Progress as a vehicle to distribute information and enact social change. From tearing down drug houses to shuttering hot sheet motels, Davis is constantly seeking ways to make the community safer and more vibrant.

He sits on the Dallas City Planning and Zoning Commission, arguably the most powerful board at city hall. I’ve admired Mike since finding his site three years ago.

Robert Wilonsky – Dallas Observer

I guess it’s fair to say that I started following Robert Wilonsky on the radio (The Ticket) as opposed to on the web. His movie reviews (“that film was terrrrrible”) and fill-in Entertainment News appearances are always fun.

But I do catch Wilonsky in the Observer, or at least on their blog Unfair Park. Maybe I like Big Bob because his toughtful style is a lot more tolerable than the inflammatory ways employed by some of his colleagues. And Wilonsky is kind of the unofficial keeper of Dallas Blues History.

Pam Spaulding – Pam’s House Blend

Pam is a tireless champion for the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Americans. She is consistently ranked at the top of the Black Blog Rankings for her blog Pam’s House Blend, which is always steaming.

Recently Pam and a group of advocates met here and drafted the Dallas Principals, which seeks full civil rights for the LBGT community. Pam is taking the fight to President Obama and other federal officials.

Gemna Holmes: If Tavis Smiley was White, Wells Fargo and “Ghetto Loans” would be Front Page News

Posted on June 16, 2009 by Shawn Williams

I thought Gemna Holmes from Gemna Speaks had an interesting take in a recent post regarding Tavis Smiley. I thought I’d repost some of it here:

This is the third in a series of posts about Tavis Smiley and Wells Fargo, sponsor of the State of the Black Union (SOTBU). Everyone is in uproar about Wells Fargo employees calling loans to black mortgage holders “ghetto loans” and the disdain they showed for the customers they made the most profit from. But the media, especially black media, has been very silent about the role Tavis Smiley played in helping stack this ill fated deck of cards that has plagued the black community in several major cities.

When Mr. Smiley first partnered with Wells Fargo in 2005, he was a TEACHER of economic empowerment and assembled seminars around the country as the keynote speaker for wealth building. Press releases filled every major news outlet inbox and black newspapers were infected with faxes stating Mr. Smiley’s desire to teach the principles of home ownership as the key for breaking the cycle of poverty in the African American community. All this knowledge was given at no charge to trusting black folks. This was the golden ticket to obtaining the elusive piece of the pie via Mr. Smiley’s recommendations.

Mr. Smiley stated he was “thrilled” to help black folks achieve their dreams but now that many of them have found themselves in a nightmare, where is he? Has he spoken out against the “ghetto loans” statement by Wells Fargo employees? Has he demanded accountability that he touts must be part of helping President Obama be the best President he can be?

Has he applied that same scrutiny to Wells Fargo now that their sins of omission and commission have been exposed by their employees? Mr. Smiley’s messages are often woven with biblical terms to give his messages of empowerment a spiritual halo; so I will take a page from his book, has he washed himself in hyssop to amend for his leadership initiatives with Wells Fargo that has caused financial harm to people of color?

We should not be shy about asking these questions of Mr. Smiley. But why is black media afraid to question one of their favorite sons about the role he played promoting Wells Fargo to the African American community? Could it be they are part of the problem as well? I am keenly aware of the balance between the news and advocacy and recruiting advertisers and sponsors but we should not be ostriches when it comes to a story of this magnitude. For those who used Mr. Smiley’s conferences/events as promos to keep themselves in the mainstream media eye as “leaders” of the African-American community, they are eerily quiet on this subject. Many are giving the vibe that this is not their problem.

What’s that sound I hear from the media? Being a pest control operator, I know it all too well…crickets.

Read the entire post by clicking here.

Previous posts at Gemna Speaks about Tavis Smiley and Wells Fargo:

http://blacksnob.com/snob_blog/2009/3/17/strange-bedfellows-the-case-of-tavis-wells-fargo-and-the-naa.html

http://blackbloggers.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/tavis-smiley-holds-barack-accountable-but-who-holds-tavis-accountable/

http://genmaspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/03/roland-martin-of-cnn-interviews-ben.html

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/08-25-2005/0004094109&EDATE=)

http://www.wellsfargo.com/wealth

Jason Johnson:Top Foods For Endurance Athletes

Posted on June 16, 2009 by Shawn Williams

BY JASON JOHNSON

While training for the Navy SEAL Fitness challenge I participated in last month, I researched a few of the top foods to fuel endurance athletes. If you’re currently doing intense training, or just need a few foods to get you through your workouts, consider these power foods for endurance and high intensity training. I have kept all these foods in my food rotation:

1) Quinoa: It’s an ancient high-energy grain from South America. The Incas used it to increase stamina of their warriors and allow them to run longer distances at high altitudes. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it has all 9 essential amino acids , making it a perfect meal for vegetarians concerned with their protein intake.

2) Kale: Kale contains high levels of vitamins A, B6, C and K, iron, calcium and loaded with antioxidants. It also has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Low-grade inflammation resulting from exercise-induced muscle damage is a daily nuisance for many endurance athletes.

3) Oatmeal: This is a great source of complex carbs. It’s easily digested, high in fiber, and as a low-glycemic index food it provides long-lasting energy. This is the ideal breakfast before an endurance event. I like adding cinnamon, walnuts or pecans, honey and raisins.

4) Green Tea: A University of Birmingham, England study suggested a strong possibility that green tea extract could delay fatigue during prolonged moderate-intensity efforts.

5) Cherries: Loaded with antioxidants, cherries have been shown to enhance athletic performance. In a study conducted at the University of Vermont, competitive rowers who added cherry juice to their diets experienced significantly less muscle soreness and strength loss after taking a test designed to cause muscle damage than did a group of fellow rowers who received a placebo.

6) Bananas: Bananas are a perfect compliment to your bowl of pre-competition oatmeal. A banana delivers 2 important things for athletes: carbs and potassium (more than 30 g of carbs and about 400 mg of potassium). Athletes lose potassium through sweat during exercise

Until next time.

Stay healthy and stay active,

Jason M. Johnson, ACE-CPT

JMJ Fitness

www.jmjfitness.com