Sparkle Brilliantly and Shine Brightly

SEASON’S GREETINGS

Happy Holidays and New Year from Modern Widows Club®

As the year comes to a close, we’d like to recognize and honor the journey that each of our Wisters® (widow + sisters) has made in 2024.

The way you choose to bravely face each day, focusing on building a future that’s full of purpose and self-confidence, is endlessly inspiring. You bring light into the eyes of others, you bring hope to their hearts, and you bring sparkle to the world.

You’re the healing light not only in your own life, but in the lives of your family, friends, and community. We’re in awe of the courage that shines from you as you create new beginnings for yourself every day.

Although the holiday traditions you had with your beloved have changed, and the empty chair syndrome can be especially painful at this time of year, we hope you will feel the power in remembering the love your person brought into your life.

And to our supporters, we’d like to say thank you. We’re truly grateful for all that you’ve made possible during the past year. Your support has helped widows around the globe connect with one another and develop community, friendships, and crucial support systems.

We wish you all a very happy holiday season and joyous new year.

– The HQ Team at Modern Widows Club®

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HEALTH & WELLNESS SUPPORT

Awareness in the New Year

Each New Year, we may take some time to reflect back but also look forward. For me, it’s a time for renewed awareness of where I am currently, and where I want to be in the future, in many aspects of my life. I identify areas of my life that have a gap and set intentions to reduce that gap.

For many clients I work with, health, wellness, and weight management are top of mind, especially at the beginning of a new year. I often get asked, “If I could make one change that would be the most impactful, what would it be?”

Believe it or not, I think the most impactful change most people can make is not in the “what” they are eating but rather in the “how much.” Of course we can all (myself included!) probably make better choices in the types of foods we choose to consume on a regular basis, but I truly believe that all foods can fit into our diet as long as we watch two things: portion and frequency. If you love French fries, pizza, or ice cream, it’s definitely possible to include all of these foods in your diet — but maybe not every day, and definitely not in super-sized quantities.

“I didn’t realize how much I was eating!” I’ve heard it over and over from people having successes in working toward their healthy weight. It’s easy to be unaware of the amount of food we pile on — especially if we tend to eat what’s in front of us without paying attention to how much is there or how big the plate is.

We are creatures of habit, which can backfire on us if we aren’t paying attention. We may simply eat everything on our plate because it’s there, or we were taught from an early age to clean our plate.

Our body has different energy demands each day. Some days we need to eat more, while other times our bodies require less. With a little more awareness about portion sizes we can form new and improved habits for health.

Click here to continue reading Tara’s Widow Life blog…

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Tara Gidus Collingwood, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, and fellow Wister. She facilitates our MWC Health & Wellness Support Community - virtual and free every month via ZOOM. You may also find her at dietdiva.net.

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