Wrap Up the Year with Wellness

The following is taken from my 2008 Women's Monthly Planner for December 2008. It is published by The Positive Line.

Balance the pleasures of the season with your need to exercise, eat right, and rest. Celebrate with others and carve out quiet moments alone as well. Strive for moderation, especially with the tempting foods and alcohol at holiday parties. If you do overindulge, make up for it by adding extra steps to your day. Stay dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and you'll ring in '09 with new found energy and joy!

Saw My OB Today

This morning I had another appointment with my OB. He said that I may deliver on my due date (December 6th) or have the baby before my next appointment - that narrows it down. My daughter was six days early and my son was eight days early, but neither pregnancy was dated by sonogram as this one was at my first appointment.

The doctor said everything is going beautifully and to call when my contractions are 7-8 minutes apart. So now with 11 days until my due date we just wait...

I'm so excited and can't wait to meet the newest member of our family.

Today's OB Appointment

Today's appointment went well. When the doctor came into the room he said he needed to high five me because I'm officially full-term now and that if I go into labor now they won't stop it. He said he trusts my intuition because I'm experienced mother and told me to call anytime I thought I might be in labor or if the baby wasn't kicking as much as usual. The doctor talked about his faith in God and quoted Scripture - that's always comforting. I also saw my lady doctor as I was scheduling next weeks appointment and she told me to be ready for labor because it will probably happen fast when it does. I'm hoping so because as before epidurals aren't an option for me because of scoliosis and the rod fused along 14 vertebra in my spine. I still have almost three weeks until my due date, so I'm not planning on anything anytime too soon.

Pregnancy Update

I had my appointment this morning and the doctor said everything is going perfectly. She told me I'm one of the easiest pregnant ladies she has to deal with because I don't come in complaining. I had to take the kids with my this morning to my appointment because Rick had to work midnights last night. The doctor told me that my kids are so well behaved that it truly isn't a problem bringing them to appointments. I really like her a lot.

Stay Connected

The following is taken from my 2008 Women's Monthly Planner for November 2008. It is published by The Positive Line.

One of the keys to good mental health is keeping up your ties with others. Spending time with upbeat people helps improve your mood and outlook. Stay in touch with loved ones and make new connections by joining clubs, volunteering, and taking classes with others who share your interests. Maintaining meaningful social contacts also helps lower the risk of depression and Alzheimer's disease.

Don't Forget

It's time to move our clocks back one hour (at least for a good part of the USA) on Sunday - November 2nd at 2 am.

I wanted to remind everyone to change their smoke detector batteries also. Our local fire fighters encourage the community to change their batteries twice a year when the time changes to make it easy to remember.

Want Healthier Cells?

I'm a night owl and an early bird, but its not a good combination for my health. I just read an interesting article - "Want healthier cells in just 8 hours? Then get some solid shut-eye tonight" - read more here.

On that note, I'm going to call it a day and hit the hay.

How Good Is Your Food?

Find out about the nutritional value of your favorite food or recipes here. Each food is analyzed and given calorie count, nutritional information, and a letter grade.

This site has many other helpful tools for diet and exercise. A tool that helps you determine how many calories you need daily to go from your current weight to your desired weight by a certain date in the future. It takes into account your age, activity level, and gender.

Hand Washing

I found this article and this article about hand washing and wanted to share them. About 10 years ago I took part in a hand washing experiment for a company that manufactures antibacterial soaps and the product (that I'm not allowed to mention) failed. From what I understand its best to just wash your hands frequently with hot water and soap. I tell my kids to sing "Happy Birthday" during the lathering up time to ensure they've done a good job.

Recently, my husband told me that I ruined my son. I asked why and he said that when he went to the bathroom to wash his hands at a restaurant he refused to touch the door knob with his bare hands after washing and insisted on opening the door with a paper towel. That's my boy :)

Southwestern Chicken Vegetable Soup

I found this recipe in a little book called 50 Ways to Pamper Yourself. Since this is officially the cold and flu season it might come in handy for someone. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to when the whether cools down - it was in the 80s here today. I will definitely be adding some chicken breast to my soup.

A very warming, spicy soup that serves up immune-boosting nutrition and opens sinus and bronchial passages, allowing for freer breathing. Try to use organic ingredients. This soup freezes well, and the recipe makes approximately 15 cups.

1 medium size white onion, diced
20 cloves garlic (not elephant garlic), minced
2 celery stalks, sliced very thin
8 cups homemade chicken stock
3 carrots, sliced very thin or cubed
2 medium-size potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder or 1 habanero pepper, diced and seeded
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper, oregano, savory, rosemary, or thyme to taste

In a 4-quart stock pot, saute the onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil until transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and then cover and simmer for an hour. Eat a bowl whenever you feel the need for feasting and fortification.

(taken from - 50 Ways to Pamper Yourself by Stephanie Tourles page 67 - Copyright 1999 by Storey Communications, Inc.

Schedule in Health

The following is taken from my 2008 Women's Monthly Planner for October 2008. It is published by The Positive Line.

Good health calls for a take-charge approach. Follow your healthcare practitioner's recommendations for clinical breast exams, mammograms, and breast self-exams, as well as tests for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Detecting problems early often allows for more treatment options. Your health is in your hands, so take on the responsibility for yourself and those who love you.

Be a Role Model for Life

The following is taken from my 2008 Women's Monthly Planner for September 2008. I believe it is published by The Positive Line.

Set a positive example for your family by exhibiting the habits you want them to develop. Make smart nutrition choices with everything you eat and drink. Brush your teeth after each meal, and take time to unwind and enjoy life. Suggest active family outings such as bike rides, Frisbee in the park, or after-dinner walks. By seeing the wise choices you make, your family will be inspired to follow in your healthy footsteps.

How to Help a Sick Friend

Often times when a friend is suffering we are at a loss when it comes to helping them. We can get stuck between not knowing what to do to not wanting to interfere during their time of sickness or grief. I think there are many ways we can help friends in need. I never thought too much about specific ways to help until I was put on bed rest for two weeks during this pregnancy. The one thing I realized is that pride can get in the way of the person who is hurting. When friends would ask what they could do I would say everything was under control even though I had needs. I didn't want to burden anyone. One thing you can do is just do it - it being whatever is laid on your heart for your friend or family member as long as you aren't requiring anything of them. For instance if you know their grass needs cut or their driveway needs shoveled just bring your equipment and do it. I made a list here with other things you can do.

I received an email from care pages listing 27 ways to comfort a sick friend and you can find the info here.

Stay FITT

I found some useful information in the September issue of the Kaiser Permanente newsletter that I thought would be good to share...

Fitness = aerobic + strengthening + flexibility

There are three main components of fitness and a range of options within each. Learn about the various activities in each area, and find out how long and how often you should do them to reach your fitness goals.

Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and lungs.

Muscle-strengthening activities build muscles that burn fat.

Flexibility reduces pain and tension, increases range of motion, and improves balance and posture. Exercises for core stabilization should be part of every conditioning program, along with flexibility, strength, and aerobic training. Find out how to start and maintain a fitness plan.

Green Eating - National Guacamole Day

Today, September 16 is National Guacamole Day! The picture to the left looks delicious. I only developed my love avocados and guacamole about six or seven years ago thanks to a friend who encouraged me to try it. I'm so glad I did because now I enjoy homemade guacamole and salad with avocados and avocados on burgers and don't tell anyone, but sometimes I just eat avocado all by itself.

Some diet programs encourage their participants to avoid avocados because they are so high in fat, but avocados are packed with nutrition and the good fats that our bodies need. For fun activities for kids, parents and teachers check this link.

Flax for Your Health

Flax in my opinion (which doesn't count for much since I'm not a nutritionist or medical professional) is a super food. It contains so many nutrients that are good for us. Its packed with fiber (both soluble and insoluble fiber) and omega-3 fatty acids - two things we need more of in the typical American diet. We seem to know how to get the omega-6 fatty acids (French fries, potato chips, or pepperoni pizza - all bad for us). Some other foods high in the omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, herring, trout, and sardines.

I buy golden flax in bulk from a health food store and grind it (coffee grinder works perfectly) as I need it. If you grind more flax than you need it should be refrigerated for up to a week. Flax goes rancid easily because of its high fat content. You can purchase flax seed meal (freshly ground is better) - just keep in in the refrigerator. The health food store I use sells two kinds of flax seeds the golden and the darker variety. They have the same nutritional value, but I like the taste of the golden better (of course the golden cost more).

Flax finds its way into many things around my house: pancakes, waffles, yeast bread, sweet bread, cookies, smoothies, etc. I also sprinkle it on yogurt or applesauce (my kids call it sprinkles). Flax can be substituted for some or all of the butter/oil in recipes. If a recipe calls for 1/3 cup of oil, I replace it with 1 cup of ground flax seed - a 3:1 substitution ratio. Watch baked goods closely when you substitute with flax seed because they tend to brown faster. I usually just add a little more liquid when I substitute with flax seed, but you could also leave out an equal amount of flour in a recipe.

There are tons of websites with info on flax for starters check here or here.

Neti Pot for Sinus Infections and Allergies

I saw my doctor on Monday because I've been majorly congested and sleep deprived (hard to sleep when your breathing is impaired) and was diagnosed with a sinus infection. My doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics, but told me there was nothing else I could take besides Tylenol due to my pregnancy. He explained that medications are put into three categories. The first and safest category has only one medication - Tylenol (acetaminophen). He said everything else falls into the next two categories. My antibiotic falls into the second category because there are no known problems for pregnant women. Decongestants and allergies medications all fall into the third category meaning I can't take them.

(The following information is not medical advice - just opinions of those I have talked to and online research. Please consult your doctor for medical information.) One of the librarians at my local library noticed I was feeling poorly the other day when we were doing our returns and she recommended that I try a Neti pot. My ears are clogged up now too and I was greatly fatigued and didn't hear a lot of what she said. Then Julie (from Flower of the Family) left me a comment recommending the same thing and I decided I had to find out about a Neti Pot. I did an internet search and came up with more than I cared to read. Then today I went back to the library to inquire further. A different librarian gave me information from her personal use and told me that Rite Aid and CVS sell Neti Pots. I went to the drug store and purchased one late this afternoon. I need to go clean my pot and give it a try. Wish me luck! I will post in the comments section regarding my level of success.

Please consult your physician before using a Neti Pot to make sure it's okay for you.

Neil Med NasaFlo Neti Pot Instruction Video

Information and pictures of Nasa Flo Neti Pot

Customer Reviews for the Neti Pot I purchased.

Addition information from my doctors visit: (Please consult your physician regarding the following info before making a decision for yourself.)

I asked my doctor if I could use Chloreseptic spray and he said definitely not. He even advises his non-pregnant patients not to use Chloreseptic spray. He said he used to work with an ear/nose/throat specialist and learned of the dangers of this OTC medication. He said that Phenol one of the ingredients is also found in formaldehyde. Wikipedia gives this information -"It is also used in the production of drugs (it is the starting material in the industrial production of aspirin), herbicides, and synthetic resins (Bakelite, one of the first synthetic resins to be manufactured, is a polymer of phenol with formaldehyde). Exposure of the skin to concentrated phenol solutions causes chemical burns which may be severe; in laboratories where it is used, it is usually recommended that polyethylene glycol solution is kept available for washing off splashes. Washing with large amounts of plain water (most labs have a safety shower or eye-wash) and removal of contaminated clothing are required, and immediate hospital treatment for large splashes. This is particularly important if the phenol is mixed with chloroform (a commonly-used mixture in molecular biology for DNA & RNA purification from proteins)."

My doctor told me that when you use an OTC medication with Phenol you are killing the living cells in your mouth and throat and he doesn't advise it. I'm not big on taking medication prescription or over-the-counter, but feeling this miserable I was hoping to try something to relieve the pain in my throat.

Here's hoping the Neti Pot will solve some of my medical issues...

National Cholesterol Awareness Month

September is National Cholesterol Awareness Month. Cholesterol can be so confusing there is the overall cholesterol number, then the HDL, LDL and triglycerides. What do they all mean? Which numbers need to be lower? Which should be higher? Does exercise help? High cholesterol is a risk factor for both heart disease and stroke. To find answers to these questions and more check out the American Heart Association website. Take this short quiz to learn more about triglycerides. What can you do to improve your life and decrease your risk of stroke or heart disease?

Car Seat/Booster Safety

I was contemplating whether I could use the convertible car seat I used for my daughter 8 1/2 years ago for our new little one since the car seat still looks pretty good. I was one of those parents who didn't let kids eat in the car seat. It was never involved in any accidents and I was just about convinced that it would be okay until I read that car seats that are older than six years old or that have been involved in a car accident shouldn't be used... So I guess I need to get a new car seat for the little one. There are several types of car seats and booster seats available in a variety of styles and price ranges.

Rear-facing Infant Seats are great for newborns because you can remove the car seat/carrier from the car with ease and the baby remains sleeping. Nice! They are advertised to be used until 20 pounds, however there is also a height limit that I didn't know about until a friend told me that my daughter was too big for ours even though she was less than 20 lbs. After some research I found out that the infant seat I was using could be used until the baby was 29" long, so I had to upgrade to the next car seat.

Convertible Car Seat - This car seat is wonderful because it can be used from the time a baby is a newborn until about 40 pounds. A baby MUST be rear facing until they are 20 pounds AND one year old. Once the baby hits both of those milestones the convertible car seat can be turned around and be forward facing like the rest of the family. Some of these car seats can actually be used from 5 lbs to 80 lbs. Check the manufacturers guidelines for each car seat.

Forward Facing Toddler Seats - The toddler seat is designed for children from 20-40 lbs. Kids are generally in this seat or the convertible seat until they are 4 years old and 40 lbs.

Child Booster Seats - This is the seat both of my children currently use. It has been advertised in our state that children must be in a car seat until they are eight years old, but there is another limit at least in our state - the child must also be 4'9" tall before graduating to just a seat belt. My daughter was a bit upset at first when she found out she wasn't graduating to just a seat belt when she turned eight, but I explained that it was for her own safety and comfort. The booster seats we use have head rests that allow the child to nap while driving without doing the head bob.

For information about the ease of use and car seats ratings check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations Information. For several other pertinent articles check here. Check AAA also for a additional information on car seats.

Support for Motherhood After 35

My blogging friend, Tiffany at Tea with Tiffany shared about a website and I decided to spread the word here also because I feel it qualifies under the listing of healthy living. Its a new website geared toward sharing information and support with mothers over 35.

About the Website's Author:

Beth is a national speaker and author of Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and Preparing Motherhood after 35. Her message provides women with a “whole family” perspective to recognize how a late-in-life pregnancy affects other relationships. A mother for more than 25 years, Beth understands the challenges and advantages of being an older mom.

"Enter to win a $200 Aveda Gift Certificate!





I have a new arrival to announce. But, this time it's not a new baby...it's a new website! As the author of Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and Preparing for Motherhood after 35, I'm excited to launch an updated website that helps moms love late-in-life motherhood. Moms over 35 need more support than ever. So, if you're a Mommy-Come-Lately®, I know my new website will provide real encouragement. To celebrate the new website, I’m giving away the perfect treat to pamper moms: a $200 Aveda gift certificate. Here’s how to win the gift certificate: Visit Mommy-Come-Lately.com and sign up to receive my free e-mail newsletter. Don’t wait, because the winner will be selected on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. Plus, everyone who signs up will also receive my exclusive article: Three Secrets to Loving Late-in-Life Motherhood. While you’re at the website, check out these new features: 1. Free resources to maximize your late-in-life pregnancy and understand prenatal tests 2. Important information on topics like infertility, adoption and postpartum depression.

Please tell others about this announcement--or post it on your blog. When you promote it on your blog or website, I’ll enter your name twice, increasing your chance to win the Aveda gift certificate!"


For additional resources and support check out Beth's blog.

Food Pyramid

The food pyramid was created to help us make healthy food choices. Check out this website for tons of useful info on topics such as: Steps to a Healthier Weight, Dietary Guidelines, Pregnancy and Breastfeeeding and much more. You can even create your own individualized Pyramid plan by entering your age, sex, height, weight and physical activity information. A great resource that helps you plan your food intake based on your activity levels.

There is also information for kids (ages 6-11) along with activities, worksheets and games to help them learn to make healthy choices now during their formative years. Check out this valuable resource.

Unhealthy Shoppers

I read an interesting article on Yahoo today titled, "America's Unhealthiest Grocery Shoppers." It contains some tips on shopping healthier and some changes in cooking that save calories and keep the taste (for the most part). Check out the article here.

Body Cleanses

I've heard a lot of talk and seen many infomercials about body cleanses (colon, liver, etc.). There are so many products or plans to choose from that it gets confusing and overwhelming that is if you even want to attempt detoxing. I do, but not while I'm pregnant and soon to be nursing. I could do a simple cleanse that doesn't involve taking any supplements while pregnant or nursing and I'm sure it would be healthy for the baby. I must admit since I've been stopped from doing my usual work-out regime (because of my fall in my church parking lot in June) I've lost motivation to limit the bad stuff that I eat. I still eat good things, but I've been eating some not so good things in the last couple months too.

Two ladies that I think highly of wrote about cleansing today in their blogs - Mel at Monday through Sunday and Kay at Write Eating. Check out their posts to learn more about what they are doing to improve their health and lives.

If you have had success with a body cleanse and would like to share, please do.

Cancer Prevention Info at Write Eating

Kay at Write Eating has a post from yesterday about eating for cancer prevention. Basically it's all those foods your mother always told you to eat (or should have) - fruits, veggies and whole grains (look at the flax section especially). Check out her post for the specifics. Kay's info came from Delicious Living magazine.

Trivia Note for the day from one of my daughter's textbooks: "North Dakota grows about half of the nations flax seed." I did a little research to confirm that statement since it was in her English book and it proved to be true.

I like to use ground flax in baking (as a butter/oil substitute and as a nutritional boost. I also add ground flax as a yogurt topper. Flax has about the same amount of fat as butter does (you have to use a three to one ratio in replacing flax for butter). If I subsitute flax for butter and the recipe calls for 1/3 cup butter I use 1 cup of ground flax. Sometimes I need to add a bit of liquid to the recipe though. The good news is that flax has tons of good things for you and butter can't compete (except in the amazing flavor of butter, but we won't talk about that...).

Recipe Analysis

Do you have a favorite recipe that you would love to analyze nutritionally? If so check out this or the updated version here. I like create my own recipes often healthier versions of old favorites - of course when I share them with friends they tell me that I can't call the recipe the original name since I changed over half the ingredients.

I was sorely disappointed when I put the ingredients for my special cookies into the recipe analyzer and it came up with a C- but there were other good things about the recipe as apposed to the original. I need to remember that dessert/cookie recipes, no matter how healthy they are made, still aren't the nutritional equivalent to eating fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein.

New Blog

Today I found that blogger has all sorts of neat gadgets that you can add to your blog and since I have this need to have some semblance of order to my blogs I decided to create a special blog that I can put all the neat healthy living gadgets I want on a blog without taking away from the themes of my other blogs. I would like to go somewhere and click on a link to find out some info occasionally and what better place than a healthy living blog.

I'm guessing my posts will be infrequent, but feel free to use the resources on the sidebar. As I find other blogs that give information on healthy lifestyles, eating or recipes, I will add them to my blog links. So far I have Kay's Write Eating blog linked.

Also please leave any comments regarding how you are living or striving to live a healthy lifestyle - physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc.