15 Fitness Habits You Need to Establish In Your 20s

As a 22 year old, I'm constantly trying to find exercises that will keep me interested in working out - I do weights, yoga and pilates. However, there are habits that we need to establish in our everyday lives so we can constantly be a warrior for our health. I came across some of these habits on a website and I just have to share - especially since I'm preparing for the swimsuit portion in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant. It's been a struggle for me to gain muscle - I'm naturally thin and I'm grateful for that however, just because you're thin doesn't mean you are living a healthy lifestyle. I've changed my diet, and added more intense work outs with weight to live a healthy lifestyle. 

Here are the 15 habits that I'm implementing in my life -

1. Fall in love with strength training - Whether you're doing bodyweight circuit training or lifting heavy weights (or any of the variations in between), strength training is great for your overall health: it increases lean muscle mass, boosts metabolism, torches calories, eases back pain, helps you sleep, and even wards off diabetes.
2. DRINK WATER - This is HUGE, it changes how you feel. 
3. Vary it UP! - It's all about doing various cross-training activities each week. Hit the weight room for some strength training, or do yoga. Go for a bike ride. Whatever it takes to work your body in different ways throughout the week. I really want to try roller blading, but I first need some roller blades ;)
4. Embrace your day AFTER your work out - Keep going, and enjoy your day. Incorporate a rest day into your routine so your body has time to recover—or else you could seriously injure yourself, or in the least experience some diminishing returns from your workouts. 
5. Learn proper form and DON'T CHEAT - I know, it's tiring and it's hard however get it girl. 
6.  Switch up your running shoes - Yes, they're expensive, but you know what's more expensive? Hospital bills.
7. Refuel after a work-out - The carbs help give you energy, while the protein helps repair torn and stretched muscles. A good choice: low-fat chocolate milk—it's got a great combo of protein and carbs that replenishes your body after you sweated those very things out.
8. Go to a random work out class - I attend LifeTime and I am constantly trying out their new classes - zumba, yoga and strength training classes. 
9. Stretch before you work out - Duh, you don't want to hurt yourself :) 
10. Make your workout a part of your day - Make it a part of your day and don't quit!
11. Be mindful - Do what is HEALTHY for YOUR body, sometimes what works on Pinterest or for your best friend, will not work for you! Be mindful. 
12. Invest in good work out clothes - Now, they don't have to be expensive however, research shows that when you feel confident in your appearance, that translates to your performance.
13. Do either Yoga or Pilates - It helps with posture and it is so relaxing. 
14. Get a good workout playlist - This is a huge help for your workout. I'm constantly dancing in-between reps and the music also pumps me up! 
15. HAVE FUN! - This is to help YOUR body, and YOUR HEALTH. 

(Ideas, and 15 fitness habits found on www.womenshealthmag.com) 

Here are some of my favorite workouts - 

-G

Being in the Right Place at the Right Time...

So the last couple of days I've been selling ad pages for the Miss Oklahoma program book, and recently the businesses who I've asked to purchase an ad have been COMPLETE strangers. I wanted to ask individuals, businesses and people I didn't know to gain experience in selling the Miss Oklahoma program. I've gone into random businesses and have asked them for their support of the Miss Oklahoma pageant - two times in the last three days I've been able to share my cancer story and my passion for women's health. 

I walked into a business, started selling the Miss Oklahoma program and why her business should purchase an ad, "it's tax deductible, it's a great organization..." etc, however when I started speaking and asking how she was doing - she told me that her daughter-in-law was just diagnosed with breast cancer. While she was speaking and sharing her story with me, I was taken back because I had just met this owner of the business.  She told me her story, how her mother passed away from breast cancer, and her husband has been diagnosed with cancer as well. At the end, I just shared my story with her, and my platform for Miss Oklahoma - which is all about Women's Health. I shared my dream for making Warriors for Women a non-profit (still in the making) and how I'm launching a nail polish line for women's cancer and all proceeds go to women who are fighting the battle of cancer.   It was an amazing moment, and a magical moment - this is what it feels like to make a difference, and to share my passion for women's health. 

This upcoming month I'll be speaking to over 1,000 young girls about women's health. I'm ready to make a difference, and to continue to educate, advocate and empower young women. 

I would of never guessed that I would be able to impact individuals while selling an ad for the Miss Oklahoma Program book, however, I guess I was in the right place at the right time. 

-G 

Start a Conversation that Matters | #StartTalking

The third leading cause of death between women ages 15-24 is cancer. We can begin the process of eliminating this statistic by starting the conversation with young women about their health. There is a great lack of candid conversations about preventative healthcare among young women, including education and a dialogue about cancer screenings and prevention, and simple things like going to the ob/gyn, or finding a primary care physician in college. I see this on a daily basis on my university campus, and the reasons for the insufficient dialogues are many – stigma, societal norms, awkwardness and anxiety. But the silence, and thereby confusion, surrounding how to take personal responsibility for health issues specific to women has created larger issues. 

As women, it’s our responsibility to start talking about doctors, cancer history and preventive health – it can start at home with a mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother. Then we can expand those conversations to our relationships with friends and classmates. This isn’t about a “program” or one speaking event, this is about a grassroots movement that starts with early candid conversations with young women and leads to the development of healthy habits that last a lifetime and are passed on to the next generation. Lets #StartTalking today, and with the individuals that mean the most to us. 

Be Brave enough to START a conversation that MATTERS. 

-G

Keep Calm and Warrior On

I've been trying to think of a new way to promote Women's Health and to get the candid conversations started. 

I'm always trying to think of new ways to spread awareness and educate others about my platform, my story and now - what has simply turned into a passion, women's health. Warriors for Women is all about creating more awareness and providing more education about the different issues that women deal with in regard to their health.

I'm determined to educate and empower young women to take responsibility for 
their health! ‪#‎StartTalking‬ is the movement for young women, and men, to begin having those candid conversations focused on women's health issues. Raise awareness by supporting this campaign, and become a WARRIOR for women's health! 

We only have to reserve 6 more T-Shirts to have these shirts printed - go reserve now!

Reserve your T-shirt NOW! :)

-G

World Cancer Day : Lets Celebrate Purple!

Yesterday was World Cancer Day and this day is an awe-inspiring day because we get to celebrate the loved ones who have fought the battle of cancer. Yesterday was not about what color of ribbon you wear, wristband or even a contest - it's about celebrating. It was a celebration. 

What am I celebrating, you ask? I celebrated MY life . I celebrated my mother who is a cancer survivor, my cousins, and my friends who have fought the battle as well. 

You might have seen the Chevy commercial during the Super Bowl- they've decided to partner up this year with the American Cancer Society. The partnership with the American Cancer Society is a new campaign to honor people who have fought or are fighting cancer. And this amazing campaign is called Purple Roads, which is basically designed to celebrate the victories of people who fought cancer in the past and who still support those who continue to fight. Go to this link to turn YOUR Facebook or Twitter profile picture- at chevrolet.com/purpleroads to support World Cancer Day! 

Chevrolet will donate $1 to the Society for every Facebook/Twitter user who participates, up to $1 million. Money raised through the Purple Roads campaign will help the Society continue to support quality of life programs and services that help patients and their families manage cancer treatment and recovery and find the emotional support they need.

So, go to the website and get involved and change your profile picture PURPLE.  

-G

It's JANUARY : Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

It's one of my favorite times of the year - Cervical Cancer Awareness Month! 

Here's the deal, this month is extremely dear to my heart, due to my personal journey to becoming a survivor of this cancer — and I'm here to encourage YOU (as women or men) to get the women in your life to the doctor! 

Facts:

• A woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes, worldwide.
• Tobacco Use and DES (Diethylstilbestrol) are risk factors for cervical cancer. 
• One of the main causes of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a common sexually transmitted infection. It does not always affect men, although they are carriers of the virus.
• It is a cancer that is often diagnosed late and the survival rate is low, due to women not going to their annual check ups.

These are just four of the hard hitting facts about this deadly cancer. Most women won't even realize they have HPV because it takes so long to develop into cancer. Cervical Cancer takes 10-15 years, on average, to do so. By this age, most women will have families and jobs and will rarely go to their doctor for annual check ups. 

As a man, you should be able to create awareness for the women in your life by just being honest and open with them in discussing the facts and the preventions. It's scary to realize that one appointment can change your whole life and it could be too late by the time you get that appointment. 

You can follow my Twitter Page to see facts, and updates on what I'm doing to create awareness this month. 

Here's the BIG news! I've thought long and hard about what I can do to spread awareness for cervical cancer and all women's cancers and health issues.  What are the top cancers affecting  women? 

1. BREAST CANCER

Risk factors:

• Age: Women 50 and older
• Family history: If a family member (grandmother, mother, sister) had breast cancer
• Breast tissue density: Women with higher breast tissue density.

Screening:

• Mammography: Women should schedule a mammography every three years in their 20s and 30s and once a year when 40 and older
• Clinical breast exam: Women should have a clinical breast exam as part of their annual physica
• Self examination: Women should perform self-exams on a regular basis and report any changes to your doctor immediately

2. COLON AND RECTUM CANCER (COLORECTAL)

Risk factors:

• Age: 90 percent of cases occur over age 50
• Family history: If a family member has had colorectal cancer you are at greater risk
• Physical inactivity and obesity
• Diet high in red or processed meat

Screening:

Beginning at age 50, women who are at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should have one of the following:

• Fecal occult blood test: Have a fecal occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test once a year and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Double-contrast barium enema: You can choose to have a doublecontrast barium enema every 5 years instead of a fecal occult blood test
• Colonoscopy: Every 10 years

3. UTERINE, OVARIAN AND CERVICAL CANCER

Risk factors:

• Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT)
• Early menstruation (before age 12)
• Late menopause
• History of infertility or never having given birth
• History of polycystic ovary syndrome
• HPV
• DES
• Smoking

Screening:

Most uterine cancer is detected at an early stage due to post-menopausal bleeding. Women should report irregular bleeding or spotting to their doctor. For women considered to be high risk, an annual screening with biopsy should begin at age 35.

All information gathered from pennmedicine.com 

Therefore, after thinking about a way to promote awareness about these cancers I've decided to become a Warrior, a warrior for all women who have been diagnosed with these cancers, those who will fight these cancers, and those who will hopefully survive these cancers! That's where my idea of Warriors for Women formed, and I decided to make it my brand. Be a warrior in everything you do. 

So, I'm debuting my "Warriors for Women" NAIL POLISH LINE on this blog! It's a dream that has finally been able to come true! 

The colors are representative of the various women's cancer ribbons. 

PINK

TEAL 

NAVY 

PURPLE

YELLOW

So you may have caught on that yellow is not a women's cancer ribbon color, however it is representative of pediatric cancer; and purple is representing all cancer awareness. 

I am so excited for this next chapter in my life, and this project, Warriors for Women. If you want to get more information about Warriors for Women, or buying/selling this nail polish, please contact me at - georgia.fraz@gmail.com 

-G

Merry Christmas. darling.

This year has been challenging for our family as we discovered my grandmother (aka Mimi) might not make it through Christmas. Mimi has stage 4 bone marrow cancer and has been a warrior throughout this trying time. She has and always will be a warrior in my eyes - and she is the reason I am writing this blog tonight. 

First, let me share a few things about our Christmas this year, the whole clan decided to celebrate Christmas early - so we packed up all of our gifts and all of the food and we headed to Mimi's house. We had our usual lasagna and salad, which we all love. However, for the reasons I mentioned earlier, the mood was very different.  It didn't feel like a "normal" Christmas to me and I could see it didn't feel normal for anyone else. We all wanted our pictures taken with Mimi and we all wanted to talk and cherish every moment with her, because holidays for us have always been about family. Yeah, we could get awesome gifts and eat amazing food - but it was always about the laughs we shared and the memories we were creating. This year was obviously different, we were trying to act cheery and excited for Christmas, but it was visibly hard for most of us. Until, "Santa" came! Let me explain, we have a three year old who is in that stage of,  "oh my gosh, it's SANTA!" (insert Will Ferrell clip from Elf),  and right when she opened the door and she saw Santa, our whole night changed. The room filled with laughter and cheer when she realized it was indeed Santa, and he had driven his sleigh all the way to Oklahoma to visit our family. 

In that moment, we remembered that Christmas was all about making new memories, creating new traditions for our family. Christmas is such an amazing holiday, and while most kids would say it's because of Santa and all the gifts - as we get older we realize it's truly about family. Family is something that no one can replace, and something that should always be cherished. This Christmas our family was put back into perspective, and reminded me what this holiday is all about. I'm forever thankful for spending this Christmas with family, and the people I love. Remember to always cherish the most important thing in life, which is your family; the people who love you, and the people you love. 

Here are a few pictures from this night: 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,

G.

I'm dreaming of a TEAL Christmas

It's that time of the year again - my FAVORITE time of the year -  and it's not because of the gifts or shopping!  (okay, you caught me, maybe it has a little something to do with the shopping!) However, it's actually the giving of gifts this time of year that I love. I love the idea of sharing something personal with someone, or creating a new tradition with someone special. 

The month of December snuck up on me and it's such a sad thing because I love this season and this holiday, but like you, I’ve been busy.   Focusing on my senior paper and finals can be a stressful time, but to top it off I’ve also had a trip to NYC to plan and graduate school applications to finish.  Today was the first day I realized it's Christmas time, and in this realization I started figuring out that I haven't hung up the lights with my dad, I haven't set up our tree and I haven't baked, not once. So this holiday season I've decided to make a short bucket-list, this will make my December extra special - and I want to challenge each of you to create a bucket-list too!

1. Find something on Pinterest, and follow through with it. If it's a recipe, which I know some people like trying new casseroles, or a new Elf on the Shelf idea, *please look at this website for some ideas as well Elf on the Shelf ideas. TRY SOMETHING NEW.  Personally, I'll be finding an awesome craft project and succeeding in that. 

2. Pay it forward. Do something for someone else, and don't let them know. For example, buy Starbucks for the person behind you, or purchase someone’s gas.  Just do something to make an impact on someone else's life because the smallest things in life that mean the most. 

3. Try to do an unusual gift. Instead of buying something materialistic, buy something meaningful.
    For example :
Give a donation in someones name to a charity @ www.justgive.org as a gift. It's an awesome contribution to an incredible organization and you would be making a difference. 

4. Create a new tradition. Whether it's like watching a new movie on Christmas Eve, such as Home Alone or Elf. *two of my favorites*. Or, you can always try to bake/cook something new with your family. Just create a new tradition. 

On a fun note, my families tradition is throwing our ornaments on our tree. Obviously, because we are a baseball family.  It's something we've done since I was little and it's such fun tradition. 

5. Take family pictures and cherish them. It's such a wonderful gift to have photos of your family taken. 


My new tradition for this year is to decorate the tree in my room teal, which represents my cancer ribbon color. I've been dreaming of a teal christmas for the past couple of years and I finally did it.  It's a constant reminder of my ultimate gift, the ultimate gift that taught me strength, endurance and hope. In a broken world, I too lose sight of hope, however when I look at my tree it reminds me of how far I've come to be the person I am today. I plan to share hope and inspiration with my family, friends and community by sharing my story and my teal tree this holiday season. 

So this holiday season, take it in and don't lose hope of what this season is all about. 

Until next time,

-G

#thankful

Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books- especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance everyday. 

John Wooden

Thanksgiving is approaching and I think we can all agree that one of our favorite things about this holiday is the food, and the amount we get to eat without being judged. However, this is one of my favorite holidays because I love hearing what everyone is thankful for, and I personally believe that we should state what we are thankful more than just the month of November. Also, the trend where one will publish what they are thankful for on Facebook for the month of November is also misleading and it makes me wonder, what if you write those things down every DAY for one whole year? What would happen? Would you feel better about yourself? Would you feel more grateful?  

Roughly 830 days ago, I was given a gift that I wasn't thankful for in the beginning but now I'm very thankful. I'm thankful for the experiences it has given me, I'm thankful for the message I've been spreading and I'm also thankful for the lives I will continue to touch. It wasn't something that normal people would define as something to be thankful for, however in my book it is. Cancer has given me so many things to be thankful for, and when I was diagnosed I started to write down in a journal and I called it my "thankful list", I began to write down the things I was thankful for each night during this trying time and I figured that it could help me turn my glass into half full, instead of empty. It allowed me to be thankful for the things that mattered. 

"Thankful list for November 25th 2013, it's cold and rainy. However, it's that time of the night to sit here and write down my thankful list and be thankful for this day...

1.  A fire place & a good book. 
2.  Pumpkin Spice Latte (soy milk and no whip ;) ) Thankful for the guy that sang my name, it put a smile on my face while waiting for my latte.
3.  My professors at Oral Roberts University, thankful that they believe in me. 
4.  SENIOR PAPER IS DONE, very thankful. Like really thankful. 
5.  Justin Timberlake, and his song "That Girl", melts my heart. 
6.  Cake...you can never have too much. 
7.  My parents. So #thankful for them. 
8.  Fairy Tales. 
9.  My friends. The laughter we create and the memories we make. 
10. When strangers smile. Smiles are contagious, and I love when strangers smile.
11. Christmas. 
12. Cancer Free.
13. Beauty in the small things.
14. Liam Hemsworth from the Hunger Games.
15. Getting to spend Thanksgiving with my Mimi one more year.
16. Making no little plans. "

Turning in my senior paper. 

These are just a few of the things on my "thankful list" from last night. Some are silly, and some are serious, however these were more silly because I was having a rough night and needed a good laugh. Its the LITTLE things in life that will remind you what is important. 

What are YOU #thankful for? The answers may shock you, may make you laugh, may make you feel loved and might even give you that feeling of being content. Remember to be thankful everyday, not just on Thursday. 

-G.

This too Shall Pass

In August 2008, the Olympics took place in Beijing and the USA men's 400-meter freestyle relay race team and America was about to lose all hope and also lose the race. Jason Lezak wasn't about to let his team mates down, and wasn't about to let America down; however Lezak had a shoulder injury and that was the only thing keeping him down. In an interview, he stated this "I changed," he said. "I thought, 'That's ridiculous. I'm at the Olympic Games, I'm here for the United States of America. I don't care how bad it hurts, I'm going after it. I just got a super charge." 

Jason Lezak never gave up, even the announcers lost hope for team USA, and during the middle of the video the announcers even stated that USA had lost this race, however Lezak came back. Lezak gave it all and ended up winning. America, Team USA and even the announcers were shocked. Watch the video to see how determined Jason Lezak was. 

Jason Lezak shows resilience and inspiration. He fought for his dream. And he succeeded at it. 


So many individuals have a hard time pursuing their dreams because they're told "they can't do it", and trust me I've had my share of people not believing in me. In high school, I was told that I would probably not get accepted into a college due to my lack of mathematics skills. I was horrible at math, if there was a word worse than horrible then it would describe me. I had a teacher tell me that I wouldn't amount to anything because I wasn't good in math. To this day, it is still is in my head and I still am worried every time I try to figure out the 'tip' on a check, thankfully I've gotten better with age ;).  However, in 164 days I graduate from college. I graduate from Oral Roberts University, and I'm applying to graduate school. I never gave up, and I was resilient just like Jason Lezak was during the olympics. 

Follow your dreams, and never let ANYONE stand in the way of your goals. If I had allowed that teacher to stand in the way of my goals and dreams then I wouldn't be graduating with honors from an amazing university and debt free thanks to scholarships I'd received. 

“One's doing well if age improves even slightly one's capacity to hold on to that vital truism: "This too shall pass.” -Alain de Botton 

Until next time, 

G