Archive for the 'Healthy Living' Category
Have a Wonderful and Safe 4th of July!
The 4th of July is a great time for families to get together. A nice warm day, picnics in the grass, icy watermelon, slip & slide fun (hey, do they still have slip & slides?), and the amazing firework displays.
It’s a fun and family focused day of the year.
But sadly, many accidents can and do occur on the 4th each year. Not to put a damper on the day’s festivities but there are some simple facts you need to know to keep your family safe and healthy this 4th.
Facts & figures
I could give millions of accident stats for the 4th — there’s no shortage. However, let’s just look a few biggies offered by The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
- “In 2005, 10,800 people were treated at hospital emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries.
- The highest risks of fireworks injury are to school-age children. In 2005, nearly half of the people injured by fireworks were under the age of 15.
- Fireworks can result in severe burns, fractures, or scars or even death or disfigurement that can last a lifetime.
- Even sparklers, which are considered by many to be harmless, reach temperatures of more than 1,000° F.
- Based on the amount of time and quantities in use, fireworks pose a higher risk of fire death than any other consumer product.“
On July 4th there are more U.S. fires reported that on any other day of the year — and fireworks account for half of these fires. The figure that surprised me was the sparklers — which are seemingly harmless. I always have let my son use them in the past but I’m re-thinking that this year. Each year the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) promotes a list of safety tips for 4th of July firework safety.
This year however, the AAP is doing something new. The NFPA has come forward with, instead of safety tips, a new recommendation that tips aren’t needed. What’s needed is a call for everyone to leave the fireworks to the professionals. The AAP agrees with the NFPA and so this year’s tips are a little less bulky and a lot safer…
“Legal or not for consumers, fireworks are too risky for amateurs leave the fireworks to the professionals.”
Besides saving you some reading this tip could save your family money, stress, and more importantly maybe your health or life. So follow this year’s one tip. Gather the family, pack a picnic, and head to the nearest community fireworks festivities for a fun and safe 4th.
Safe & happy July 4th wishes from Family Resource!
Posted in Child Safety, Healthy Living, Holidays, Personal Safety | 1 Comment »
I’m back!
Well. Well. Well.
So the kids decided, after all, that a Disney Post Christmas extravaganza was in order. We got back from delivering them to my parents last night. I must admit, the drive home felt like I was reversing some kind of law of physics - the fact that I was driving in the opposite direction from my kids was the most unnatural feeling I have ever had.
But they are knee deep, as we speak, in Little Mermaid and Buzz Lightyear heaven. I talked to them this morning and they sound like they are having a blast! Which was exactly what I needed to hear - it is hard to sleep without them in the house. But, the fact that they are having an adventure with their Nana and Papa eases my mind greatly.
So then. What to do? John and I are all alone - we slept in and ate breakfast in bed. So many things that we could do with the rest of our holiday but, really, we both seem content to be home and dig into one another. Since I was a single mom when we met, it is always painfully obvious to us - when we get a chance to be alone - that we never actually dated, in the traditional sense of the word. We never got to indulge in one another the way other couples do. Sure. We had a good time, but always with the pretense that there was a sweet boy at home waiting for me (which meant our evening usually ended at 10pm). We never felt slighted, it’s just that at times like these, we really realize that we never got to really revel in that new relationship splendor. And, now that my mind is at ease with the kids being safe and happy, we are able to. We are able to enjoy what we really love about each other and remember why it is we fell in love. I hope you’ll excuse me this week if I end up being syrupy sweet about everything, but I have a feeling I won’t be able to stop myself.
Posted in Healthy Living, Marriage | No Comments »
Same as It Ever Was…
Well, we made it through our weekends of identity searching.. Of course, I had no idea that we were searching for identities this weekend but, something along those lines happened. Joseph discovered that he really doesn’t care about football (even though he was completely stoked about it as he left Friday) or tailgating (whew!!) and I discovered that, given enough time in the day, I become unyeildingly productive and return to my inherent artistic temperments.
If you have children, find a way to be alone for a weekend. I did my share of going out and catching up with friends (until 4am!.. god what was I thinking? I’m not 20 anymore.. I was in much pain the next morning).. But the best part were those moments when I was completely alone. I relished every moment. I highly recommend it.
Aside from the obvious self reconnection that can occur from such a weekend there are also huge (huge!) benefits to your marriage. I missed my husband. A lot. He missed me. A lot. We have been (ahem.. literally..) inseperable since he got home. Again, I highly recommend it.
And, today, we’re back to the grind. There is laundry to do, articles to write, magazines to edit, baths to give, dogs to walk, bills to pay…. But we do it, today, with renewed energy and admiration for ourselves and one another. All that just from one little weekend away from it all. It’s enough to keep you going for a long time to come.
Posted in Daily Living, Healthy Living | No Comments »
Somebody Stop Me..
I have grown accustomed to the fact that, since having children, my body has somewhat become it’s own creature.. Changing and evolving (if you can call it that) into something that I have little control over. I have grown used to the feathery stretch marks on my belly and have become thankful that they aren’t as bad as some of my friends. I have dealt with the fact that I have nursed two children and, well, the ladies are a bit tired these days. There isn’t a lot of “perk” to my jiggle and jerk, if you know what I mean. I’ve eased into all of these things and thought that I was doing pretty good.
Somehow, as I crouch toward thirty, some scary things are happening to me. Widening type things. Things that have nothing to do with producing children. My body is spreading. All over the place. Of course, I’m the only one to notice. So far. I can admit that most of it is in my mind - but some of it is not. And that’s more than I can handle.
Here’s the thing. I’m not an jazzercizer.. I don’t really “do” exercise. In fact, I hate pointless exercise and think that people who go to gyms are weird. Can’t explain it - I just get annoyed with exercise. I know this about myself. No big deal. I am still very physically active, nonetheless. I live a very energetic life. Really. I do. Exercise isn’t my problem. I know what my problem is and I can’t (don’t want to) fix it.
It’s food. I love it. I mean, I love it like most people love sex or drinking or - name your addiction. Seriously. If you want me to be somewhere, just dangle a carrot in front of me - if food will be there, so will I. And, here I am, two days into the flu and it’s in front of me and even though I feel like dog shit, I want to eat it. I love it. Love. It.
My adoration of food has never been a problem. Until tonight. I caught a glimpse of my spreaded out ass today in the mirror. Sure I was wearing my “sick” pants (a very old and very saggy pair of sweat pants that are far from flattering) but, still. It looked gross. And, I know that my love of eating is the cause. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have an actual addiction. I just love food. I love cooking it, smelling, picking it out at the farmer’s market, reading about it, planning meals..
So, what’s a girl to do? The Dr. Weil trial is going well but, since I have been sick all week, it is hard to be following a health regimen. All I have felt like doing is sleeping (and eating, somehow). Perhaps if I keep following it, I will develop a better sense of balancing foods I adore with foods I should eat to age “gracefully” and without the mom butt creeping up on me as fast as it is.
Posted in Healthy Eating, Healthy Living | No Comments »
Autumnal Bliss and Frolicky Tots
Somehow I scored a weekend off of work and was able to have a much needed date day/night with my son. Saturday we started the day off right with several very impressive estate sales and yard sales. I know, that seems like something only mommy might enjoy. But, you’re wrong. Dead wrong. My six year old son has turned into quite a rumamge sale junkie - and he is a much better bargainer than I am. He has the whole sweet, innocent “how much for this teddy bear - it will be my first teddy bear - sniffle, sniffle” that I can’t pull off and usually manages to get everything for next to nothing.
We then spent the afternoon at a birthday party where we painted pumpkins, drank hot chocolate, painted our faces and played in the most gorgeous weather I have seen in Nashville this year. We ate chocolate cake and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like there was no tomorrow.
After our happy gallivanting at the park, we headed home - wind chapped cheeks and rosy nosed - to get cleaned up for our fancy dinner date at Margot (one of the best places to eat in town). We put on our most comfortable clothes - and still managed to look classy as penguins. We settled into our cozy, candle lit table - ordered sprite and wine (respectively, for him and me) and enjoyed the best meal and the best company ever.
Originally, I had made the reservations for me and John. Alas, as is usual, we could not acquire (nor afford) a babysitter - so I figured, why not take a date (an equally romantic date) with my son. I have to tell you - it was one of the best days in my life.
Then on Sunday the whole crew carved pumpkins on our front porch, took long walks collecting leaves, fed geese and ducks in the park, made french toast, played in the backyard and had an all around beautiful day. If it sounds idylic and magnificent - it’s because it was…
And, I’m happy to report - the ants have settled in (quite nicely, might I add).. We watched them for some time yesterday getting their new home properly set up. They are fascinating creatures - they collect the dead, bury them, help each other carry heavy loads.. They each have their place and they each have their task. They rest when it is time and they work (hard!) when it is time. Something to be admired in any creature.
God, I love autumn and renewal and work and play and feeling purposeful in life.. There is no time like this time of the year.
Posted in Daily Living, Healthy Living, Mental Health | No Comments »
A Coke and a Smile.. or a degenerative bone disease.. you pick.
Another reason to rethink your diet ladies.. Just read that, apparently, Coke (Pepsi, included) has been linked to high rates of Osteoporosis.. Apparently the phosphoric acid in both Pepsi Cola and Coke is the culprit (who would of thought something that could burn a hole through rust could be bad for you??).
Researchers now believe that cola consumption is linked with a loss in bone mineral density in women.
Cola consumption (4 colas a week or more) was linked to a lower bone mineral density in three hip sites (but not the spine) - and the association was only with colas and not other carbonated beverages.
Presumably here we are talking about any drink with phosphoric acid in it (i.e. Pepsi Cola and Coca-cola).
aaaaaaand, more…….
Traditionally, the bone deficiency disease osteoporosis (literally “porous bones”) has been seen mostly in post-menopausal women, particularly those who did not build high bone density in youth, typically due to insufficient calcium intake. Some researchers have observed a positive correlation between soft-drink consumption and increased risk of osteoporosis in young women, which is now also seen in increasing prevalence in men of late middle age.
Phosphoric acid, used in many soft drinks (primarily so in cola drinks), was initially suspected. It has been claimed that an excess of phosphorus may lead to poor bone density. However medical research indicates that exactly the opposite is the case; as one might expect from the simple application of Le Châtelier’s principle, it is low phosphate intake which increases the risk of osteoporosis, while high phosphate intake reduces it.[2]
Other chemicals such as caffeine (also a significant component of popular common cola drinks) were also suspected as possible contributors to low bone density, due to the known effect of caffeine on calciuria. However other studies have shown that not only does phosphoric acid in colas have no such effect, but the caffeine has only a temporary effect which is later reversed. The authors of this study suggest that any correlation between osteoporosis and soft drink consumption is probably due to displacement of dairy products from the diet.[3]. (Another possible confounding factor may be an association between high soft drink consumption and sedentary lifestyle
Sorry, that was a mouthful.. but well worth the read.. So, it’s a little contrary to our earlier bit of information but I think the fact alone that colas have entered the discussion at all, either because of phosphorus or for caffeine should be a good indicator that they shouldn’t be at all included in a healthy diet. I think I will just kind of mosey my way around the caffeine bit and focus mainly on getting the phosphoric acid out of my diet.. I’m not strong enough to omit coffee from my life just yet - but I think I won’t have any problem avoiding the former reason…
Posted in Daily Living, Healthy Living, Osteoporosis | No Comments »
Autumn’s Arrival… and mine…
I can remember long hours sitting in my room, all alone, listening to album after album after album… From the age of six or seven until I was well into my adult years I was infatuated with music… I would wear out my parents old 45s. I would try to capture the raspy click of each turn of the needle softly scratching its way across the vinyl onto a tape so that I could play it in the car on my way to guitar practice. This was how I spent my childhood… hours spent sitting on my daddy’s knee, oversized headphones on my head, blonde hair tucked underneath while goodbye yellow brick road played and my daddy explained to me why the piano was more powerful than a guitar in rock and roll.. every long drive there would be a quiz and a reward for who, between my brother and myself, could guess which beatle was singing.. it was the way my father raised us.. with all the creativity that the military managed to suppress in him, he never let his passion for good music go. and he made sure that it was as much a part of our upbringing as brushing your teeth and making our beds everyday.. because, what’s the good of having clean teeth if you can’t sing a good rock and roll tune, right?
Yet, somehow, with all the business of starting a family and finding jobs that paid us enough to eat, I put it aside, making room for sleep and work and all the other business of life. too tired.. too busy.. too distracted.. Sure, music is always around.. Our radio is always on - something good is always available for the wanting ears.. My kids adore it.. But I stopped listening.. I didn’t feel a thing.. Until today. I put Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on and, like a flash, it got me. It got me like it used to get me. The whole CD.. It just took over.. Watching my son in the backseat singing all the words helped - it got him too, it always gets him. Am I making any sense here? I guess what I am saying is, a part of me is waking up again. Mabye it’s the beautiful autumn that is shaking me up.. This weather always stirs some madness in me that makes me feel fuller than I can handle some times.. But part of me that had to rest for a few years so that I could take care of some serious stuff is tired of sitting on the sidelines. I’m back. Me. I’m finally back….. whew..
Posted in Daily Living, Healthy Living, Mental Environment | No Comments »
Children’s Health - Five Easy Steps
I was tipped off about a really good website that give parents trying to maintain a standard of health and wellness for their kids a basic foundation on which to stand. The Blue Butterfly Campaign, developed by the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, is working in conjunction with science and government to develope and regulate health standards for kids.
THE BLUE BUTTERFLY CAMPAIGN is an initiative to help spread the word about the 5 Easy Steps to a Healthier Home that everyone can easily follow to create a cleaner, healthier environment for their children.
The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public, specifically parents and caregivers, about environmental toxins that affect children’s health.
Our ultimate goal is to eliminate children’s exposure to man-made toxic substances by ensuring everyone’s right-to-know what is in their air, food, water and commercial products. We are working to achieve this goal through increased scientific research, government policies which are more protective of children, and educating and mobilizing individuals — like you — around the country. Visit the CHEC website: http://www.checnet.org
CHEC’s MISSION is to educate parents and all those concerned with the welfare of children about preventable health and development problems caused by exposures to toxic substances in homes, schools and communities and to empower the public to take action to protect children against these toxic threats.
CHEC’s GOALS are to:
- Create awareness of preventable, environmental risks to children’s health.
- Help people learn about safer practices and products.
- Encourage the public to adopt these safer products and practices.
- Change government and corporate policies to protect children from environmental hazards.
Some of the information is basic, but at the very least, it gives parents something to stand behind and rely on when it comes to everyday decision making for their homes and families.
Posted in Health, Healthy Living, Websites | No Comments »
Miraculous Encounters of The Mommy Kind
Something that I never thought would happen HAS! I have met a group of mothers that I don’t feel completely frightened by. They don’t wear “workout clothes” (pajamas) everywhere they go. Even though they adore their children, they don’t find it necessary to brief those around them on the inner workings of their kids’ digestives sytems or mental/behavioral advancement. They don’t have cars that could house twenty when they only have one child. They don’t talk about their husbands as if they were talking about their fathers. They don’t sing retarded “clean up” songs with a crazy, jack nicholson look on their face. They don’t look you up and down, with menacing judgement, when you hand your kid a quarter at 8am to get m&m’s from the gumball machine just so you can have a two minute conversation with the person selling coffee. They don’t resent their families because they “gave up the career” or they can’t be themselves anymore……. Au contraire… They are women who have kids - not just moms. Before you lash out - let me say, I think that being a mom is super incredible in itself. It is the best job in the world blah blah blah.. Of course I think that, silly - I am one, afterall. Just let me vent. If you don’t think most parents are crazy weird, then stop reading.
Until now, it has been a steady flow of coridial acquaintance-ships - I can only think of two mothers, up to now, that have made me feel like I could be upfront and honest. One is my age and has three kids and we pull together when we can. The other is a little older with two kids and lives far, far away in boston. So, I know it’s not an age issue - just a personality thing, I guess. I have met young mothers my age who, well, have sort of cashed it in. And the other mothers - they are great but they are usually in their forties or fifties and while I appreciate them, I just usually don’t have a lot in common with them other than the child factor. And even that is barely “in common” - they are usually the ones that have very weird rituals that you know they got from a parenting book or from Barney the Purple Dinosaur. Maybe one of my faults is that I treat my kids a little too much like grown ups but, COME ON, every instruction you give them doesn’t have to be sugar coated with a song and a reward and a creepy grin of superior parenting skills, does it??? And, as someone who has a majority of other things, besides my beloved kids, that make me me, well - it’s nice to find others who like to talk about something besides poop and cradle cap. And, just as I was starting to think it didn’t exist, I stumbled upon it and found that it is everything I ever thought it would be.
So, yes, we will talk about our children - because that is, afterall, what mommies do - but on a very frequent occassion we will let the conversation wander away from them into other things. We will talk about the books we are writing, the paintings we have sold, the sculptures we are having a hard time finishing because we don’t want to tear ourselves away from our babies, the concerts we will be giving, the research grants we are applying for, the graduate program that is kicking our ass. We will make martini dates and go out dressed just as cutely as the other non-child, twenty eight year old- thirty year olds in the room - even if we are secretly thinking that the 19year old girls across the room should be at home, in bed, at this hour and, quite frankly, dressed a little more modestly. We will make lunch dates at the indian buffet with our munchkins and make fun of the frat guys who are just there to watch the racey indian music videos they play all day. We’ll talk on the phone. We’ll go on day trips. We’ll go on walks. It will be heaven. I feel like I have just walked into a fictitious, fairytale land where jogging suits or prada diaper bags or scary sing-song discipline are forbidden. Sigh…. Let the good times roll.
Posted in Daily Living, Healthy Living, Lifestyles, Mental Environment, Mental Health, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wanting to Be Something Else
I am having a bit of a weird thing. I want to ride bikes with my kids. I want to be in graduate school, now, not a year from now. I want to be fit again. I want to read as much as I used to. I want to eat better. I want to have more time. more time. more time. Where has all my time gone???
I have never found myself in a situation where I really, truly, can’t change or go with an urge - I simply don’t have time to think about it beyond, well, just THINKING about it. How frustrating.
What do you do when you just can’t fit anymore in?? Do you take something out to make room? I can’t imagine what I could take out. We have no tv. We use our computers only for work. There isn’t much wasted time, is my point. I guess I just start cramming it in and maybe the laws of physics and time and space will change and I will be able to fulfill my urges to be a better version of me.
Posted in Healthy Living, Mental Health | 1 Comment »
