Kefir Kommunity

11.11.11

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:26:00 GMT

For eleven months, the pages on your calendar have flipped by, the stars have slowly been aligning, all to get us to this magical date: 11.11.11. The special date has been linked to everything from the purported 2012 Mayan Apocalypse to Jessica Simpson’s shotgun wedding. (Some might even consider them the same thing.)

Most people deem Nov.11, 2011 an extremely lucky date, numerically speaking – and we agree! We say, why wait until January 1 to start making some changes when 11/11/11 has such a better ring to it? Some ideas on how Lifeway kefir can help you achieve your New Year’s Resolutions:

If your New Year’s Resolution is: To lose weight

Why don’t you: Start drinking a glass of Lifeway kefir a day. Research shows that people who consume a lower-calorie diet that includes low- or non-fat dairy shed nearly twice as many pounds as those who only cut calories.

If your New Year’s Resolution is: Drink Less Alcohol

Why don’t you: Drink more kefir! We’ve even been to parties where the hostess served low fat pomegranate kefir in chilled martini glasses!

If your New Year’s Resolution is: To reduce stress

Why don’t you: Drink more kefir. New research out of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center suggests that probiotics – the good bacteria that make kefir so healthy – might be capable of delivering neuroactive compounds to help improve psychological health. The theory behind this new wave of medicine lies in a potential connection between gut microbes and the nervous system. Kefir also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps the body relax (think of the feeling you get after eating a big Thanksgiving dinner…that fatigue is from the turkey, which is rich in the same amino acid.)

If your New Year’s Resolution is: Feed my child healthier food.

Why don’t you: Pick up some Probugs™. Our line of creamy, organic whole milk kefir with fun characters and flavors appeals to even the most finicky of eaters. With a no-spill spout and easy-to-grip package, Probugs™ are great for tiny hands and even better for growing bodies. High in bone-building calcium and energy-sustaining protein, kefir contains 10 live and active cultures (friendly bacteria) that help little bellies stay calm and developing immune systems healthy. Plus, kids love the funny names and goofy characters, Orange Creamy Crawler and Sublime Slime Lime.

If your New Year’s Resolution is: Start recycling

Why don’t you: Buy from eco-conscious companies, like Lifeway Foods. We buy local, which means less packaging and fewer miles being traveled. And most of our packaging and production materials are either biodegradable or recyclable. We also buy renewable energy credits to offset the electricity used in our production facilities; our credits are equivalent to planting 335 acres of trees. And at our headquarters, even our office furniture is recyclable!

What’s your 11.11.11 resolution?

Got Probiotics?

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:41:00 GMT

Dairy products have long been considered the Holy Grail for bone health. And yet, study after study reveals no decrease in fracture risk with higher consumption of milk and cheese. What’s the deal?

It turns out bones don’t simply soak up dietary calcium like a thirsty sponge. For that, you need a strong population of healthy bacteria in your gut, as well as a host of other nutrients such as Vitamins D, K and magnesium.

A recent Journal of Applied Nutrition study found that when women ages 48 and older took a probiotic supplement for at least eight weeks, their bone density was 36% higher compared to those who didn’t take the supplement.

That means we can now add bone health to the mile-long list of benefits of probiotics (others include enhanced immunity, improved Crohn’s and IBS symptoms, reduced yeast infections and antibiotic-related diarrhea, less severe lactose intolerance and more.)

Some more strong-bone tips:

Build an anti-inflammatory, bone-friendly diet Limit meat, sugar, soda, booze and packaged products, while increasing fruits and vegetables. And cook up some salmon: In a 2011 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, its omega-3 fatty acids combatted bone loss when consumed three times or more per week.

Step away from the salt shaker Sodium promotes calcium loss in the urine.

Work it out Weight-bearing activity (think jogging, walking, dancing, tennis, basketball, strength-training) is one of the best ways to build bone density.

Don’t forget your D Calcium needs Vitamin D – produced by the body when exposed to sunlight – to function properly.

Osteoporosis risk factors:

Female
Caucasian or asian
Petite
Low weight
Family history (mother, grandmother or daughter)
Late onset of menstruation (after age 15) or early menopause
History of an eating disorder or skipped periods due to low body fat
Smoking
Alcohol use (more than seven glasses of wine or beer or 7 oz pure alcohol per week)

Living green with Lifeway

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:29:00 GMT

Boulder, CO is know for a lot of things – bicycles, dogs, recycling, dreadlocks, maybe a little medical marijuana here and there. But throughout October, residents of this crunchy town, consistently voted one of the nation’s fittest, have had a new cowboy in town: Lifeway kefir.

And the secret ingredient is...

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:28:00 GMT

Iron Chef fans know the drill: Every week, world-class chefs battle the legendary Iron Chefs of America: Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora and more. In the opening minutes inside Kitchen Stadium the famed "secret ingredient" is revealed, and both chefs must incorporate it – whether it’s lobster tail, squid, eggs or kale – into each of their dishes.

Our only question: What do we have to do to have Lifeway kefir featured as the “secret ingredient” on this cult hit?

We only ask because celeb chef Domenica Catelli, a recurring judge on Iron Chef America, recently blogged about healthy school lunches for Huffington Post and included a tasty idea for a mini-parfait:

Layer 1/4 cup Bear Naked Peak Energy Trail Mix

with

1/2 cup low-fat flavored kefir

and

1/2 cup fresh berries or sliced apples.

She’s not the only one in-the-know recommending kefir as a healthy nosh. Real Simple magazine suggests washing down a juicy peach with a cup of low-fat kefir for a low-cal, high-protein treat.

Glamour magazine calls us “smooth and creamy,” and Men’s Fitness suggests blending kefir with strawberries and honey for a midnight shake snack. Oh, and Men's Health Editor in Chief David Zincenko has touted a product us as one of six essential flat belly foods.

These people set the trends, so unless you wanna be left in the dust, eating a boring cup of yogurt, we suggest you hightail it over to the grocery store and snag a bottle or two of Lifeway kefir. Then go whip us up a three-course lobster dinner, will ya?

Kefir: For the bun in your oven

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:27:00 GMT

Between morning sickness, bizarre food cravings and researching every single car seat on the market, pregnant women have plenty to worry about. Now, thanks to probiotics, we might be able to take pre-eclampsia – a dangerous blood pressure condition – off their list of worries.

According to a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, pregnant women who regularly consume milk or yogurt containing probiotics - aka "good" bacteria - may be less likely to suffer the late-pregnancy complication, which affects about 5% of all pregnant women. In the study, moms-to-be who drank probiotic milk or yogurt every day during pregnancy were 20% less likely to develop pre-eclampsia. The theory (which remains to be proven): The good bugs work on the immune system and help reduce system-wide inflammation.

Lifeway Kefir naturally brims with 12 strains of probiotics – more than yogurt and milk combined. While the study’s lead author said his results should not be interpreted as a reason for pregnant women to change their eating habits, this is potentially good news for preggos who already keep a bottle of kefir stashed in their fridge, right next to the pickle jar.

New York, New York

Julie Smolyansky — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:40:00 GMT

On November 6^th, I‘ll be running the New York Marathon with Every Mother Counts, Christy Turlington Burns’ advocacy and mobilization campaign dedicated to increasing education and support for maternal and child health. While this will be my fifth marathon (Chicago 2001 and 2002, London 2002 and Madison 2003), it will be my first one since becoming a mother, and I can’t imagine a better charity to support or help raise funds and awareness for. As you may know from my past blogs, I spent part of my summer vacation with Every Mother Counts in Bangladesh, so when Christy emailed me with the question, “Want to run the New York Marathon with me?” I instantly and eagerly replied “YES!” I have always wanted to run the coveted New York Marathon and had actually been training for the Chicago Marathon when the invitation to travel to Bangladesh arrived. Going for a run in Dhaka proved to be pretty difficult for a variety of reasons (running the streets covered head to toe in 100 degree weather would have been too dangerous). But I never actually thought that after having two little girls, Leah and Misha, I’d ever be running another marathon. And yet, my youngest just turned one this summer…and here I am just finishing up the Chicago Half Marathon.

I never thought of myself as a runner. As a matter of fact, I vividly recall walking “The Mile” in high school during Presidential Physical Fitness Testing, and finding every excuse in the book not to break a sweat. Finally, after about four attempts to get me to run, my gym teacher threatened to flunk me if I kept walking. And so, kicking and screaming, I picked up the pace. It’s not that I wasn’t athletic – I figure skated for 15 years, played tennis, rode horses and was even an aerobics instructor in college. I simply hated running.

After college, I became a gym rat, addicted to cardio kickboxing and Jane Fonda aerobics. Meanwhile, Lifeway was sponsoring the Chicago Marathon and other races. I saw all sorts of folks, young and old, with all different body shapes, saying “I do” to 26.2 miles…and a seed was planted. If they could do it, so could I. I think the real kicker was when I got stuck in Chicago traffic during the marathon and watched as an older man - he had to be 70 plus - making his way through the streets of Lincoln Park. Now the seed was watered.

In 2001, I found myself in NY for work for what seemed like a month. All of the local aerobics classes seem to be at lunch time, which didn’t work with my schedule, and I began to fret about my workouts. Kicking and screaming again, putting one foot in front of the other I “ran” to Central Park. These first days of running were really more run/walk/run/hobble/walk/hobble stints. But I absolutely loved Central Park. It was that magical, sprawling park that got me through those first weeks of becoming a “runner.” By the end of the month, I could run for two hours without stopping and was so proud of myself. I had no idea the distance I was doing - it could have been three miles for all I knew – but it felt great. When I returned to Chicago, I went for another two-hour run and figured out I had gone about 12 miles. That’s practically a half-marathon! I was ecstatic – that was a large enough distance to push me to sign up for the 2001 Chicago Marathon. It was official…a runner was born.

During those months of training, I learned about energy gels, wicking clothes, Body Glide, and chafing on areas of my body I never dreamed could chafe. I experienced the ever-famous runners high, as well as hitting “the wall”, when the high wears off and the crash rains down. I could eat what seemed like unlimited amounts of chocolate chip cookies and still lose weight. My favorite place to shop was my local running store, where I stocked up on fun running gear and became a total running nerd. More importantly, I always finished my run with a glass of Lifeway Kefir and a banana. Kefir is actually great for distance runners because the protein helps with muscle repair and the immune boosting elements were helpful because distance runners really put their body through torture at times. (Hey, I have to sell a little ,too )

And then came that gut-wrenching day, September 11^th. I continued on with my training that night, but this time with no music. Five miles with nothing but my own thoughts, grief and sadness. I bowed my head to other runners on the trail. The sky was still, planes grounded, streets quiet. Shortly thereafter, my 20-miler came up and all I could think of was the thousands of people who woke up to go to work on 9/11 and some never came home. Some ran for their lives, 25+ miles in work clothes, heels, under intense fear and stress. Here I was, prepared for 20 miles, wearing comfortable running gear, under the sunny, still, quiet sky of Chicago. I don’t want to say my first 20 miles was easy, but I guess I don’t think it was that hard, either. The streets of Chicago were still under heavy patrol by Chicago Police and I felt tremendous gratitude for their presence along the path. And, as I learned in Bangladesh, the freedom to practice sport out in public wearing shorts and a tank top is not a freedom all women in the world have.

My running life started in Central Park and I couldn’t be more thrilled to pay tribute to the great city of New York on the 10^th year anniversary of 9/11 by giving it my first 26.2 miles as a mom. Here’s to you, New York. And here's the part where I ask you to open your heart and your wallet for maternal health. Please visit my Crowdrise page and help make every mother count. Thank you.

Frozen Kefir: "Make It Work!"

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:23:00 GMT

Think Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn are the hottest things at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this weekend? Think again! (Although we do *heart* Project Runway.) Nope, the words on all the fashionistas’ lips are: Lifeway Frozen Kefir. Literally…we’re handing out more than 25,000 free samples of extra-healthy, 90-calories-per-serving Frozen Kefir, and it will be passing through throngs of Chanel-shellacked lips.

"Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a place for tastemakers, and not just in the apparel department,” says Lifeway Foods President and CEO Julie Smolyansky, who will be on hand at Fashion Week. “These people are always watching for new trends, as well as watching their waistlines. Our kefir products are a perfect fit.” She’s right: Seven months ago, our drinkable kefir flew off the shelf during the Fall 2011 Collection shows. “It's great exposure to body- and health-conscious consumers who may not know what kefir is but become converts as soon as they take a sip or a scoop."

We’ll have a sleek, modern pop-up kefir cafe in the event lobby at Lincoln Center from 9am-9pm on Friday, September 9, serving strawberry, mango, pomegranate and original flavors with choose-your-own toppings like strawberries, blueberries, sprinkles and chocolate chips.

From 6-7 pm on Saturday, September 10, and 7-8 pm on Sunday, September 11, Lifeway ambassadors will hand out single-serve portions for after-dinner snacks in the event lobby.

A quintet of Lifeway freezers (two in the Lobby and three backstage for models, press and backstage guests) will be stocked with single-serve portions for an anytime pick-me-up throughout the week.

For attendees and passersby who want to prove that they rubbed shoulders with fashion greats like Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg, and Vera Wang (or at least pretend they did), Lifeway is also offering free photos with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week/Lifeway-captioned borders at a Photoboxi digital photo booth all day on Friday, September 9. Snapshots can be instantly uploaded to users' email, Facebook and/or Twitter accounts to broadcast the "I was there!" news to friends, family and colleagues.

"Dear Lifeway Kefir,  You saved my life..."

LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:58:00 GMT

It’s not uncommon to open up in inbox at Lifeway HQ and find fan mail gushing over our product, decorated with pink hearts and multiple explanation points. Some might call us the Justin Bieber of the Midwest. But when a letter begins, “Dear Makers of Kefir,  I am emailing you today to explain how you saved my life…”, well, that’s the kind of introduction that makes you sit up and really take notice. We reached out to the sender, Angela Hansen, 40, from Shakopee, MN, to learn more about her story. Read on to see how Lifeway strawberry kefir turned this yogurt-hating ulcer patient into a convert…and saved her thousands of dollars and hours of intense pain in the process.

Lifeway: Tell us a little about your medical history.

Angela: "On September 19^th, 2010, I was diagnosed with an ulcer - and not a garden variety one. This one sat over the muscle that allows food to pass into the small intestine, so it caused the intestines to swell shut, and the only place for food to go was the way it came in...for 21 days straight. The diagnosis came on the day after my birthday; I was supposed to go skydiving that day but was in so much pain, I could barely make it off the couch. I was told it would take a year to heal this ulcer; at that time I had health insurance and the cost of meds was not an issue."

Lifeway: How did you hear about our product?

Angela: "In December, I no longer had health insurance. When I went to the pharmacy to refill my meds, I was shocked to learn they would cost over $500 dollars a month! Insane, to say the least. Then I heard a story on a local radio station that caught my attention: it was on probiotics and how they help heal your digestive system.”

Lifeway: Had you ever heard of probiotics before?

Angela: “Well, what you need to understand is my severe dislike for yogurt. I have never liked it and honestly get the dry heaves upon trying to eat it! So buying yogurt would probably have done more harm to my system than good. Three months after my diagnosis, I discovered Lifeway strawberry kefir while shopping. I liked how it came in more of a smoothie formula. I figured I would just shoot it like a shot of liquor. I went home, poured a half cup into a small glass, and gave myself a pep talk – remember, I really don’t like yogurt. But I was pleasantly surprised, and within days, my stomach felt better. I couldn't believe how well kefir was healing me…literally! I stopped taking the meds 100% (I couldn't really afford them anyway) and went from paying hundreds to just under $20 dollars a month for my healing, with the bonus of it being organic!”

Lifeway: So we’ve managed to convert you?

Angela: “Absolutely. It’s been almost a year and I still drink a half cup of kefir every morning and will probably do so for the rest of my life. I can't thank you enough for your product. I tell everyone I know about it and how it healed my stomach, which hasn't hurt since December of 2010. My doctor thinks it is great that something so simple, inexpensive and organic could do that, and now he recommends it to his other patients.”

Do you have a story to share? Has Lifeway kefir helped bring relief from your Irritable Bowel Syndrome/lactose intolerance/chronic cough/nosebleed? We want to know! Send us an email at contactlifewayfoods@gmail.com - your success story could be featured in an upcoming blog, making you more famous than the Biebster himself!

Part 3: On the Ground

Julie Smolyansky — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:15:00 GMT

It was a 15-hour flight from Chicago to Abu Dhabi, followed by a two-hour layover and yet another five-hour flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh. I was greeted with a custom form inquiring, “Do you belong to your father or your husband?” Yes, it did.

Practically the instant I stepped off the plane in Abu Dhabi, I felt the incessant stares of men and women - moreso if they were in a larger group. I wrapped myself in my scarf, put my sunglasses on and bowed my head down trying to draw as little attention to myself as possible (A little bit of a challenge being the fair skinned blond I am). This proved incredibly difficult for me: I am a friendly, confident, self assured American businesswoman, not used to bowing my head down and attempting to render myself invisible. I was angry, but I also wanted to be culturally sensitivity. I walked past young women dressed in full burkas, some with a small eye slit; other had their eyes covered as well.

I couldn’t help but feel a pull at my heart as I wondered, “Did these women agree to this or was it forced on them? Did they have any choice in the matter?” I was a guest in their country, but I felt great empathy for the girls and women live in this region of the world. I wandered the gift shop for a souvenir for my girls and was excited to see a Barbie collection. I thought it would be interesting to bring back an Abu Dhabi Barbie for the girls but all I could find was Nightclub Barbie.

Disappointed I made my way to the gate, passing a glass room not more than 5 ft x 5 ft filled with smoking middle eastern men. I thought to myself, “Don’t make eye contact, don’t make eye contact” followed by, “Guess they didn’t see Christy’s PSA”.

I landed in Bangladesh at 4am and was welcomed by four men holding up signs reading, “JULIE SMOLYANSKY.” Boy…they really know how to welcome a gal to Bangladesh! Christy had made sure there were people on the ground ready to greet me and move me through customs in the most smoothest way possible. I arrived at my hotel safely; two hours later, I joined Christy, Erin Thornton, Executive Director for Every Mother Counts and Heather Armstrong, aka “Dooce”…the famous mommy blogger. Also in our group: Photographer Josh Estey and Dina Hussin, the producer for Christy’s No Woman No Cry documentary. In route to our first destination, a rural village outside of Dhaka they briefed me on what I had missed the first day, as well as the state of affairs for woman and children in Bangladesh. Most promising is the fact that the programs that have been in place for a decade or more are really starting to make an impact in maternal and infant health including the fact that there is a wider understanding of rights, the influence of traditional media, economic opportunities such as microcredit and community involvement.

Bangladesh is half the population of the United States -160 million people - but the size of Iowa. Per capita, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Most of its citizens survive on less than two dollars a day. Ninety percent of the population is Islamic, seven percent Hindu, and the rest, Christian and Buddhist. Undoubtedly, women and children suffer the most here. The average age of marriage is 15 years old and most girls never finish secondary school.

As we made our way through legendary Dhaka traffic, I was greeted with cows and goats walking along the road, side by side with cars and endless colorful rickshaws. Small shops and street vendors lined every inch of the road.

Honking the horn seemed to be the country’s pastime. Woman and men carried baskets of fruit on their head dressed in colorful saris and ethnic cotton tunics, respectively. My senses were in absolute overdrive. We arrived at our first stop, a CARE project (CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with special focus on working alongside poor women) in a rural village in Narshingdhi, where a trained community health worker was sitting on the floor of a straw hut surrounded by a pregnant woman and her family.

Since it is difficult to reach a clinic or a hospital- if all is going well, the women deliver at home, hopefully with a skilled attendant by her side. However, it is important to educate the entire group of decision makers (mother in law, husband, sisters ,etc) about how to best care for the woman during her pregnancy and what the possible signs of complications might be so that she can seek additional care as needed. The village had suffered several maternal deaths and they were grateful to receive this training.

About a mile down the road, another meeting was taking place outside in the center of the village. This time it was a group of community health workers, sitting on the ground in a circle and discussing different cases of pregnant woman in the village. They mapped out the village on a poster, plotting out all the pregnancies by hand.

Using this map, health workers are able to visit expectant mothers month to month to monitor their health and vital signs. Another interesting development since Christy filmed two and a half years ago was the use of mobile technology: A handful of village people own mobile phones; health and development workers are able to send text messages to disseminate health information to the public using this advancement. MAMA (Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action) an initiative which was recently launched by Hillary Clinton will scale up the use of mobile technology to reach more women in this manner. The goal is to reach 500,000 women in three years with health information across the country. Such technology has led to a decrease in maternal death; I can only imagine how the community and country could benefit from internet and smart phone applications.

We headed down to the hospital where there was a long line of mostly mothers and babies, waiting for their vouchers that provide money for the extremely poor families of infants.

We entered the room where c-sections are conducted and it suddenly became very apparent why women in the villages were afraid to come to the hospital for their delivery.

Most shocking: This hospital had just underwent a renovation just two years ago - yet it looked like in belonged in another century. I again thought back to my own delivery. I was terrified in even one of the most sterile, technologically advanced hospital rooms in the world…this was downright frightening. I think I too would rather risk death by staying at home then come to this place to delivery my baby.

Coming up: Bangladesh Slums

Part 2: To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected

Julie Smolyansky — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:00:00 GMT

I was fortunate enough to have a mom and dad who instilled in me a love of travel, a sense of cultural curiosity, and passion for adventure, along with a philanthropic heart. So when Christy invited me to join her on her trip back to Bangladesh, of course I said YES! Besides, if we as a company have decided to make this part of a campaign, I was eager to learn more. I got my visa, made an appointment at the travel clinic for a series of shots and “just in case” prescriptions (you know, for things like rabies, Japanese Encephalitis, and Typhoid ) and ordered my Lonely Planet Bangladesh guide. Interestingly enough, there are only 2 guide books to Bangladesh and they aren’t updated yearly. Seems it’s not a big travel destination.

View Larger Map

As the weeks grew closer I started picking up advice from friends back home and was advised to “Wear sunglasses, because direct eye contact with men can be considered an invitation for sex,” or “Cover your shoulders and wear loose clothing because showing skin or wearing tight clothes can be an invitation for sex,” or “Wear a wedding band because unmarried woman traveling alone can get into trouble.” Despite my hosts efforts to assuage my fears, I still couldn’t avoid the influence of these ‘helpful suggestions’ from friends. Suddenly, my excitement began to morph into small moments of fear and doubt. Add to that the general instabilty of the region itself, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump away from Pakistan, Afghanistan , and a whole bunch of other “stan’s” and it was almost enough to push me to cancel my trip. What was I getting myself into? I have traveled extensively with my parents and, later, Jason around much of Europe, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Indonesia, Mexico, the Caribbean, Russia and Ukraine, but never alone and never to a developing country that does not hold a high regard for woman. I worried that things can go from “OK” to “very bad” extremely quickly in a country like Bangladesh. I actually printed out the directions from our hotel to the US Embassy (.43 miles) and estimated that, if I needed to, I could run there in four minutes or less if I was wearing a sports bra and running shoes - eight if not.

As I started packing, I realized I definitely had a wardrobe issue. Not many items in my closet would cover me yet be comfortable in 100 degree, high humidity weather. I walked to a shop in my neighborhood while the kids slept in the stroller and threw a few things together, mostly some scarves and long-sleeved tops. I packed a second bag full of clothes my daughters had outgrown to deliver to local children. I asked Leah, my oldest (at three years old) to gather some of her toys for the kids in Bangladesh, explaining that they had NO toys to play with. Leah looked at me, very confused, and then began collecting some toys. But by the next day she had changed her mind and said, “I’m not comfortable with giving my toys to the kids in Bangladesh. Can you buy them some new ones?” I understood - she’s not even three years old yet, but one day I know it will make sense to her. In the meantime, I snuck around and picked up a few dolls, throwing them in my bag.

As my departure neared, I continued to experience irrational fear and doubts. Jason assured me I would be safe, that I was traveling with an internationally renowned supermodel who had an entourage (well…we were her entourage), a driver, and that we would even have security with us as an extra precaution. He urged me to go ahead, and seeing how confident he was was incredibly reassuring. As I said my good byes, my heart hurt watching Leah cry. “Little people don’t like seeing big people with big bags,” my travel mate Erin Thornton, Executive Director for Every Mother Counts, tweeted the morning of her departure. Nor do big people. As the car drove away from the house I felt a lump in my throat and then a few tears I held back in front of my kids. The mommy guilt started to set in nearly instantaneously: “I’m leaving my own daughters to help other kids in another part of the world. Is this really a good idea? What if something happened and my kids were left without a mother?” Sure, completely irrational fears on my part. But I’m really glad I went.

Saying good byes the night of my departure. Can you see the lump in my throat?

The profound impact Bangladesh has had on me is still not clear for me. I go through the images we saw, the conversations we had, the moments I experienced. I am still trying to process it all but what I do know is that I will never be the same.

We just celebrated Fourth of July weekend, more than ever I am grateful for the freedom and liberties we share in the States. We often take for granted all our rights and all that we have fought for. As a matter of fact, while I was in Mumbai, the State of New York gave gays the right to marry. Our freedoms are not without hard work by many people who care passionately.

Coming up, on the ground in Dhaka, Bangladesh.