Healthy Role Model: Meet Nikia!

WHY SHE INSPIRES: Nikia is perhaps the most positive woman on the planet. Everyone in Hartford knowsif you need something - anything - ask Ms. Pinkney. The difference between Nikia and many other womenis that while she's living a busy life - hosting charity eventsparticipating in her churchvolunteering on boardssupporting her family and friendsworking full time and starting her own consulting company - she takes care of herself. ...and it shows through her glowing skintone body and warm personality. She's the type of person who makes you want to change your life! ...to speed up in the service of others and to simultaneously slow down in the care for self. True balance.

HER MINISTRY: Nikia uses her background as professional dancer to teach healthy living and to minister to women in her community through praise dance.

HER DEFINITION OF HEALTHY LIVING: "Healthy living to me is an everydayconscious effort to eat rightcare for your body and think positively - habitually. I believe living "healthy" is a mental exercisenot just physical acts. While your body can be physically fityour mind can be mentally sick with worry and negative thoughts. If your mind is not focused on positive thinkingregardless how "in shape" your body may seemyour mind will manifest illnesses unimaginable. In my experiencewhen my mind is in its best "shape"I pay closer attention to the type of foods I consumemy physical exercise increases and I am conscious of my stress intake. My body and mind are in full alignment- that to me is healthy living."

NIKIA'S ROLE MODEL: "Judith JamisonArtistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. As a dancerMs. Jamison illustrates the graceconfidence and spirituality of a mentally and physically healthy black woman. She has propelled many black women and men into healthy living by her teachingschoreography and daily example. As she agesher beauty and defined physical fitness is only a testament to the power and increase of true healthy living. I adore Ms. Jamison's strength as an advocate of dance as an art and manner of living. Her historical accomplishments as a black woman in the art of dance is astounding and is something I wish more young black girls would aspire to model."

HER CHALLENGE: "My personal biggest challenge to living healthy is exercising. I am a dancerbeen a dancer for over 20 years. Howeverthat is the only form of exercise I have learn to enjoy. While there are many forms of danceif I am not able to danceI will not exercise. And teaching dance does not fully provide me with the intensity I should be getting in my own exercise routine. I don't care for gyms or equipment of any sort. Thereforerecognizing this is a challengeI am investing in monthly dance classestaking class from othersif my schedule does not allow for a class to teach. AlsoI am purchasing videos - yes dance videos. Corny as they may seemthe music and energized men and women on my screen keep me engaged and really enjoying the workout. AlsoI have been running. It burns calories and steam! I have found that running (with proper shoes and decent surfaces to prevent shin splints for us dancers) does so much to clear my mind and relieve stress."

LIVING IT! "My healthiest habit is cooking. I detest fast food! The greasethe smell and the unavoidable stomach pains after eating fast food has let me know it is not for me. I have learned (triedtested and proven) that the amount of time it takes for me to roll up to a drive through windoworder from the muffled speaker system and pay my umpteen dollars to a fast food jointis the same amount of time or less it takes me to make a salad or sandwich in the comfort of my own home. I know what is going in or on my mealI know the sanitary hands that are preparing it and know the place it is being prepared is clean. The flash frozen foods waiting weekseven monthsto be purchased and eaten at these fast food places are injected with unknown chemicals and preservatives that are dangerous to human intake. This is not my high horse. I know some people feel that with hectic work and family schedules sometimes there is no alternative to a fast food stop. Howeverif we weigh the time it takes to prepare and freeze homemade casseroleslasagnasprewash fruits & vegetablesetc. versus the long term effects of eaten unknown foodsI believe others will see the benefit for themselves or their families to give up the McDonald's and Burger Kings."

ON THR HORIZON:Nikia is launching her own consulting firm. Mission Longevity offers a systematic road map to successfully keeping the feet of community organizations strongly rootedbuilding their resourcesboardsstaff and administrative infrastructure. ML is a melting pot of highly educated and knowledgeable professionals who work with foundations and business partners to innovatively improve the administration of nonprofits.