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Taking Care of Your Skin: Things You May Not Know

by joi on March 7, 2010

in Health, Must Reads

If you’re anything like me, when the weather’s warm, you have a hard time staying inside. The past few days, I’ve felt kind of like a cat – I loved the return of sunshine so much, I just wanted to lie down in the yard and sun myself. Two of our outside cats are doing just that right now. One of the younger ones keeps wanting to play with one of the older ones, but she’s only interested in sunning. She just shot him a look that let him know that he wasn’t to disturb her sunny slumber ever again.

Since he just rolled over to face the other way, I’d say he got the message.

Since Old Man Winter has finally packed up his bags and seems to finally be leaving, I thought a sun safety article was in order to remind us all to b careful with something we’ll have for the rest of our lives – our skin. I love winter more than most people. While 9 out of 10 people are dreading a snow storm, I’m hoping for as many inches as possible. But even I was growing tired winter this year – he really overstayed his welcome this time. Now it’s time for glorious spring followed by glorious summer! All I can think about is baseball, bird watching, feeding squirrels, grilling out, planting flowers, homemade lemonade, ice cream, and more baseball.

Let the fun in the sun begin – AFTER we remind ourselves of the importance of our skin and how vital it is that we take care of it.

Facts About Skin Cancer

  • Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
  • More than one million instances of skin cancers are diagnosed each year.
  • Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
  • One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
  • In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers was more than $1 billion.
  • About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
  • Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.
  • The incidence of many common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma continues to rise significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common cancers.
  • More than 20 Americans die each day from skin cancer, primarily melanoma. One person dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 62 minutes).

Realizing the Dangers of Skin Cancer

For some outrageous reason, I’ve noticed that the majority of people seem to think of skin cancer about the same way they think about psoriasis or exzema. “Eh, it’s just a skin condition that you put a little cream on… have it scraped off at the worst.  I’ll take my chances for my golden tan.“  Dumb.  Then you’ll get the crowd that tells you how addictive the feeling is from baking in the sun or under the heat lamps.

Is the feeling worth dying for?  One person dies of melanoma almost every hour…

Skin cancer isn’t a rash, for crying out loud. It’s cancer. C-A-N-C-E-R.  And it’s one of the cancers that we can do the most to avoid.  I guess that’s the good news and the bad news, all rolled into one, because can is never spelled W.I.L.L.

More Skin Cancer Facts from Skin Cancer.org

MEN / WOMEN

  • The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over age 50.
  • Five percent of all cancers in men are melanomas; Four percent of all cancers in women are melanomas.
  • Contrary to popular belief, recent studies show that people receive a fairly consistent dose of ultraviolet radiation over their entire lifetime. Adults over age 40, especially men, have the highest annual exposure to UV.
  • Between 1980 and 2004, the annual incidence of melanoma among young women increased by 50 percent, from 9.4 cases to 13.9 cases per 100,000 women.
  • The number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has more than doubled in the last 30 years; the squamous cell carcinoma rate for women has also increased significantly.
  • Until age 39, women are almost twice as likely to develop melanoma as men. Starting at age 40, melanoma incidence in men exceeds incidence in women, and this trend becomes more pronounced with each decade.
  • One in 39 men and one in 58 women will develop melanoma in their lifetime.
  • Melanoma is one of only three cancers with an increasing mortality rate for men.

INDOOR TANNING

  • Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose compared to the dose they receive from sun exposure.
  • Seventy one percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women aged 16-29.
  • First exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent.
  • People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.

PEDIATRICS

  • Melanoma accounts for up to three percent of all pediatric cancers.
  • Between 1973 and 2001, melanoma incidence in those under 20 rose 2.9 percent.
  • Melanoma is seven times more common between the ages of 10 and 20 than it is between 0 and 10 years.
  • Diagnoses – and treatment – are delayed in 40 percent of childhood melanoma cases.
  • Ninety percent of pediatric melanoma cases occur in girls aged 10-19.

To keep yourself and your family safe, make sure everyone understands that Skin Cancer is dangerous – even fatal.  E-Mail them a link to this article – tell them you’ll buy them lunch if they’ll read it, word for word.  Use my oldest cat’s name (Hannah) as a test question to make sure they did!  I’m a mother, I know the secrets of staying on top of the game.

Sun Safety: Avoid Skin Cancer

  • If you have things to do outside (walking, mowing, gardening), do them before 10 A.M. and after 4 P.M.
  • During the hours from 10 to 4, stay in the shade as much as possible.
  • Don’t burn!
  • Avoid tanning booths.  As the US Department of Health and Human Services states, UV radiation from either the sun or tanning machines is a proven human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) and considerable research shows it is the chief cause of skin cancer.
  • Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day, even if you’re certain you’ll be in the shade most of the time. Reapply often.
  • Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.

A Healthy Diet to Prevent Skin Cancer

  • Get this:  People who eat three servings of spinach a week decrease their risk of skin cancer by 55 percent!  Popeye was onto something. Spinach contains folate, vitamins A, C, and E, lutein, and zeaxanthin – these nutrients boost your skin’s resistance to sun damage.  Eat spinach in salads, pasta salads, on sandwiches, in pesto, in pasta, in Spinach and Artichoke dips, etc.
  • Thanks to Lycopene, tomatoes also reduce your chances of getting skin cancer or even getting sun-burned.  Pair tomatoes often with spinach for double-the-protection.  Throw both into salads, sandwiches, pasta, and use them as pizza toppings.
  • Black raspberries and pomegranates are also on Real Age.com’s list of foods to eat for healthier skin.
  • Saving the yummiest for last – Dark Chocolate!  Dark Chocolate (one of my reasons for living) has a great reputation for many health benefits.  I was overjoyed to see that it just keeps getting better.  Did you know that dark chocolate boasts more cancer-fighting chemicals than green tea and red wine? That makes each bite, somehow, taste even sweeter.  According to Real Age:  ….in a study that thrilled chocolate lovers, women who drank a daily cup of cocoa made from 3 ounces of good dark chocolate (70% or more cacao) had thicker, moister, smoother skin that was also more resistant to sun damage . . . in just three months, thanks to chocolate’s potent flavonols.

Of course, just because you know that you can help protect your skin with a healthy diet – that isn’t an invitation to be a sun goddess or god.  Experts agree, we need between 10 and 20 minutes of sunshine each day.  It helps our body make Vitamin D and it boost our mood.  But between 10 and 20 minutes is all we actually need.  An excess is just courting danger… the kind of danger that none of us need or want.

Have fun but be smart and be safe.

How to Follow a Mediterranean Diet

by joi on February 19, 2010

in Fitness, Health

I just wrote an article on my Mental Fitness blog about the Mediterranean Diet and it’s wonderful effects on brain health. New findings show that eating the   When you finish here, check this post out – the findings are pretty remarkable.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet sounds like it would be a fad diet used by the rich and famous, doesn’t it?  The terms are actually used to describe the foods eaten by people living in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea (Greece, Morroco, Italy, Spain). The foods that form this diet are associated with a slew of positive health effects:

  • a lower risk of cancer
  • a lower risk of hear heart disease
  • fewer heart attacks
  • less hypertension
  • lower risk of diabetes
  • prevention of brain disease
  • trimmer body

Just glance at that list again!  Just think, you can protect your body and mind and improve your fitness and health simply by choosing to eat the right foods and refusing to eat the wrong ones.

If it’s so simple…. and it pretty much is… why aren’t we all doing it? I think one of the reasons is habit.  We’re accustomed to eating a certain way and find the thought of drastic change overwhelming.  (Wonder how overwhelming we’d find heart disease or diabetes to be?)  Some people may think that incorporating new foods into their diet will be expensive or inconvenient (Again, how expensive or inconvenient would serious health problems be?)

No more excuses.  Today’s the day!

What Foods Are In a Mediterranean Diet?

When incorporating the Mediterranean diet into your daily meals, think fresh and wholesome.  Think unprocessed and natural.  You’ll want to become as familiar to the produce department as a head of lettuce.  The staples of the Mediterranean diet include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, seafood, yogurt, and olive oil.

Try new foods and try fresh new things with old favorites.  I’d wholeheartedly recommend buying a bamboo steamer and getting all kinds of fancy pants with steaming vegetables.  Steamed asparagus, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, snap peas, nappa cabbage, artichokes…. Heavenly. If, at first, you have trouble falling in love with fresh vegetables, experiment with different Mrs. Dash seasonings, fresh herbs, and squeezed lemon and/or lime juice.

Adding steamed vegetables (or grilled on a George Foreman Grill – another one of my favorite kitchen toys!) to pasta dishes is a wonderful way to make them into a meal.  I’ll give you extra points if you use wheat pasta.  I promise you, if you season everything right, you’ll never even know it’s wheat – but your body will.

Roasted garlic is also a healthy way to add flavor to meals – and garlic is very much a part of the Mediterranean diet.

A few other things you’ll want to know about the Mediterranean Diet:

  • The  people who live around the Mediterranean Sea use olive oil as often as I drink coffee.  They use it in almost everything they eat.  Whether it’s pasta, bread, vegetables, salads, fish, cakes, pastries… whatever.  Olive oil is the principal fat in the Mediterranean diet.  It replaces other fats and oils such as butter and margarine. Why should you fall in similar love with olive oil? Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia found that oleocanthal, a compound in olive oil, reduces inflammation.   This alone could help prevent  heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers.  The next time you have French or Italian bread, try this.  Instead of butter or margarine – pour a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a pretty dish then grind fresh pepper on top.  Dunk your bread into the peppery olive oil in lieu of unhealthy butter.  My favorite approach is with different colored peppercorns – they look gorgeous and taste outstanding.  A little crushed basil, thyme, or oregano is also a nice touch.
  • Use local produce – not only is it healthier for it to be handled as little as possible, it’s cool to keep your money in your community.  I’m all about that.
  • Try to eat beans in your diet each day.  Throw some in your salad, chili, soup, and even pasta.  Bean soup is always delicious and you can’t beat a great bean salad.  Combine your favorite beans with a little olive oil, garlic, and red onion.  Season and dive in.  Also, hummus is another wonderful way to utilize beans, olive oil, AND garlic in one delicious sitting.  Use fresh vegetables to scoop up the hummus and you’ve leveled up to a whole new level of greatness.
  • Leave bowls or baskets of nuts around the house to nosh on instead of candy and potato chips. Throw pine nuts and sunflower seeds into your salad for crunch and flavor.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids run free and wild in the Mediterranean diet. Why’s this such a great thing? As WebMD tells us, Fatty acids have been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks, blood clots, hypertension, and strokes; and may prevent certain forms of cancer and lower the risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Try to eat less meat, opting for fish, vegetables, legumes instead.  Just remember to fill up on protein from healthier sources.
  • Mediterranean people devour lots of tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, capers, spinach, eggplant, mushrooms, white beans, lentils, and chick peas.  Throw capers into orzo, pasta, rice, salads, and even egg dishes.  Chick peas, of course, are the foundation of hummus and are excellent in bean salads as well as tossed salads and taco salads.
  • Try to eat fish and seafood at least twice a week. Again, remember that freshness is your body’s friend.  Check your bakery for beautiful seafood that you can take home and wax brilliant with.
  • Fall in love with fruit and never stray.  Keep a fruit bowl in a prominent place in your kitchen and/or dining room and keep it filled with a variety of beautiful, healthy fruits.  They look and smell as good as they taste.  Keep dried fruit and fruit juice on hand as well.  Send them in your kid’s (and spouse’s!) lunch for a healthy alternative to chips.
  • The Mediterranean diet includes lots of whole grain foods as well.  Foods such as rice, couscous, bread, pasta, potatoes, and polenta are popular with Mediterranean people. In their natural state, grains are full of cancer and heart disease-fighting fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.  But white bread, pasta, and rice defeats the healthy purpose. Stripping the grain’s outer layers to make white flour and white rice eliminates the health benefits.  The whole process leaves you with little more than the dreaded EC – empty calories.

A final word about portion control:  The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes healthy foods eaten in healthy portions.  Because of the fiber content, less food is needed to make you feel full.  Less empty calories, less unhealthy fat, less junk, and less bloat will lead to a much healthier and happier you.

On my recipe blog (Get Cooking) I intend to start posting as many Mediterranean Diet- friendly foods and recipes as humanly possible.  I’m creating a whole new category for the Mediterranean Diet and will add my favorite ways to fix, cook, and serve healthier foods.   I love to cook more than almost anything else in the world.  I have a very large family with lovely people from all age groups – so I know the challenges of feeding a family on a budget while providing them with foods that are healthy for them.  What’s more, our family is filled with young people, so I know the importance of feeding them healthy foods that they’ll actually eat!  I’m still working on the challenge that is eggplant, but I’ll let you know when victory is mine!

If you’re truly interested in a healthier diet and lifestyle, head over to Get Cooking and subscribe by e-mail or rss and watch for the healthy recipes to pour in.

Leave the Soft Drinks on the Shelves, Put the Tea Bags in the Cart!

by joi on February 17, 2010

in Health, Make a Difference

A new study has found that even drinking just two soft drinks a week can increase your risk of pancreatic cancer. As a former soft drink addict, I know that two soft drinks is usually a daily thing for most people.  At the height of my soft drink fanaticism, I easily drank an entire 2 liter of Dr. Pepper over the course of a day.  Easily.  Then, when I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper, I served it with the same dedication and devotion.  Who am I kidding, I still have a soft spot for my beloved DDP.  Fortunately,  I love tea, iced coffee, and green tea even more, so I’m slowly but surely pulling away from the habit.

The new study that’s generating all the buzz has greatly affected what drinks I bring into my house. Researchers say that drinking as little as two soft drinks a week appears to nearly double the risk of getting pancreatic cancer. Scary stuff.

”People who drank two or more soft drinks a week had an 87% increased risk — or nearly twice the risk — of pancreatic cancer compared to individuals consuming no soft drinks,” says study lead author Noel T. Mueller, MPH, a research associate at the Cancer Control Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The study is published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

If your kids (or your spouse!) seem to think that the only thing they can drink are soft drinks, introduce them to different fruit juices, teas, and flavored water. As a green mom, I really don’t want to recommend bottled flavored water.  Instead, buy a water filter – turning your own water into bottled water.  Then, flavor it – if need be – with lemons, limes, strawberries, blueberries, Stevia or Truvia, peaches, etc.  I confess, I drink what my daughters call “hummingbird water” – I sweeten it with Truvia or Stevia.  I guess it’s all those years of drinking soft drinks and sweet tea (very, very sweet tea – I take my southern heritage seriously).

If you, or anyone in your family, misses the “fizz” in soft drinks – try adding a little club soda to juice.  It’ll give you the fizz without the fright.

Personally, I’ve found that flavored tea bags have enough personality and taste to make you all but forget about soft drinks.  The Peach Celestial Seasonings tea bags (pictured above) make outstanding cups of hot tea and equally outstanding glasses of iced tea.  Remember, tea not only tastes wonderful, it has antioxidants to boot.

Everything good, nothing bad. Where can you beat it?  If you’re going to put something into your body, don’t you want it to be a worthwhile guest and benefit you in some way?  Make today the day you stop putting bad things in your body and start putting more good things in… and start with your drinks.

A Wonderful Book For Fans of Yoga

by joi on December 30, 2009

in Book Reviews, Fitness

I don’t know what the numbers are, but I’d imagine that a great number of people will have “fitness” at the top of their New Year’s Resolutions. Nothing beats a treadmill or a glorious walk in the great outdoors, but I also happen to love yoga. I know it helped me in my recovery from a great deal of damage that was done to my back in a car wreck. Yoga keeps you flexible and fluid and it isn’t nearly as hard to practice as you might think.

Ashtanga Yoga – The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy, and Practice (Ashtanga Yoga Intermediate Series) is the most recent book about yoga that I’ve read. I’ll be perfectly honest, I don’t approach yoga as a religious experience (the Bible and prayer are the only things that I approach in that manner). I approach yoga this way: It makes me feel good, keeps me flexible, and gives me a healthy glow.  Yoga also improves one’s posture.  Yoga is wonderful exercise and a beautiful way to relax and unwind.

All great things!

Product Description:
In this much-anticipated follow-up to his first book, Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy, Gregor Maehle offers a detailed and multifaceted guide to Ashtanga Yoga’s Intermediate Series. An expert yogi and teacher, Maehle will guide you to your next level with an unprecedented depth of anatomical explanation and unparalleled attention to the practice’s philosophical and mythological heritage. You will learn:

  • The background and applications of each of the three forms of yoga: Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana
  • How to use Indian myth and cosmology to deepen your practice
  • The importance of the Sanskrit language to the yogic tradition
  • The mythology behind the names of the Intermediate Series postures
  • The functions and limitations of body parts integral to the Intermediate Series, including the spine, the sacroiliac joint, the shoulder joint, and the hip joint
  • How to reap the full benefits of practicing the Intermediate Series

Maehle meticulously explores all twenty-seven postures of the Intermediate Series through photos, anatomical line drawings, and practical, informative sidebars. He also discusses the philosophical and spiritual background of Ashtanga Yoga and places the practice within the context of Indian cultural history.

The ideal thing for anyone interested in yoga to do would be to buy Gregor Maehle’s first book, Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy. THEN, grab a copy of Ashtanga Yoga – The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy, and Practice (Ashtanga Yoga Intermediate Series).

If you are familiar with yoga – The Intermediate Series is for you.

Vitamin K: It’s Benefits, Sources, and General Greatness

by joi on December 11, 2009

in Health

Baby Spinach: A good source of Vitamin K

If I asked you to name the vitamin that can prevent cancer and destroy certain types of cancer cells, what would your answer be? Vitamin C? Vitamin B12? Vitamin A? Unless you are more read up on vitamins than a pharmacist, you’d probably be surprised to learn that the answer is actually Vitamin K.

We tend to forget that there even is a Vitamin K, and here he is wearing a super hero’s cape!

From a recent edition of Dr. Sears Newsletter, “The Doctor’s House Call“:

(Vitamin K’s) anti-cancer properties were first discovered by accident. Researchers in Japan were studying this vitamin’s role in the prevention of bone loss in women with cirrhosis.

It’s well known that those with cirrhosis of the liver due to viral infection (like Hepatitis C, for example) are at a much higher risk of developing cancer.

The study followed 40 women over the span of two years. One group supplemented with 45 mg a day of this vitamin. The other did not. Almost half (47%) of the women in the placebo group developed liver cancer. But here’s what amazed the researchers: The rate of liver cancer in the group of women taking this vitamin was less than 10%!

Vitamin K’s benefits don’t stop here. Another study, published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, found that Vitamin K can literally kill off leukemia, pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells. It does this by programming the cells to “self destruct.”

Other benefits of Vitamin K:

  • Vitamin K aids the body in blood clotting.  When we’re injured, vitamin k initiates the healing process  by slowing and stopping the bleeding.
  • Vitamin K helps the body absorb calcium. It’s been shown to help prevent and treat osteoporosis.
  • Prevents hardening of the arteries.
  • Helps menstrual pain and excessive menstrual flow.


As opposed to some of the exotic herbs and minerals we read about, Vitamin K is extremely easy to incorporate into our diet.  Hint:  Think dark, leafy vegetables.

How to Get Vitamin D When The Sun Goes Down

by joi on December 9, 2009

in Health

Wild Alaska Salmon

We all know the benefits of sunlight and, more specifically, the benefits of vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Low vitamin D levels have recently been linked to a greater chance of developing diseases including diabetes, heart disease, several cancers, and the common cold.

None of which you or I want anything to do with.

With the shortest day of the year is approaching, Winter Solstice (December 21, 2009), sunlight’s not exactly pouring down on us. That certainly doesn’t mean we have to go without vitamin D. Au contraire!  This vital vitamin is available in a much tastier place: Wild Alaska Salmon. Wild Alaska Salmon, a delicious and healthy source of vitamin D is one of America’s top favorite seafoods, and for good reason.  It’s incredibly healthy, versatile, and very delicious.  Salmon is one of the highest natural food sources of vitamin D with 360 IU* (International Units) per 3.5 oz. Salmon often tops the list of “super foods,” and nutritionists tout its heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, recognized to thwart heart disease, inflammation, and certain types of cancer.

What’s more, I recently read an article on aging well on RealAge.com.  When it comes  to preventing wrinkles and retaining a youthful face, the doctors recommend salmon several times a week.  The experts say that you’ll be able to see a difference in your skin’s appearance in a matter of weeks.

Salmon from Alaska: Why A Salmon’s Birthplace is Important!
When it comes to salmon not all are created equal. Alaska is home to the most abundant and healthy supply of wild Pacific salmon in North America. Never
farmed, wild Alaska salmon offers unmatched flavor and texture. And as the only U.S. State whose Constitution mandates that all fisheries must be managed for sustainability, Alaska will have an abundance of wild salmon for years to come.

Wild Alaska salmon comes in a variety of forms for consumers including whole, fillets, steaks, canned, pouched and frozen. For a couple of incredible salmon recipes (guaranteed to rock your culinary world), check out the most recent post on my recipe blog.

Source: The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (www.alaskaseafood.org)

Making Healthy Changes in Your Family: One Step at a Time

by joi on December 8, 2009

in Fitness, Health

Cherries

I recently had a funny e-mail conversation with an online buddy about healthy foods. She’s a regular visitor to my recipe blog and, good-naturedly, made fun of my inclusion of turkey bacon on my Current Top 10 List of Healthy Foods and Drinks. She said something to the effect of preferring to have her face ripped off than to ever eat turkey bacon.

Silly girl. That’d hurt.

I finally got her to admit that she’d never even tried turkey bacon and, I think, she kind of sort of maybe consented to give it a go this week.

I’m just glad to see more people taking charge of their health in the most important place: In their own kitchen. When you stop and think about the diseases that can be avoided, and even improved, by eating the right foods and drinks – you can’t help but want to eat a healthier diet.  Don’t listen to your inner negativity – healthier food isn’t always more expensive, it most certainly doesn’t taste bad, and you won’t even miss the unhealthy alternatives.  In fact, you’ll probably start feeling so good that many of them will sort of gross you out!

I’ve actually been quite successful at introducing healthier foods to my family.  They love grilled and baked fish and chicken, steamed vegetables, green tea, oatmeal, fruit, and didn’t even through me out of the house when I served Sweet Potato “fries.”  My husband crinkled his nose when he saw them, but he actually seemed to really like them.

The following are a few things you might want to keep in mind when trying to get anyone (including yourself!) to eat/drink healthier:

  • If you don’t buy it, it won’t be eaten. Leave the unhealthy foods and drinks on the grocery store shelves.  Hold food accountable before putting it into your cart.  If it doesn’t have any nutritional value, let it stay where it is.  Roll your cart and your health on down the aisle.
  • Kids, kids, kids. Big and small kids can be difficult to navigate around when it comes to healthy foods.  But, not only CAN it be done – it MUST be done. Their health depends upon it. If a child is given healthy food, he or she will eat it.  Of course, the adult can’t be sitting beside them making all kinds of horrid faces about it – it’ll scare the wits out of them!   If you have fruit, cereal bars, little cups of apple sauce, mixed fruit, smoothies, and such on hand – your kids will eat them.  What’s more, they’ll like them.  Allow them to pick out their favorite healthy foods.  Fortunately, many food manufacturers are making it easy on parents by making the packaging more attractive to kids.
  • Start out with small changes. Have dried fruit in the bowl that once held candy.  Dried banana chips and pineapple are most excellent.  Instead of potato chips, offer up air-popped popcorn and nuts (except for very small children, of course).  Introduce a new type of vegetable at different meals – repeat those that are liked, revamp those that are ignored.  Replace soft drinks with fun pouches of fruit juice.  Kids love them – but make sure little ones don’t run through the house with those little straws.
  • Navigate the Grocery Store like a pro. Stay completely out of the aisles that bring nothing but trouble – potato chip aisles, soft drink aisles, the bakery aisle for crying out loud… or maybe I should say for gaining out loud!  Become a regular grazer in the produce section as well as the Health Food department.  Also, try out different Lean Cuisine and Healthy Living frozen meals for lunches.  Again, allow kids and spouses (after all, they aren’t totally unlike children, are they?!) to pick out their own.
  • Read those labels – some are horror stories. Often you think you’re doing well by cutting calories only to realize that you’re consuming enough sodium to make a replica of Lot’s wife.  Biblical refresher course:  She looked back. She turned to salt.  Moral – if God says GO, GO and don’t look back. Don’t focus on the calories as much as the nutritional value, or lack thereof.
  • When given the choice between white or brown (bread, rice, pasta..) – go with brown. In order to turn products white – fat is added.  Ick.  I have to admit, wheat pasta can take a little getting used to.  For me, it isn’t the taste as much as the smell – it just smells different.  Fortunately, I use a lot of herbs and garlic when I cook, so I can outsmart my nose.
  • When eating out, always go for grilled or baked rather than breaded or fried. Also, falling in love with Subway has done wonders for many people. Frankly, I love Subway as much as any fast food restaurant.  It always smells so fresh and amazing inside and the food?  Delicious.
  • The more color on your plate, the better. I’ve always loved serving really colorful meals to my family – even before I fully registered the health benefits.  Always serve up plenty of dark greens, rich reds and oranges, purples, and yellows.  Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will reward you with a healthier body.  Not only will you be healthier and look better – you’ll feel better, with more energy.  Suddenly you’ll feel years younger!

Read on to find out my Current Top 10 Favorite Healthy Foods and Drinks.

Common Sense Can Help You Cut Your Cancer Risk

by joi on June 8, 2009

in Health

Walk it Out!

Do your daily habits carry you further away from cancer’s danger zone or push you closer?

When it comes to things that lead to cancer, we all know the dangers of smoking.  Smoking kills.  It is linked to at least 15 different types of cancer.

Fifteen!  If anyone has any sense whatsoever, one of their goals in life is to guard themselves from as many dangers as possible.  Not JUST for themselves – but for their loved ones as well.  Anyone who has a deadly habit such as smoking and doesn’t take every measure they can to quit is, in many ways, being selfish.  No one gets cancer, suffers, or even dies alone.  The victim’s loved ones walk through hell with them.

However, smoker’s aren’t the only ones who are putting themselves (and by extension, their families) at risk.  Did you know that obesity is a known cause of cancer?  We all know that being overweight leads to heart problems and increases one’s risk for diabetes – but cancer?

So how many cancers would you guess that obesity is linked to?  One?  Four?  Seven?

Being overweight is linked to at least a dozen types of cancer, including breast and pancreatic cancers.  The American Cancer Society stresses the need to get, and keep, your weight in check by eating right and getting enough exercise. Adults should be physically active for at least 30 minutes on five or more days a week.

Get that body moving and keep it moving.   When it isn’t moving, feed it the kinds of food it craves for good health:  lots of fruits and vegetables!   Fortunately one of the perks of exercising is often an automatic desire for the right kinds of food.  My oldest daughter, Emily, and I walked for an hour this morning.  When we dragged back in the house, we were both hungry for fruits.  I honestly would have crawled across glass for a slice of watermelon or a dish of peaches and cottage cheese.

They actually still sound pretty darn good. I know a couple of things I’ll be getting at the store tomorrow.

Think of some healthier things you can start doing.  Think of some unhealthy habits you can get rid of.  Then, act on each.  The kicker is this:  You have to keep on keeping on, even when you don’t want to whatsoever.   That’s when you have to dig deep and say, “I don’t want to walk, but I’m going to do it anyway.”  OR  “I want a Big Mac and fries, but I’ll have a salad and fruit  yogurt parfait  instead.”  You’ll feel so much better afterward.


125 Best Foods for Men From Men’s Health Magazine

by joi on June 5, 2009

in Fitness, Health

Men's Health Magazine

The June “Food Issue” of Men’s Health magazine features “The 125 Best Foods for Men.” The magazine’s editors created the list which includes ten picks from each section of your grocery store: Breads and Grains, Dairy and Deli, Frozen Foods, Packaged Foods and Snacks, Drinks, Condiments, Spreads, and Cooking Extras.

They compiled this year’s list by first comparing the nutrition labels of competing brands in each of the categories. honest tea organicBonus points were given to those products with more protein and fiber, and less added sugar and sodium. They also took calories per serving into consideration, but didn’t penalize for fat—since it adds flavor, helps keep hunger at bay, and is part of a healthy diet if it doesn’t lead to excessive calorie intake. Once the editors pared their choices down, they matched them in a head-to-head taste test to determine the victor. As for draws, the nod went to the product with the fewest ingredients.

Grab an issue for each special man in your life and throw it into his Father’s Day gift bag or stick it into his gift box. What a perfect way to say, “I love you and want you to be around for years and years and years….” To that end, why not give each guy a subscription too?! Cool beans.

Another featured article in the issue is 1,789 Life Changing Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Style Tips. That sounds like a great read, too. Style Tips, huh? Might get a few guys out of those “I’m With Stupid” t-shirts.

Below are a few resources from the Men’s Health website you’ll want to take a look at:

125 Healthiest Supermarket Foods in America

Men’s Health – Eat This, Not That Newsletter

Buy the way, girls, don’t worry about the scantily clad females and such – men don’t even notice them. They’re like not even there. My husband told me so. He tells me lots of really cool things.

Dealing With Stress Before Stress Deals With You

by joi on January 26, 2009

in General

There’s a shockingly disturbing trend I’m seeing in e-mail, on blogs, and in the news.  More and more people are suffering from:

  • Anxiety and Anxiety Attacks
  • Heart Problems
  • Stress
  • Sleeplessness

These, when they take a nasty turn, can lead to further health problems, relationship problems, financial setbacks, and a general loss in quality of life.  At least, in most of the cases I’ve seen, most people are actively trying to make themselves better by making necessary changes.  But as Daisee points out, change is hard – sometimes really, really hard!

CupWhen it comes to oversimplifying things, I’m so guilty I should be locked up for life.  I’m well aware of that.  But having acknowledged the fact, I still have to say that I think the answers to these problems are often within our own power.  It’s sort of like me this morning.  I woke up at 3:15 dying for a drink.  I knew I’d left a cup in the bathroom adjacent to our bedroom.  With eyes barely open, somehow I managed to turn the water on.  Then my only problem was, “Where’d that darn cup go?”  I felt around on the counter in the dark with my left hand, then it occured to me – the cup was in my right hand.  I must have absentmindedly picked it up before turning the water on.

I had just what I needed, I just didn’t realize it.  I think that’s the same with the malady of  problems were all seeing in one form or another.

Oh, yeah, back to oversimplifying.  Below are a few  Simple Steps that I think can get us all back on the right track.  They’re steps we all should become familiar with because from where I sit, there are two groups of people:  1. The ones who can recognize themselves in the bullet points above,  and  2. The ones who will become familiar with them tomorrow if they don’t make changes today.

Step 1

Just this once, put yourself first.  Ask the following questions:

  1. When am I the happiest?
  2. When am I the most at peace?
  3. When am I the most stressed?
  4. When do I feel the most anxious?

Closely examine your answers.  At the risk of exceeding even my own simplistic boundaries:  Find more time for doing those things that make you the happiest and bring about the most peace and do everything in your power to cut back on those things that stress you out or cause anxiousness.

I hate using myself as examples, because I certainly don’t want anyone to think for a second that I consider myself an ideal anything (Aside, that is, from being a great mom and wife – I look at my family and figure I must be doing something right!).  Like most people, I learn from experience.  Since I’m such a busy bee, I have more than my share of experiences, so I have more than my share of lessons!

Anyway, nearly a year ago  I had a regular checkup with my lovely doctor.  She’s Ukrainian and I could listen to her accent forever – even when she was telling me how my blood  Blood Pressure Cuppressure was so much higher than it used to be.  It was a shock to both of us because mine has always been incredibly low.  On the 45  minute trip home, my youngest daughter and I talked it out.  I had been incredibly busy with our home business.  We had moved servers, added websites, increased the number of blogs we were publishing, and I had a few new projects lined up that I was a little antsy about.

I was putting in a lot more hours than usual at the computer and to stay alert, I drank even more coffee than usual (and for me, that’s nearly an obscene amount).  I would honestly stress if I was 1 hour late answering e-mail.  And if I went a day without posting on my blogs?  Forget about it!  I felt like I’d messed up big time.

Looking back now, I marvel that I didn’t kill myself!

By the time we pulled into the driveway, my young physician (and also lovely, thank you very much – I could listen to this one’s Kentucky accent two forever’s) had decided that it was time to cut back -  on caffeine and work hours.

My approach was, “What will become of my websites and blogs if I cut back?” Her approach was, “What will become of your family if something happens to their mom and wife?”

Point made.  Point taken.

I began drinking my very regular/very beloved caffeinated coffee in the morning, but fell head over heels in love with drinking hot green tea and other decaffeinated tea in the evenings.  (I sleep better as a result!)

I actually dropped a few online projects and, even, got rid of a few blogs.  I began stopping whatever I was doing online (unless, of course, it was for someone else) at a certain time each day.  I assigned a “cut off” when online world ended and offline world took over completely.  It may seem minor to others, but it was major for me.

I also made a point of doing things that make me happy more often:  Watching movies, watching birds, reading about polar bears, living green, and other endangered animals (basically gettning my Save the World on),  doing yoga, watching tv, and cooking – I’m never happier than when I’m cooking.  Mentally saying, “This is when work totally begins and this when work totally ends” helped me a lot.

How much of an impact did it have?  When I went back for a checkup just 6 months later (she made me schedule it that soon because she was so concerned about the b.p.), her jaw dropped when she saw that it was completely back to where it had been.  She even aksed me, “What have you been doing?”  Then when I left, she said, “Keep doing what you’re doing!”

I have been.  (Two) Doctors’ orders.

When you’ve determined what things bring peace into your life, invite them right in and never allow them to leave.

As for the things that bring you stress, keep something in mind.  Many times, even things that we love can become stressful, if we allow them to.  I absolutely LOVE writing,  responding to e-mail, blogging, and all of the aspects of working and playing online.  My approach just needed to be tweaked a little bit – I didn’t even realize I was experiencing stress until I got it under control.

Step 2

Healthy HeartEat a good diet and make certain that you’re getting enough rest.  Again, simple as pie, right?  Then why aren’t we all doing these things more often?!

Our bodies will function a lot better if we’re more aware of what we put into them.  Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink more water, and take a multivitamin if you think you’re not getting all the vitamins you need. I also strongly recommend drinking Green Tea daily. Your body will love you for it.

As for rest, if you’re like most people, you aren’t getting enough.  Aim for a little more.

Step 3

Realize that you can’t do everything. Learn to say “No” to a few things before you’re forced to say “No” to a lot more. There is nothing in the world that’s important enough to gamble with your health. Not a spotless house, not popularity, not a rasie, and certainly not money. Good health beats all of these temporal things, hands down.

I know I’ve rambled on. This post has become much longer than I intended for it to. But this is a subject that I feel very strongly about and I want to get the word out there – to as many people as possible, as soon as possible. If it seems like I’m making this a life or death situation, it’s because it is.  Please examine your workload, your level of stress and anxiety and adjust your lifestyle accordingly.  Chill the heck out and do everything to make sure that you’re not just in this for the long haul – but that you’re going to razzle and dazzle every step of the way!

You wear razzle and dazzle so well.

North Star Fine Coffees

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