Sweet Po’ Eggs

Tags

athlete, Breakfast, cook, dancer, easy breakfasts, egg whites, eggs, healthy, less than five ingredients, meal, post-workout, protein, recipe, shazlondon, sweet potatoes, vegetarian

Looking to do something a little different with your eggs in the morning? Try Sweet Po’ Eggs!

I threw together some sweet potato with my egg whites one morning post-workout to give something a little more filling. Sweet potatoes have long been favored in the athlete community due to their health benefits, and I also believe they help curb the craving for potato products and sweet tooth urges.

Heath Benefits of Sweet Po’s:

•  Carotenoids – have antioxidant properties
• Vitamin E: helps lower cholesterol and promotes healthy growth of hair, skin and nails
• Potassium rich (more so than a banana): helps with post-workout recovery cramps and blood pressure
•  Fiber: keeps you “regular” and helps keep you fuller for longer

Recipe:

You’ll need:

• One small sweet potato
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp Coconut Oil
• Salt n Pepper

1. Bring a small pan of water to boil.
2. Wash, peel and cut your sweet potato into large cubes.
3. Put cut sweet potatoes into the water and boil for about 5-7 minutes, or until you can run a fork down the side and make grooves in the potato.
4. Drain potatoes and run cold water on them.
5. Roughly mash drained potatoes – I like leaving “chunks” of sweet potato to give variation to the texture.
6. Place frying pan on heat and heat up the coconut oil.
7. Add the sweet potatoes and stir consistently for about four minutes until slightly brown
8. Add the egg whites and stir occasionally, allowing the eggs to remain fluffy but cook fully.
9. Season with salt n pepper and voila!

 

 

I am a Dancer and I am proud

Tags

artist, ballet, change, dance, dancer, hip hop, jazz, jazz funk, london, movement, passion, pineapple, shazlondon, tap, tony testa

I took Tony Testa’s workshop class in London a few years ago, where I had the honor of learning original choreography from Michael Jackson’s tour that he had worked on – about a year after Michael had passed. For those of you that know me, you’ll recognize my struggle with chasing my dream of dancing: from doubts of success, to concerns of failure or loss of respect from peers, to my current injuries that I have been dealing with for a number of years. When I took Tony’s class, I hadn’t been dancing for a year or so due to a surgeon’s hefty mistakes. I was nervous of not being as good as I used to be – something I think we all struggle with when we are forced to fall a number of steps backwards from where we once were. However, I never felt so alive as I did that day, in that studio, dancing to the very same music that inspired me to dance and choreograph from a young age.

I watched this video featuring Tony Testa where he sheds light on how dancers are viewed and treated by even some people in the industry and it struck a nerve. We are not moving props, or fillers, or part of the background – we are artists and athletes. I used to be so concerned about how people would view me when I talked about my passion for dance and what I was willing to sacrifice (and have sacrificed) for it. I dealt with so many ignorant comments of, “oh you want to be a background dancer??”, or connotations of entertainment industry meaning adult entertainment.

Dancers need to redefine what it is to be a dancer, how much we dedicate our bodies to our craft and break the stereotypes we get cast into. More so than that, we need to learn to respect each other, whether we agree with others’ ways of life or not.

I am a Dancer and I am proud.

 

Green Breakfast Smoothie

Tags

almond milk., banana, Breakfast, diet, easy recipe, green smoothie, healthy, recipe, spinach, vegan, vegetarian

I love mornings! I love waking up to a great breakfast and starting the day off right. One of my favorite things is to whip up some fresh juice or a delicious smoothie, which leaves you feeling satisfied but not groggy.

 

 

Ingredients

- 1 Cup Almond Milk (I prefer unsweetened vanilla which comes in at a cool 40 calories per serving).

- Fistful of Organic Spinach

- 1/2 Banana 

- 4 Large Ice Cubes.

 

Simply toss all of the ingredients into a blender or Magic Bullet for 1-2 minutes et voila! Perfection to go! If it’s not sweet enough for you, try using sweetened almond milk or using a little bit of agave to taste.

 

Happy Mornings!

 

Shaz

Let me take you on a trip

Tags

2012, accent, blog, british, iphone, london, Shaz London, sightseeing, tourist, travel, travel advice, video, Vlog, weather, youtube

Hello readers!

I’ve been having some trouble with iMovie and uploading to YouTube, as well as being caught in a whirlwind of making many important decisions. Why is it that they always all come at once? Oh well! I wanted to share this little tour of a few places in London that I visited on my most recent trip last month!

For those of you who haven’t been or are planning to visit London, please feel free to ask me any questions regarding transportation, where to stay, where to eat, what to do &, or course, where to shop!

 

Always,

Shaz London

If you haven’t already, find me on Twitter and Facebook!

 

 

Shaz London in London 2012: day 1

Tags

2012, accent, blog, british, iphone, jet lag, london, Shaz London, travel, video, Vlog, weather, youtube

Women vs. Men: How Our Brains Differ

Tags

biological standpoint, differences between men and women, facebook, men and women, nothing box, Shaz London, twitter

Men have been said to come from Mars, and women from Venus. It’s certainly true that gender accounts for a lot of differences in opinion and behavior from a biological standpoint, as well as cultural influences that shape us in terms of how each gender is received and treated. Apparently, one of the main differences between men and women is the fact that men have a special “box” that women do not possess.

I recently revisited this video that was sent to me and it was simply too good not to share!

Always,

Shaz London

If you haven’t already, find me on Twitter and Facebook!

Passing the Finish Line

Tags

determination, goal setting theory, goals, happiness, hope, motivation, Shaz London, success, what the hell effect

We all have ideas of what we want from life, but we tend to spend more time hoping for them rather than taking steps to achieve them. While we all strive to be happy and successful, these terms remain as abstract constructs until we take the time to understand what it is that define those terms to us on an individual level. Sometimes we figure it out through trial and error, while other things are distinct and innate desires that crave to be satisfied. So how do you ensure that you achieve them? Well, I’m going to look at a few things that may help you cross that finish line!

Identify your goals!

Set you big goals, and then break them down into smaller achievable steps that are measurable. You need to be able to achieve these steps in the foreseeable future, with a maximum amount of time for each to be no more than 14 days. This helps to keep you on your path, as when you reach each mini-goal you feel accomplished and are more determined to continue towards your bigger goal. If you want to lose 20lbs, break this down into 5lb segments and invest in a reliable scale to keep track of your progress. If you want to get a new job, work on your resume one week, research internships and openings the next and so on. Set your goals high, but be realistic. While I’d like to think I’ll have a beach front house and ten pairs of Louboutins by next week I’d be simply setting myself up for failure. However, try five years as my mark and I can break down the steps of how I can achieve that possibility.

Remember, a small step forward is better than no step forward (which I even think of as a step backwards). Swallow your pride and be prepared to feel uncomfortable when embarking on new territory – it’s all part of the journey and you’ll feel so much better for taking a leap of faith and turning it into a leap towards your ultimate goal.

The “What the Hell” Effect

You know when you’ve slipped up on something one day, you think “what the hell” and think that the whole day has gone to the dogs. An example would be someone who is trying to eat really healthy, then indulging in a cheeseburger and fries (supersized at that) during lunch. Later in the day, this person, let’s call him Fred, is offered donuts by his friend. Usually, Fred would say “no” to this sweet treat in trying to keep to his healthy regimen, but because he’s already indulged in a McCalorific lunch he thinks “what they hell” and that glazed ‘O’ makes its way passed his lips. We’re all guilty of this!! It’s so easy to think of each day as a separate unit, but in truth every single second of what we do counts. Another way of thinking of this is a bank account; if you overspend your budget today by $20, there’s still going to be $20 less in your account tomorrow. So even if you do “slip up” on a goal, don’t throw yourself off the horse – ride it even stronger!

Most importantly, above all else, is to find what works for you and stick with it. You have to find how you work best and what keeps you strong. I really like having lists and crossing things off of it. Some people like having visuals to motivate them, such as having their dream car as their computer screen wallpaper. Figure out what motivates you and make recognizing that thing part of your daily routine.

Your mind and body can achieve anything it can conceive. Keep believing in that and turn your hope into action, and action will turn into results.

All the best,

Shaz London

If you haven’t already, find me on Twitter and Facebook!

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby.

Tags

choreography, dance, injury, love, operation, Shaz London

In today’s world of social media, I find so many new sources and channels of inspiration. A lot of them may have nothing to do with my own interests, but it’s knowing that somebody committed to their talent, passion and creativity and decided to share it with the public that motivates me to do the same.

As mentioned in my previous post, I have conflicting career interests, and that makes it hard to put out “appropriate” content to satisfy both without discrediting one another. However, I’m going to take a risk and attempt to merge these spheres and hopefully act as an inspiration for others to be proud of being unconventional in their desires.

With that said, I think it’s time to share a little bit more about the personal side of Shaz London…woof! So something that has already been made clear is my passion and complete dedication from my heart to dancing. Ever since I was a little rugrat, I was prancing around and was always happy doing it. My mother, as most mothers do, put her little girl into ballet classes, which soon expanded to include tap and jazz. I simple adored it, to the point where we had to make a new rule in the house of “no tap shoes at the dinner table” – I had left huge scuff marks on the marble floor under my chair, not to mention the perpetual headache I’d give my family while rehearsing my “shuffle hop, spring tap step step, shuffle hop, shuffle ball-change” routines. Fast-forwarding through the next 15 years or so, my dancing took me through many shows, auditions, travels, and being part of a recognized company – where I met some of my best friends to date. Dancing was my air and I would give up anything in order to do it. What I didn’t consider was being in a position where I would be forced to give it up…

In 2009, I underwent an operation on my ankle to remove bone spurs that were causing me difficulty in being “over my box” while en pointe. This operation coincided with a huge choreography opportunity that I had, which was a show that was held on the same stage as The Phantom of the Opera in London, but I decided to endure a short term loss in order to be a better and healthier dancer. Well, that wasn’t exactly the case! A few months after the operation and being in physical therapy and rehab, vast amounts of scar tissue and swelling were present around the incision sites of my ankle. The surgeon suggested that I had an allergic reaction to the type of sutures used and decided a second operation was necessary to remove the scar tissue and use a different material to stitch it up. However, the 2nd round of physical therapy and rehab presented a recurring incident of scar tissue being built up. Long story short, I went to another surgeon, and he very quickly concluded that the pain and problems I was encountering was because the first surgeon failed to remove the large impinging bone, which caused the pain, from my ankle. I’m not going to go into the details of my emotions at that point, but suffice to say that 2 years later I’m still very crushed at that thought of this, especially considering my current dilemma. I’ve been “threatened” with a fourth ankle operation (which means I’ve had three of them) and now also suffer with pain in my knee and hip – something really not desirable for a dancer of my age!

My 21st Birthday - Crutches & Codeine

Operation Number 2 of 3

I hung up my pointe shoes long ago, and while I have to accept that they will remain an “antique” that will be passed down in the family, I am still determined to be the dancer I was again. So here I am, pledging to you and myself to dedicate the next few months to recovering from my current injuries the best way I know how; to getting back a strong and healthy dancer’s body; and putting my journey out there for you to see. I hope to inspire people in my dancing, but until I’m back to my former self, I hope to achieve that in enduring the part less talked about – the climb.

Please feel free to send any questions, comments or recommendations my way.

With all my heart,

Shaz London

How much is “too much”?

Hi Readers/Shazlings (Shaz’s darlings – it’s a term of endearment)

It’s been a while since I last blogged, but I promise I’ve been thinking about various things to write and share with you – which has led me to the issue addressed in this post.

Spring Semester at Grad school started about four weeks ago, alongside an internship at an amazing PR company that I honestly love working at. These two things alone have kept me extremely busy, but do not even begin to represent the challenges I have faced and been consumed with since we last “met”. A lot has happened: some good; some bad; some whose impact is yet to be determined – some that I have battled with for many years, and some that are newer items on my plate.

I sit here staring at the blinking cursor’s insertion point and asking myself, “To tell, or not to tell?” I don’t have an answer! As young professionals, born in an age of rapid technological advances we have to thoroughly think about the consequences of sharing too much information about ourselves to the general public and those unknown to us (for now). It’s well known that many HR Recruiters for firms scour the web, looking for potential dirt and almost hoping to find something juicy to enable them to discard a percentage of resumes from a towering heap. Why should my personal life be of any concern to my employer? Or rather, why should it not?

In trying to classify myself, I would say that I’m a public private person, which indeed sounds like an oxymoron. By this, I mean to say that I’m not your typical private person in that I do share various anecdotes and experiences in my personal life, but thus far haven’t taken the plunge to bare it all. I feel that there are benefits to sharing certain things with a wider-than-home audience, such as the notion of accountability, and the ability to find common interests that may not otherwise be known. However, with the fear looming that certain things that have been posted, re-tweeted or even “liked” could come back to haunt us, we find ourselves in a conundrum of deciding how much is “too much”.

One of the things about me that I will divulge to you now highlights the further complexity of the matter. I feel that I have been leading a dual-life for the past couple of years, mainly because I am pursuing two different career paths at the same time: on one hand, I’m a business professional, on the other I’m a professional dancer. Can you guess which one potentially raises red flags for the other? Actually, they both typically hinder my reputation for one another.

Now with that established, you can understand my frustration in determining how to simultaneously market myself in these very different realms (especially in terms of social media applications) without detracting from the authenticity and desirability of me as a professional in either application. The way one positions themselves online is paramount to a successful career and life, but how does one achieve this in two spheres?

Dancing Queen or PR Royalty?

I currently have three outlets on Facebook (including my page – strangers, please feel confident in “liking” it), a Twitter account, a website, a Youtube presence, this very blog, and a few other online accounts. The content of most of these has swayed between my different interests, but in order to maximize my potential I really need to up the ante for both. As I mentioned earlier, marketing yourself in Public Relations is very different from how you market yourself as a Performing Artist – something so miniscule as a profile picture makes a world of difference. My headshots in my dance portfolio are extremely different from those I’d chose to represent me on LinkedIn, but with a simple “Google Search” both things can be found.

Through all of this typing, I’m still trying to figure out how to garner the power of this unique relationship and hopefully develop it into a symbiotic one. I love being a hybrid of sorts (and I’m sure I’m not alone) but it certainly does raise challenges! There are so many stories in both fields of interest, and also from my personal life, that I would want to share online – perhaps I just need to take the plunge and air my laundry in public…or should I just leave it in the dryer?

Your  comments, criticisms, questions and love are always welcome in the house of Shaz.

 

SLP

 

No More Happy Holidays

Tags

Advertisements, Americans, Happy Chanukah, Happy Holidays, Language use, Merry Christmas, Public Relations, Season's Greetings, Shaz London, Strategic Communications

A recent poll has shown that Americans, in general, prefer “Merry Christmas” as opposed to “Happy Holidays” for this season’s greeting. Not having a religious affiliation myself, I am indifferent to what is said on a December card which shares merriment and happiness much the same. I have never taken offense to being wished a “Merry Christmas”, as I too partake in the exchange of gifts and cooking of large traditional meals, and have even gone to Church to sing Gaudete (and yes, I still remember all the words!). These activities, to me, represent the essence of Christmas as a celebrated cultural event in the 21st century: spending time with loved ones and being able to express your appreciation for those special people in your life. For others, Christ is Christmas, and for these people it may be more desirable to be wished a “Merry Christmas” than an inclusive “Happy Holidays”. The same may go for those who rather be greeted with “Happy Chanukah” for those of the Jewish faith.

The power of language and the impact it can have on people and in communicating effectively with the public is a significant consideration for marketing, advertising and public relations efforts. You may recall certain advertisements due to their catchy jingle or the depth that their message resonated within you. While you may prefer to be wished “Happy Chanukah” instead of a “Merry Christmas” or even a “Happy Holidays”, please remember the good intentions behind the words of joy and not dwell on the vehicle and aesthetics of it. With that being said, I’d like to wish you all a very fulfilling, love-filled December spiked with laughter, smiles, and, of course, X-rated eggnog.

Always,

Shaz London