Former Miss America Irk delivers tips on healthy lifestyles at annual program

Phyllis McLaughlin, Courier Staff Writer

Monday, April 11, 2016 3:01 PM

KEYNOTE COMMENTS: Crowned Miss America in 2009, Katie Stam Irk was the keynote speaker Saturday morning at this year’s Speaking of Women’s Health conference at Madison’s Ivy Tech campus. Raised on a dairy farm near Seymour, Irk spoke about her experiences wearing the crown and about how important mental health, physical health and fitness are for women — especially those with families, jobs and other commitments. (Staff photo by Phyllis McLaughlin/pmclaughlin@madisoncourier.com)

Becoming Miss America was a dream for Katie Stam Irk since she was 3 years old. Growing up on a dairy farm near Seymour, she spent weekends with her cousin playing “Pageant” and pretending to win the crown over and over again.

In 2009 that dream came true, and Irk, the keynote speaker for the Speaking of Women’s Health conference at Ivy Tech on Saturday morning, said winning was thrilling, but not because of getting to wear a crown and fancy dresses. In fact, just to be on that stage in Las Vegas as one of the 52 women (culled from more than 14,000 contestants that year) was already a crowning achievement, she said.

“My passion for winning was in the opportunity to be in a position of great influence,” said the 29-year-old, who is now the mother of two young daughters. “The focus is not on being a beautiful woman who walks around in an evening gown with a sparkly tiara on her head. The job is about being a positive influence, being a positive role model ... really not being afraid to get out into your community, get your hands dirty and make a difference. And that’s what I wanted to do.”

The grueling schedule begins from the moment a Miss America is crowned until she crowns her successor.

“Over the next year, I traveled over 250,000 miles,” she said. “I changed locations every 18 to 48 hours. I lived in different hotels every other day. I ate meals in restaurants three times a day, every day, for the entire year. I worked seven days a week, averaged 12 hours a day, every day. I lived out of two suitcases.”

So it was imperative to stay healthy.

“You cannot fulfill the duties of being Miss America without health, without being physically fit, without leading a healthy lifestyle, without having wellness at the top of your priority list,” she said.

She said one of the most empowering things she read once was that “75 percent of all health concerns stem from behavioral decisions — decisions about the amount of sleep you get. Decisions about diet, about exercise. Decisions about smoking and drinking,” she said. 

The empowerment came from knowing that she was in control of that 75 percent of her life and health. 

“Most of our mental health has to do with keeping a positive attitude and a positive perspective on life, she said. “We can reduce our stress level; we can choose joy every day. We can choose happiness, and if we do that we will improve our mental health, and that will have a direct effect on our physical health.”

With that, Irk gave a list of eight tips that she believes can help women lead healthier lives. 

1. Don’t drink your calories.

Eleven years ago, when she met her personal-trainer husband, she gave up drinking sodas. Coffees, fruit juices and sports drinks all have sugar in them, so eliminating these helps significantly reduce sugar intake. 

“We have a sugar epidemic in this country. Sugar is in everything,” she said, adding that unsweetened iced tea, milk, water and black coffee are the best choices.

2. Not all calories are created equal. 

“One hundred calories of broccoli is not equal to 100 calories of ice cream,” she said. “Think about the quality of calories and not just the number.”

3. Eliminate caffeine.

“Caffeine is a topic that we really need to discuss in our country,” she said, adding that she stopped consuming caffeine four years ago after she discovered that it can lead to fibrous lumps in breast tissue. “I stopped cold turkey.”

4. Stretch.

“Stretching is the first thing I do every morning before I get out of bed,” she said. Simple stretching will increase blood flow, improve circulation, increases body temperature and improves mood.

5. Find alternatives to curb a sweet tooth.

“I love desserts ... I have a crazy sweet tooth,” Irk admitted. But rather than go for cakes or pies, she suggests dipping strawberries into a spoonful of Nutella and to not go overboard with it. “The first ingredient is sugar, but it’s a delicious snack.”

Other alternatives she relies on include applesauce and a bowl of chocolate Cheerios.

6. Eat smaller meals four times a day, with snacks in between.

Skipping breakfast is the worst thing a person can do, because by mid-morning you’ll be so hungry that you’ll eat the wrong foods and probably more than you should, she said. Eating smaller meals and snacks “keeps your metabolism actived throughout the day.”

7. Consider “green” cleaning supplies.

Irk believes that if the label of a cleaning solution tells you to wear gloves, then it’s clearly not something you should be using.

“My favorite is vinegar and baking soda,” she said, adding that she cleans almost everything with a solution of one-part water and one-part white distilled vinegar, which has less of an odor.

Cleaning and unclogging a drain is easy by putting baking soda in the drain followed by vinegar. “Baking soda is a great scrubber ... and vinegar is a natural disinfectant with a neutral pH,” she said. 

8. When grocery shopping, stay along the perimeter of the store. 

“Fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and eggs are all along the perimeter, and those are the healthiest food groups,” she said.

 

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