Dear 16 Year Old Me

Please share this with all the teens that you know....it could save a life!

A Moment of Relaxation

Take a few moments out of your day and relax!

Lowering Sodium Intake

On average most Americans intake a lot more sodium than our bodies need. But how do we lower our sodium intake? Watch this video to learn how:

Babyface

I started my day off this morning exercising while listening to Babyface.  It was a very relaxing workout!  Here are two songs that I listened to...


When Can I See You


"When can my heart beat again
When does the pain ever end
When do the tears stop from running over
When does “you'll get over it” begin
I hear what you're saying
But I swear that it's not making sense
So when can I see you

When can I see you again
When can my heart beat again
When can I see you again
When can I breathe once again
And when can I see you"

Someone To Love- Jon B. Featuring Babyface


"I thought I'd never love again
I thought my life was over, and..
I didn't wanna face or even see another day, baby
Suddenly from nowhere
baby, you appeared
You dried my tears
You cared for me
Maybe your love for me
truly rescued me
It's because of you, I was able to
fall in love again
You gave me someone.... someone to love"

Alan Parsons Project

This morning on Body Electric the background music was the Alan Parsons Project.  Here are two songs I exercised to this morning:

Time


"Time, flowing like a river
Time, beckoning me
Who knows when we shall meet again
If ever
But time
Keeps flowing like a river
To the sea
Goodbye my love, Maybe for forever
Goodbye my love, The tide waits for me
Who knows when we shall meet again
If ever"

Eye in the Sky


"I am the eye in the sky
Looking at you
I can read your mind
I am the maker of rules
Dealing with fools
I can cheat you blind
And I don't need to see any more
To know that
I can read your mind, I can read your mind"

What music do you like to exercise to?  What are some of your favorite exercise shows?

Paul McCartney

Since the beginning of January I have been getting up at 6:30am each morning to exercise to the fitness shows, Body Electric and Classical Stretch on PBS. While doing the grueling Body Electric workout today I heard some really beautiful and moving Paul McCartney songs playing in the background. They made my workout so much more enjoyable!

How Kind of You


"How kind of you to think of me
When I was out of sorts
It really meant alot to be
In someone else's thoughts
Someone else's mind
Someone else as kind, as you"

This Never Happened Before

"I'm very sure

this never happened before

I met you and now I'm sure

This never happened before"

Nutrition in the News

New Dietary Guidelines for Americans are released, highlights include limiting sodium intake to 2300mg for most people and filling half your plate with veggies and fruits.

Nutella, the beloved (but not particularly nutritious) chocolate-hazelnut spread, is facing a lawsuit over nutrition claims in its advertising. A reminder that reliable nutrition information comes from reading the nutrition facts label and ingredient list of foods.

Another good reason to eat a diet high in Omega-3 fatty acids: not only is it good for your heart, but may also help prevent against Alzheimer's disease.

(Source: Nourish Family Nutrition)

Diabetes & A Mediterranean Diet

Are you scared of getting Type 2 Diabetes? According to a study, if you lose 7% of your body weight and walk for 30 minutes 6 days per week you will lower your chances of getting the disease by 58%. (Source: Better Homes and Gardens, Nov. 2007)

If you have already been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes or want to improve your eating one study found that a Mediterranean diet is very successful at controlling blood sugar. The following lists below are foods to eat less of and more of on a Mediterranean diet:

Eat Less
Beef, Lamb, Pork
Butter, margerine, butter substitute
Low-fat Crackers, chips
Reduced-fat Cookies
Egg Substitute; fat-free yogurt; reduced-fat American, Cheddar, and Swiss cheese
Baked Potatoes, bread, rice

Eat More
Fish, Poultry, Beans
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or other vegetable oils such as soybean and canola
Walnuts or other nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, olives
Fresh Fruit
Whole Eggs; Whole Yogurt; Feta, Parmesan, or goat cheese
Roasted or sauteed vegetables tossed with herbs and drizzled with olive oil
(Source: Reader's Digest, date unknown)

Here is a great Mediterranean inspired recipe to get you started:

Walnut-Olive Pesto
Place 2 cups walnuts, 1 cup large pimiento-stuffed green olives, 1 large garlic clove, 1 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp dried thyme in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Use as a topping for pasta, meat, fish or chicken, as a spread for crackers or as a sandwich spread. It's also a great flavor enhancer in sauces and chili. (Source: Relish Mag, 2010)

Stairs Can Be Fun

I have a confession to make...escalators scare me! I'm always nervous about stepping onto them and stepping off. I think I over think the whole process.  Sure it is a great invention but once on a very long road trip I almost had a nervous breakdown because of an escalator.  I was extremely exhausted and really needed to use the bathroom.  The escalator was the only visible choice to get to the 2nd floor facilities.  I must have stood for a good 10 minutes in panic trying to figure out my options.  I finally discovered a hidden stairwell at the last minute.  Since then I cannot step on an escalator.  Plus I would rather get the exercise using the stairs.

But what about you? Would you choose an escalator over stairs if you had the choice? What if the stairs were fun and more enticing? Watch this video to see a really neat initiative to make stairs more appealing.

Why it's good to let kids get dirty!

Many parent's today dislike when their children get dirty, because it usally means more laundry for them. But the following articles and video explain why it's important for children to get dirty.

Let Your Kids Get Dirty--Explains why dirt is good for our kids immune systems

Dirt-It's Good for Kids--"Relax, Let your kids get dirty!" We are being too phobic about germs.

"Dirt is good" for Kids, Experts Insist--Put away the antimicrobial soaps, let kids play in the dirt



Let kids be kids! They should come home dirty everyday or they are not doing their body good!

Benefits of Experiencing Nature

What are the benefits of going outside and experiencing nature?
(Credit: Chippewa Nature Center)

1. It relieves stress.

2. It reduces illness and increases illness recovery.

3. Studies show the amount of TV kids watch correlates directly to body fat. There are no TVs in nature!

4. It reduces behavioral disorders, anxiety, and depression in children.

5. You'll make more friends!

6. Awakens the senses.

7. It provides direct experience with the world.

8. Increases problem solving abilities.

9. Stimulates creativity.

10. Quiet, peaceful refuge from a busy day.

11. Reduces the symptoms of ADHD in children.

12. Minimizes work frustration and increases employee enthusiasm.

13. Renews our sense of wonder.

14. Builds community.

15. Outdoor air is cleaner!

16. To learn about nature.

17. Spending time with family.

Medical Intuition

Have you ever felt like something just wasn't right with your health, trusted your intuition, and found out your diagnosis was correct? Well, Dr Mona Lisa Schultz uses her intuition everyday to diagnose her patient's medical conditions.  Check out this video about Dr. Schultz in action:

Biophobia

Have you ever driven around your neigborhood on the weekends and noticed that something was missing? Where are the children? I know I rarely see kids playing outside where I live. When I have gotten outdoors with children I have noticed that sometimes they are afraid or bored. Some children are even afraid to step on grass or get dirty. That is sad!

“Many children today find it easier to stay indoors and watch television. I worry that children do not know what they are missing. Children cannot love what they do not know. They cannot miss what they have not experienced.”  Mary Pipher, The Shelter of Each Other

What is especially scary is that the children of today, who are spending all their time indoors, are not learning to respect nature. If they are afraid of nature and are not familiar with nature how do we expect them to care for the outdoors when we are gone?

“It is quite possible for today’s child to grow up without ever having taken a solitary walk beside a stream, or spent the hours we used to foraging for pine cones, leaves, feathers and rocks – treasures more precious than store-bought ones. Today it is difficult to tear children away from the virtual world of the mall to introduce them to the real one.” Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble, The Geography of Childhood

A new term I learned recently is Biophobia, a fear of the natural world. Do we want our children to fear the outdoors?

Help Your Kids Enjoy the Outdoors

Fresh Air Improves Eyesight

In this somewhat humorous video, Denise, who is nearsighted, spends a lot of time using the computer, watching tv, reading and writing indoors. After spending hours playing on the computer Denise makes sure to look at something in the distance through the window to refocus her eyes.

While watching this video I was struck by how much time Denise's mother spends making sure that Denise does not sit too close to the TV or computer screen; that she holds her book at arms length, etc. She expends a lot of energy correcting but what if she had encouraged her daughter to go outside? New research suggests that these indoor focused activities can actually cause our children to have poor vision:

Kids Who Spend More Time Outdoors Have Better Vision

Many children in America spend their days much like Denise, engaged in indoor focused activities. After watching this video I wondered how much time Denise or other children actually spend outdoors. I discovered this research:

National Kid's Survey: How Much Time do Kids Spend Outdoors?

Here are some more reasons to get children outdoors:
10 Reasons Kids Need Fresh Air

Handling Headlice

I was reading an online newsletter recently and there was a discussion about head lice. I don't know about you but I would rather be prepared in case my kids ever had head lice. I just discovered these funny but informative videos about handling head lice. Enjoy!

Hoarding

Hoarding is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It tends to be an inherited disease. Often a hoarder had a parent who also hoarded.

People who hoard isolate themselves from people, and start building realationships with stuff instead. Things always take precedence over other relationships. A lot of hoarders live on their own because they've driven everyone else away.

Many adults with this problem started collecting things as an adolescence. Most of these people tend to become extreme hoarders as they age and are not treated until they reach age 40-50.

People who hoard are not lazy or unmotivated. Hoarding is debilitating, and can affect anyone, anywhere. Interestingly, most hoarders tend to be quite intelligent and articulate. Hoarders tend to hide their symptoms and their homes from their friends and family. The problem gets worse as people become more isolated.

Throwing hoarders things away can be very traumatic to them. Hoarders develop emotional connections to their things. Hoarders need to want to change, just as an alcoholic wants to stop drinking. Hoarders may need the help of a therapist, an organizer, and patient friends and family. Even with treatment and help hoarding is a culmination of lifelong habits, and relapses should be expected.

If you or someone you know is a hoarder find out how you can help or enlist the help of a professional.

Removing Attached Ticks

Here is a tutorial on How to Remove Attached Ticks. Great thing to know if you live in an area with ticks!

Self-Healing Reiki

A few months ago I attended a beginner Reiki class that had a lot to do with self-healing. It is suggested that everyday we do Reiki to ourselves. Since I am a very visual learner I decided to see if I could find a video online to help guide me with the hand movements (much better than reading off a piece of paper). I found these videos and it has helped guide me with my self-healing sessions. If you want to feel relaxed give it a try!

Kidney Stones

Last month, on Mother's Day to be exact, we had to take my hubby to the Emergency Room in the middle of the night. We spent 3 hours in the ER, and found out that hubby was passing a kidney stone. He passed the stone at home the next morning, but during the night he was in excruciating pain. His pain was so strong they had to give him heavy narcotics. It is a pain most of us would rather avoid!

Here is a video about Kidney Stones:



Hopefully this will help someone recognize the signs!

Getting in Shape

I just read How a Mom of Seven Got into the Best Shape of Her Life - That's Fit and found it inspiring! I like that she choose to exercise at home and to watch what she ate. She didn't do any fad diet or get a gym membership. If a Mom of 7 can lose the weight then we can too!