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Reach new heights in your physical wellness! Our new Wellness Series continues in each issue with a focus on the 8 Dimensions of wellness; emotional, social, financial, spiritual, occupational, physical, intellectual, and environmental. Read more
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Make a simple nutritious dinner this winter with a hearty meal from our Young Gourmet Cooking Club. This recipe is under 300 calories, and costs approximately $2.06 per serving (makes six servings).
Read more
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Young Gourmet Cooking Club! 
Do you have children/young adults ages 13-21 who are looking for a fun and interactive way to learn how to create their own healthy meals? Join us in January for our new Young Gourmet Cooking Club in Toms River. This program is open to youth with and without special needs, we encourage siblings to also join.
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 Get FIT Spotlight: Jennifer |
-Gianni Grasso
Meet Jennifer, a participant in Get FIT @ Home in New Jersey.
Read about how she accomplished her milestones through Get FIT!
 Becoming physically active can sometimes be a tough task for everyone, irrespective of ability levels. I first met Jennifer while I was volunteering as a student trainer at Rowan University. Her outgoing personality and kindness always stood out to me. She would initiate conversations with student trainers right away, asking us how we were doing and how our classes were going. When Jennifer signed up for Get FIT @ Home training sessions, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to continue working with her. Jennifer is 33 years old and lives with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that affects the brain and nervous system. After speaking with her mother, I knew we needed to focus on a weight loss program that would increase her physical activity levels in order to relieve the lower back pain she had been experiencing. We decided to focus our work upon improving her cardiovascular fitness levels, as well as incorporating resistance-training exercises. Living close to a school track, Jennifer would ride her bicycle to the track, asking about my day, telling me about her day and we would catch up on anything new that may have happened since our last session. During our first session walking the track, Jennifer's back began to bother her halfway through the first lap and she was eager to ride her bike home. With time and conditioning, Jennifer fought through these roadblocks. Jennifer remained focused and positive as she improved each week and accomplished her milestones. Through Get FIT @ Home, Jennifer completed her first lap, then onto 2, then 3, and eventually completed her first mile. Jennifer has proven not only to me, but to herself that she has the determination and strength to accomplish her goals. After attaining her goal of completing one mile, she now has better balance as well as improvements in her walking. I could not be more proud of Jennifer, and the progress she has made through the Get FIT program. Register for Get FIT @ Home sessions today, and receive home based services from our Wellness Coaching Team. Please email [email protected] for more information.
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Meet Isaure, a Get FIT Texas volunteer, as she shares her inspirational story in her own words of living with epilepsy and how fitness and nutrition has changed her life!
My connection to Epilepsy
 I was diagnosed with epilepsy freshman year of college. It was around finals, the end of my very first semester of college. I was sitting on the futon with my roommate watching TV, when suddenly I hit her extremely hard across her chest. Let me paint the picture a little more clearly: I lost control of the left side of my body. It was like someone took my arm and slung it violently at her. The look on her face was priceless. I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy and returned back to school taking 10+ pills a day. I was constantly sick. I was always vomiting or shaking, and I continuously dropped things.
Upon graduating I moved to Chicago, however, after 3 years I decided to return to Houston because I no longer felt safe living by myself. What used to just be "twitches" and some shaking and even petit mal seizures here and there started to turn into full blown grand mal seizures. I had them when out with friends. I had them when I was by myself. I even had one at the pharmacy while picking up my epilepsy medicine. I had become exactly what I was avoiding: depressed and scared. Unlike people who drink their worries away, I could not. Drinking in excess affected my seizures. I put in my 2 weeks' notice and returned to Houston. My epilepsy ran me away from my job. Working in front of a computer screen 10-12 hours a day (if not more) resulted in health complications. Going 48 hours with nothing but 30 minute naps took its toll. So, once again, I had to start all over.
When I took control
Flash forward 2 years, I feel I have taken control of my epilepsy. After various appointments with my doctor, I started to really take his recommendations to heart. I focused on sleeping more. I stopped drinking nearly as much. I tried to worry less about things that I had no control over and I decided to become (physically) active again...much more active. Though I was known for working out my entire life, I was not as focused on it as I had been. I think realizing that I was more or less forced to leave Chicago was the eye opener that I needed. I also had not realized how much weight I had gained.
I have continued on my fitness journey, or should I say, my health journey. My trainer asked me if I had ever considered NPC Bikini competitions, I was quick to agree to it. The competitor in me jumped at the opportunity in a heart beat. But the epileptic in me was terrified. I was place on a diet that consisted of carb-cycling. Amazingly (my seizures) started to completely vanish. And as a result, my doctor has lowered the amount of medicine that I am to take daily from 8 pills to 6 pills. Progress!
Learning through Life
After all is said and done, I am currently working on receiving a Personal Trainer Certification because what I have learned along this journey is that you can't do it alone. Or even if you can, it is extremely difficult. If I did not have experienced athletes, trainers, physicians, and my family around me I may have never been able to truly gain control over my seizure disorder. I have gone from normal, to weird, to strong all in a matter of 9 years. I could not feel any more blessed than I do right now. If I can help just one person get their life back, to feel a sense of control, then I have done my job .
I used to be afraid to tell people I had epilepsy. I was embarrassed. But, you can take control of your life. It may take some time and it may be hard to do. But once you figure it out, you will never go back. It's not the fact that I am seizure free that brings me joy; it's the fact that I am not bound by my disorder. It's the fact that I don't feel like I have a disorder at all. I have a life. Just like everyone else. I have a life that may require a little more attention, a little more planning, a tad bit of monitoring; but it is MY life. I am doing more than surviving, I am thriving!
For more information please click here or call Ryan at The Epilepsy Foundation of Texas at 713-789-6295 (Houston) or Ariel at The Epilepsy Foundation of Central & South Texas at 210-653-5353 (San-Antonio).
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Get FIT @ Home 2.0
Get FIT New Jersey remains committed to providing programming and services to local communities
Get FIT @ Home 2.0 is a grant funded program supported by The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities. The goal of this program is to transform the wellness culture of group
homes/supervised living apartments and day programs.
With one participant losing 9 lbs in 12 weeks, Get FIT @ Home 2.0 has been successfully launched and sustained at the Arc of Atlantic County in partnership with Richard Stockton College of NJ, New Horizons for Autism in Toms River, and the Arc of Mercer County in partnership with Rider University. The Get FIT Wellness Coaching Team is presently preparing to launch Get FIT @ Home 2.0 at the Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled's WAE Center in West Orange.
This healthy lifespan supports program features bi-weekly exercise and nutrition programming designed in a manner to meet the preferences of the residents. Designed using Get FIT's train the trainer model, residential staff are encouraged to participate in order to continue the program upon the departure of the Get FIT Wellness Coaching team.
For more information regarding bringing Get FIT @ Home 2.0 to your residential center please contact Adeola at [email protected]
...everyone has the right to a healthy, active life.
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Get FIT Signs on to #CommitToInclusion Campaign
Commit to Inclusion supports the implementation of the Guidelines for Disability Inclusion to assist in the updating of community health program and policies to be inclusive of the needs of people with disability.
Get FIT programs such as Young Gourmet, continue to provide integrated health and wellness programs in community settings.
We will also assist recreation centers and gyms with committing to inclusion through the implementation of Get FIT programming.
To #CommitToInclusion please visit www.committoinclusion.org
"We all can achieve, if given a chance"
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A free 12-week Get FIT @ Home program can help you:
- Set healthy goals
- Be active
- Build a healthy plate
- Make healthy food choices
- Learn healthy behaviors
- Live well with epilepsy
- Attain/maintain a healthy weight
....All in the comfort of your own home
Get FIT @ Home is open to people of all ages.
To register for Get FIT please call Rachel at the Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi at
601-936-5222.
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Recipe: Black Bean Soup |
Make a simple nutritious dinner this winter with a hearty meal from our Young Gourmet Cooking Club!
This recipe is under 300 calories, and costs approximately $2.06 per serving (makes six servings). Many of these ingredients may already be in your pantry!
- 4 -14 � oz cans of black beans
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 4 cups of vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp of cumin
- � tbsp. of chili powder
- Salt and pepper for taste
Directions - Heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil on low heat in a large stock pot.
- Chop the onions and carrots then sauce in the heated oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add can diced tomatoes, garlic, and vegetable stock, 2 cans of beans, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil.
- In a blender, combine remaining 2 cans of beans and can of diced tomatoes- blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth.
- Combine blended mixture in stock pot and let ingredients cook together for about 10 minutes.
- Serve Warm.
Add a whole wheat bread bowl to this recipe for a full meal!
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-Megan Sherman
As a caregiver it is important to make your wellness a priority. Our wellness series continues with a focus on physical wellness.
Do you find that you spend so much of your time caring for others, that you often neglect your own health? When your physical wellness begins to diminish, so does your ability to take care of your loved ones. Not only do they need you, but YOU need you too! By making your physical wellness a priority, you can decrease your risk of chronic conditions such as; stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition to this, improving physical wellness also results in general happiness by relieving symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety. There are 3 simple steps you can take towards improving your physical wellness, starting today!
1 hour of stimulating activity: whether this is 1 hour of exercise, 1 hour of reading or 1 hour of crosswords, always remember to keep your mind and body moving and growing. Exercise is good for reducing stress, helping with bone/muscle strength and weight loss, gives you energy, and releases endorphin's, which make you happy. As a caregiver, you are always on the move: purchase pedometers or activity meters, and see how many steps you're taking a day. Your brain is also a muscle; leisurely reading and educational activities such as Sudoku are known to decrease risk of dementia, help lower stress, and help with problem solving.
2 liters of water: you should be drinking approximately 2 liters of water. Statistics show that on average a person should drink eight 8 oz glasses of water (approximately 1.89 liters). Drinking water has many health benefits and is something that you can involve the whole family with. Try creating a water chart, to track how much water you and your loved ones are consuming each day. You can also add slices of a variety of your favorite fruits to add a little flavor to your water. Drinking water boosts the metabolism and immune system, helps with complexion, increases energy, and most importantly keeps you hydrated!
3 full meals and 2 well portioned snacks: you should be eating a well-balance diet. You may think that eating almost every 3 hours will lead to weight gain, however it does the exact opposite. Try not to skip meals. Eating appropriately portioned meals frequently aids with keeping your metabolism at a steady rate, maintaining hunger- which decreases chances of food binges, regulates blood sugar, and keeps your energy up. Eating healthy improves mood and immune system, boosts energy, and increases longevity.
BONUS- Make sure to get AT LEAST 8 hours of sleep. Sleep is crucial. Not getting enough sleeps effects your immune system, causes weight gain, makes you moody, impairs motor skills, and decreases your motivation. Your loved ones depends on your positive energy to help get them through the day. Try taking naps when your loved one takes naps to get more hours of sleep in. Getting enough sleep also helps improve the immune system.
For more Wellness posts and tips: 
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Get FIT Youth, NJ
Youth ages 13-21 are invited to join the Get FIT Youth Program at Katz JCC in Cherry Hill.
Weekly sessions begin in January and will focus on; improving nutrition and increasing physical activity.
Our goal is to guide participants on their road to wellness in a fun and interactive setting.
Space is limited!
For more information and to register your child, please call Adeola at 609-392-4900 or email [email protected]
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