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.