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Model Niki Taylor’s Giving Quest for National Blood Donor Day

June 14, 2012 at 9:18 am
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Taylor is showing off a '50s look, fitting for the "Giving Blood is Timeless" theme. (Photo courtesy of Nexcare Brand)

In 2001, model Niki Taylor was involved in a car accident so severe, “it tore my liver in half.” While doctors stitched her up and she recovered, Taylor needed more than 100 units of blood. “I owe my life to blood donors,” she now says, which is why Taylor is returning for her second year as a Nexcare Give ambassador—to thank donors and inspire others to give.

In honor of National Blood Donor Day today, here are five ways to stay healthy and happy like the TV host (check out Having it All on WE), model and mom of three.

  • Lace up your sneakers. “I wake up at 4:50 a.m. every other morning to get out the door by 5 for a 40-minute jog. It’s nice and cool then and no one else is out. I always have more energy first thing!”
  • Eat smart, but enjoy splurges. “Our family tries to eat very clean and healthy, but we’re in the middle of moving so last night we ordered pizza! My husband and I made sure to have salad too.”
  • Invest in a good pair of jeans. “Everything is in style, it’s just about your personal fashion picks. For me, jeans are a staple and I usually pair them with a cute blouse.”
  • Don’t let the haters get you down. “A long time ago, I decided to not get easily offended. As a model, you have to move past the, ‘Oh my gosh—what do they think of me?’ stage quickly when you’re posing. Everybody has insecurities, but you have to try to focus on what makes you happy while not worrying about what others think, write or say about you.”
  • Help others. “It’s why we’re here on earth! We go through difficult things in our lives, and while doing so, we learn to help others struggling with the same things. I always tell people that things may be bad, but they can get better. My recovery is proof of that!”

Visit nexcaregive.com to learn more about the “Giving Blood is Timeless” campaign, in partnership with The American Red Cross and America’s Blood Centers. On the site, you can pledge to donate and receive free samples of the fun decade-themed bandages.

Spring Clean Your Pantry to Help Stamp Out Hunger

May 9, 2012 at 12:23 pm
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(Image courtesy of Stamp Out Hunger)

The words “spring cleaning” conjure up images of scrubbing floors, washing windows and maybe tidying up the garden so it’s ready for a new batch of plants. But while you’re accomplishing all of these things, why not tidy up your kitchen too? As an extra dose of motivation, if you do so this week, you can help a good cause at the same time (and who doesn’t love to multitask?)!

Just like FITNESS, Stamp Out Hunger, the nation’s largest one-day food drive, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In 2011, Americans cleaned out their pantries or shopped for nonperishable goods to donate 70.2 million pounds of food to Feeding America through the program. We talk quite a bit about obesity here, but it’s important to remember that more than 1 in 5 kids in the U.S. may go hungry today.

Helping out is easy: Simply leave a bag of non-perishable foods (soup and other canned items, pasta, juice, cereal, etc.) next to your mailbox before the USPS carrier arrives on Saturday. Your donation will then be dropped off at a local Feeding America or other food bank to help those in need in your community.

Find out more on the Stamp Out Hunger Facebook page.

More from FITNESS: Learn how to spring clean your life—physically, emotionally and financially.

Matt Damon-Approved Gifts That Give Back

December 15, 2011 at 2:02 pm
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As a kid, nothing put us in the holiday spirit quite like a visit to meet with jolly old St. Nick. But now that we’re grown up, it we were meeting Santa and discovered that Matt Damon was hiding under that red suit? Way better!

Most of these kids don’t seem to be in on the joke, but we found Damon’s antics to be good for a chuckle, and he also inspired those of us who are plugging away at our shopping lists. Damon is a co-founder of water.org, a charitable organization that focuses on bringing safe water to everyone. A few shocking facts:

  • 884 million people worldwide lack access to safe water (that’s more than three times the amount of people who live in the U.S.!)
  • One child dies from a water-related illness every 20 seconds
  • $10 from each water bottle purchased goes directly to water.org

And remember, “If you were stranded in the desert, what would you rather have: this water bottle or Justin Bieber?”

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