Inspiring Teens Magazine Features

Lexin Weed

9/12/2019

Lexin Weed - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Shelley Shroyer Photography
Issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: Lexin Weed is inspiring because of his extreme self-motivation and discipline along with being one of the nicest young men you will ever meet. He is on my model team this year and he truly is a model citizen. He works out daily and has a wonderful dedication to health and fitness. Active and successful on his high school track team, he also is an avid outdoorsman so you can find him hunting, fishing, swimming and mountain climbing. Lexin lives on a small farm so animals are a big part of his life from horses and goats to an array of fowl he helps his family with this responsibility. In addition, he is an apprentice with his father's company, Weed Botanical Co, Inc. where he works with the manufacturing of herbal tinctures. His goal after HS is to become a Naturopathic Doctor and to eventually run the company where they produce medicine. He does all of this while maintaining good grades of 3.8 GPA at school and a positive reputation.

When it comes to health and fitness, what are some of your favorite things to eat?
I grew up in a very health conscious family. I’ve been eating organic foods since I was born. I honestly don’t have many favorites because I eat so much on a daily basis and I try to change up my eating habits to ensure that by body gets all the nutrients that I need. I eat a lot of salads, meats, nuts, high protein smoothies, and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

What do you think motivates you the most?
I always have been self-motivated, especially when I have an interest in something. I’ve always had a strong desire to have a healthy and fit body since I was four years old. My dad started me working out when I was four and taught me the importance of being physically fit. This has shown me how to stay dedicated to something and has taught me great work ethic.

How did you become interested in becoming a Naturopathic Doctor?
My dad is a chiropractor and runs an herbal medicine company, so I’ve been around a variety of natural healthcare modalities. With naturopathic medicine I hope to gain knowledge in the field of healthcare. I’ve been fascinated with herbal medicines for a very long time now and this is something I’m passionate about. I hope to work with my father as a partner one day so becoming a Naturopathic doctor is one of my stepping stones to achieve this goal.

What is your favorite thing about modeling?
I hope someday to be noticed with my photos and be able to share my story. I like it because it enables me to experience different locations and see the beauty in things that I didn’t realize was there.

What is it like working with animals? What is your favorite animal?
Well... I grew up on a farm, so I’ve been around many types of animals my whole life. I love being outside with animals that share their happiness. Taking care of my animals every day has shown me a lot of responsibility at a young age and has always helped me become a better person. I would have to say my favorite animal is my goose Peepers who has a special bond with me. He will always attack everyone except me.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
Having a good work ethic can get you very far in life. Be happy and try to have a good attitude about life and try to see the positive aspects in life instead of focusing on the negative. Keeping a good relationship with your family goes a long way because those are the people who will always have your back.

Lexin will be featured in issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

click here to purchase issue 26

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Shelby Maiorano

3/30/2019

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Shelby Maiorano – New York
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Luke Photography
Issue 19 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination: I met Shelby as a HS junior during a consultation for a portrait session. She is a very sweet girl who is profoundly upbeat and happy. She's had numerous concussions from lacrosse and a car accident and had to give up playing lacrosse as a result. She's also had numerous heart surgeries, all before I met her. She's had a couple of surgeries since, but she continues to be the happiest and most upbeat teenager I've ever met.

How did you recover from your concussions in lacrosse and the car accident?

I recovered from my concussion in lacrosse and the car accident by going to months of occupational therapy, physical therapy, the concussion clinic and a lot of rest. I was unable to play sports, participate in any physical activity and even do everyday activities because I needed to rest for a long period of time. I was basically on bed rest.

Can you walk me through your day of the car accident and thoughts that went through your mind?

The day of the car accident my mother and I were on the way to the concussion clinic and my neurologist at Strong Memorial Hospital. We were rear-ended by a car going approximately 55mph while our car was at a complete stop due to traffic. The thoughts going through my head at this point was the fact that I was already in really bad conditions physically because of the severe concussion I was dealing with and I was worried about the effects that the impact of this accident would have on me because I hit my head really hard when we got in the accident.

What type of heart surgeries have you had and what was the recovery process like?

I have had two cardiac ablations and a loop recorder heart monitor implanted and taken out. After the cardiac ablations, I was hospitalized for a few days following the surgery and recovery took a couple of weeks due to severe discomfort I dealt with. After the loop recorder monitor procedure, I was sent home that day and the recovery was approximately 5-6 days.

Image by Kathleen Frauel

Are you still involved with sports? If so, which ones?
Unfortunately, I am no longer involved with sports. After having eight diagnosed concussions, I was told by my neurologist that I no longer can participate in any sport. She presented me with the risks of the concussions I have already had, and the even worse risks if I was to get another concussion. These risks were life threating and could cause me severe brain damage, which I am blessed to have not gotten after my numerous concussions.

What do you fill your time with? Favorite hobbies? Past times?
In my free time, I do anything I can to stay active. One of my favorite ways of doing this is adventuring outside at the beach or at local parks and traveling to different states and countries. Traveling is by far my favorite thing to do. I love being exposed to new cultures, environments, and meeting new people.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
The advice I would give is to never take anything in life for granted. No matter what adversity you have to face and struggles you need to overcome, keep a smile on your face throughout the whole process and always stay strong. Your strength will inspire those around you and will inspire people struggling that no matter what, everything will be okay in the end. Other advice I would give is to always put your health before anything else. Your health is essential and should always be a priority. After any injury, it is important to get checked out by a medical professional so they can deliver the car necessary.

Image by Nick Serrata

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans for the future?
In five years, I see myself working on a pediatric unit as a Registered Nurse. Currently, I am in college majoring in Nursing. To me, helping someone is by far the most rewarding feeling, and that is what I wanted my career to abide. Going into the field of Nursing is not a conscious choice cultivated by a college adviser or a team of phycologists; it is who I am- it is my past, present, and future. My natural inclination and personal experiences in the medical field have led me to the field of nursing. I look forward to having a voice in the medical industry and being able to help people through any adversity they may have to face and being there every step of the way throughout their healing process. This will provide me with immeasurable gratification.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?
On top of my heart condition and concussions, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Reflex Neurovascular Dystrophy when I was thirteen. RND is a rare autoimmune disorder. It is a painful condition that leads to severe pain in the joints and muscles. It is caused by a nerve sensitivity whereby the nerves in the body send pain signals to the brain inappropriately. When dealing with this on top of my concussion and heart issues, medical professionals were extremely concerned on the impact the RND would have and the impacts it would have on my recovery processes.

Shelby will be featured in Issue 19 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here to nominate an inspiring teen

click here to purchase inspiring teens magazine

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Kari Swenson

2/24/2019

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Kari Swenson
Interview by Zoe D’angelo
Nomination & Photography by Leah Pobanz of Wild Plum Photo
Nebraska
Issue 15

The Nomination: Kari Swenson is a very inspiring kid. When she was 9 years old, Kari decided to prove to her mom that she could be stronger than boys. Her strong will and determination brought her to staying fit, working out and eating healthy. Kari is 14 years old now and has not eaten sugar for 5 years and she constantly adds junk foods to her DO NOT EAT list. She also is involved in cross country and track at her high school!

What are some ways that you keep yourself healthy?
I keep myself healthy by not eating junk food and exercising 4-5 times a week (either weightlifting or running). I eat lots of fruits and veggies and I do my best not to eat past 8:00 p.m. I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, but the more, the better. I try to keep a positive attitude throughout the day and be optimistic. I also do cross country in the fall and track in the spring because I love running and it keeps me in shape. I notice I feel happier after a long run or a hard workout.

Do you have any suggestions on how someone could start eating healthier?
You just have to be determined and willing. Recognize how certain foods make you feel. I’ve always noticed that when I eat something that I know I shouldn’t, it makes me feel sluggish for the rest of the day. Then you must set a goal and start slow! I have had friends that have been inspired by me or someone else and have tried to stop eating all junk food all at once. While this is a great goal, it is very hard to achieve just at one time. For me, I cut out candy and pop first, then sweets, then processed meats, then chips and so forth.

Did you find any healthy foods that are surprisingly delicious?
I have really come to love all fruits and vegetables. I have never had a fruit that I didn’t like. Smoothies are my favorite breakfast food. Basically, if it’s healthy, I almost always love it. Some of my absolute favorites though are quinoa, kale, smoothies, homemade sushi, veggie soup, fish, berries and tomatoes.

How did you stop yourself from eating sugar for 5 years?
It sounds crazy to a lot of people, but not eating sugar for 5 years was not as hard as some may think. The first few months were rough, but the more I disciplined myself and just didn’t think about sweets, the easier it became. I noticed I was feeling happier and more energetic as I ate less and less junk food.

Are you interested in pursuing a career in fitness and healthy lifestyles after high school?
First, I plan to go on a mission for my church and then later attend college. I have thought about doing something health related in my future, but I have not explored all the options yet because I also have a great interest in art and photography.

Kari was featured in Issue 15 of Inspiring Teens Magazine.

click here to buy issue 15.

click here to nominate an inspiring teen you know.

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Hydration Plan

9/21/2018

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By Laine Giovanniello

Hydration is important to people of all ages. Dehydration happens when your body has lost too much water without replacing it, preventing your body to perform its natural functions. Dehydration can even sometimes be life-threatening.

Many people forget to stay hydrated even when they are not playing a sport or exercising. Studies say that you should always have water with you and drink even when you’re not thirsty. When you sweat your body loses water, so it’s extremely important to have even more water than usual when you exercise.

Here is a hydration plan that I try my best to follow everyday:

1. Drink 50% of your body weight a day in ounces (or 40 ounces, whatever is greater).
2.      DO NOT drink just water, as this will dilute essential vitamins needed to perform at top condition. Drink a combination of spring water, milk, juice, green tea, Gatorade, & PowerAde. (If you’re an athlete, you should have a sports drink for the potassium and sodium)
3.     Make a commitment to no soda or iced tea.
4.     Add 8 ounces for every 30 minutes of exercise.
5.     To be affective you must keep track of your ounce intake and space it out throughout the day. DO NOT drink 2-3 times daily and consume large amount of liquid.
6.     It is fine to exceed the number of ounces per day.

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Anxiety in Teens

9/20/2018

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By Paige Ross

A teenager sits in a classroom waiting to be called up in front of tons of their classmates for a presentation. Their stomach is turning, and bad thoughts are going through their head. These feelings are all caused by anxiety. Teens that struggle with anxiety feel stress about school and their social lives. But, it is important to know what anxiety is before learning how it affects teens.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a mental disorder that people of all ages can have. This disorder can come out of nowhere and make a person feel stressed or scared. There are six types of anxiety that can have different effects on a person. However, two of the six typically affect teens. One type of anxiety that typically affects teens is, social anxiety disorder. This type of anxiety can make someone avoid certain social situations because of an excessive fear. Another type of anxiety that usually effects teens is, generalized anxiety. Generalized anxiety causes someone to worry about events in an everyday life. Anxiety can affect teens because it can change the way they act and think, one example of this is, how teens may stress about school.

Stress About School

One way that anxiety effects teens is, causing stress about school. Teens may be worrying about or dreading a quiz or a test because they feel that they are going to fail, or they are not prepared. More commonly, they may have nervous feelings. These types of feelings and stress can be caused by generalized anxiety. " Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear in response to stress," says Maddie Spalding, author of 12 Tips for Managing Stress and Anxiety. For example, some of this stress can come from having to present in front of a class or group of people. Again, this could make a teen have nervous feelings. Also, teenagers have a lot to handle such as, school, jobs, homework, and big expectations from adults. Generalized anxiety accompanied by being scared, nervous or being stressed about school, is one way how anxiety can affect teens. Not only can anxiety affect teens through stress about school, but it can also affect how they react in social situations.

Social Anxiety

Another way anxiety can impact teens is by changing how they react in social situations. This type of anxiety is called, social anxiety disorder. For some people, they don’t like to go in public because of a fear that someone will judge them on the way they look. Also, negative posts or comments on social media can cause this type of anxiety. Too add on, bullying or trying to fit in with a group can cause social anxiety disorder. This type of anxiety is common for teens, and others, to experience. "Social anxiety disorder affects an estimated ten million Americans and is the third most common psychiatric illness after depression and alcoholism," says the American Psychiatric Association. Social anxiety disorder can change the way someone reacts and thinks in a situation. But, this can be helpful sometimes because it can make a teen avoid or sense a dangerous or bad situation. However, this anxiety becomes a problem when it reacts to no danger. To conclude, anxiety can have negative, yet some positive effects on teens.

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Healthy Snacks

9/19/2018

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By Lauren Michener

Do you need a way to satisfy your hunger and in a healthy and delicious way? Well look no further! These snacks will make your mouth water and satisfy your cravings.

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

Ingredients:
-2 sliced zucchinis
-Salt and Pepper
-1 and ½ cups of grated parmesan cheese
-Ranch (for dipping)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a metal baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, then set aside.
2. Arrange zucchini slices on the baking sheet, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place about a teaspoon of parmesan cheese on each slice.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Let them cool down and serve with ranch dressing.
5. Enjoy!

Turkey and Veggie Wraps

Ingredients:
-1 slice of turkey (medium thickness)
-1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese
-3 strips of bell peppers
-1-2 strips of cucumber
Instructions:
1. Spread the wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese onto 1 slice of turkey.
2. Add the strips of pepper and cucumber to the slice.
3. Roll up like a tortilla.

Frozen Blueberry Yogurt Bites

Ingredients:
-1 pint of blueberries
-1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
-1 tablespoon of sugar (or sugar substitute)
Instructions:
1. Line a metal baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir sugar and yogurt together.
3. Gently fold blueberries into mixture, then scoop with fork and tap off excess yogurt.
4. Place blueberries on a baking sheet and do not have them touch.
5. Put the baking sheet in the freezer and wait until they are completely frozen (about an hour).

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Top 10 Reasons to try Goat Yoga

9/17/2018

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By Ruby Kitzmiller

1. It. Was. Awesome.
2. You get to hang out with baby goats.
3. You can do yoga outside at a nice, peaceful farm.
4. It's a fun way to connect with nature.
5. Goat selfies.

6. Yoga is a great way to relax and good exercise.
7. Baby goats are cute and sweet and very cuddly.
8. You get to pet and feed the goats.
9. Goats are funny and like to head-butt.
Just like wrestlers, they always want a rematch!
10. You'll find yourself laughing a lot!

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Lexin Weed

Lexin Weed - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Shelley Shroyer Photography
Issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Shelby Maiorano

Shelby Maiorano – New York
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Luke Photography
Issue 19 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Kari Swenson

Kari Swenson
Interview by Zoe D’angelo
Nomination & Photography by Leah Pobanz of Wild Plum Photo
Nebraska
Issue 15

Hydration Plan

By Laine Giovanniello

Anxiety in Teens

By Paige Ross

Healthy Snacks

By Lauren Michener

Top 10 Reasons to try Goat Yoga

By Ruby Kitzmiller

Featured

Archives

Categories

Lexin Weed

​Lexin Weed - TexasInterview by Zoe D’AngeloNomination and Photography by Shelley Shroyer PhotographyIssue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Shelby Maiorano

​Shelby Maiorano – New YorkInterview by Zoe D’Angelo​Nomination and Photography by Luke PhotographyIssue 19 of Inspiring Teens Magazine​

Kari Swenson

​Kari SwensonInterview by Zoe D’angelo Nomination & Photography by Leah Pobanz of Wild Plum PhotoNebraskaIssue 15

Hydration Plan

By Laine Giovanniello

Anxiety in Teens

By Paige Ross

Healthy Snacks

By Lauren Michener

Top 10 Reasons to try Goat Yoga

By Ruby Kitzmiller

Featured

Archives

Categories

Lexin Weed - Texas
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Shelley Shroyer Photography
Issue 26 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Shelby Maiorano – New York
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Luke Photography
Issue 19 of Inspiring Teens Magazine

Kari Swenson
Interview by Zoe D’angelo
Nomination & Photography by Leah Pobanz of Wild Plum Photo
Nebraska
Issue 15