stressfreemom

 

Water has so many health benefits that you would think drinking several glasses would be a natural part of everyone’s day.  However, we have come to love our coffee drinks, morning juice and sodas so much, that we seldom drink as much water as our bodies need.  After all, who wants to spend the entire day running to the restroom?

 

Here are five good reasons to make drinking water a part of your day – everyday.

 

Drinking water keeps you hydrated.  We all know that full-blown dehydration can result in serious health problems, but letting yourself get even a little dehydrated can cause dry mouth, muscle cramps, nausea and lightheadedness.

 

 

Drinking water helps you lose weight.  Drinking a large glass of water right before a meal will help to fill you up, so you won’t eat as much.  Also, drinking ice water actually burns more calories, since the body must work harder to warm up the water. 

 

 

When you are drinking water, you are not drinking other beverages that may contain loads of sugar or caffeine or empty calories.  Water is simply a better choice.

 

 

Drinking water results in healthier, clearer skin.  Water flushes the toxins out of your system, toxins that can cause acne flare-ups.  If you want smooth skin that glows, drink 8-10 glasses of water a day.

 

 

Drinking water benefits your heart, and is essential for the proper function of your kidneys, liver and colon.  It also provides you with increased energy and better overall health.

 

 

 

Find out more about the benefits of drinking water here: http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/drink-up/863c68f271903110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/weight.loss/diets/biggest.loser/biggest.loser.diet

 

I have a confession to make. I’m a notorious afternoon snacker. Around 3:00, I find I am thinking about food; and, whether I’m hungry or not, I go hunting for something to eat. Now I know many diets will tell you to eat six small meals a day. The only trouble with that is I’ve found that my meals are pretty much the same size as always, so now I’m just adding extra snacks throughout the day. I’ve been trying some new techniques for doing without the afternoon snack. Here are some tips that have worked for me.

Write down whatever you eat. This always works for me through lunch, but I tend to abandon it as the day progresses. However, when I do stick with it, I find that I am much more aware of what I eat, and I make better choices all day and for the next day or two as well.

Keep busy. Plan out your day so that you don’t have much time for snacking. Instead of munching when you get a break during the day, straighten a messy drawer or write a note to a friend.

Get out and move. As a writer who works at home, I do a lot of nervous eating when I’m trying to find the right words for an article. If I get out and walk around the block, it helps me to focus my thoughts and burn a few extra calories.

Finish off lunch with a tablespoon of peanut butter. I’ve only recently started doing this, and it really helps. Because peanut butter is full of protein, and protein stays with you longer, you are less hungry and less likely to want something to eat before dinnertime.

Lastly, pay attention to why you eat. Stop before you grab that snack and ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if there is another reason for your snack attack. Learning why we eat the way we do is the first step to making permanent changes in our eating habits.

Learn some tips on not snacking with your spouse.

My mom is about to turn 83, and she is in great shape.   At times, she is forgetful, and her biggest worry is that she will gradually lose her memory.  So I turned her on to some new activities recently, including the  brain game Street of Dreams.

It’s a simple game to play.  As cars travel by on a road, you must assign them to the appropriate house based on a category.  For example, say there are two housing lots, one labeled cars and another famous authors.  As a car races by, the word Honda pops up and you click on the lot that says cars.  A foundation appears; and, as you answer more prompts in that category correctly , the house gets built.

With every subsequent level, more categories are added, including mystery categories, which you must figure out through a process of elimination.  By Round 10, you have two identified categories and four mystery categories, making it much more difficult.  You build your own dream house between rounds.

It’s fun and challenging, so if you have fifteen minutes to spare and want to work your brain cells a bit, try Street of Dreams, or any of the other brain games out there.

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Apples are one of autumn’s best treats.  If you are lucky enough to live near an apple orchard that is open to the general public, plan a day trip and enjoy the sensation of picking your own apples.  Go early and bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy after you’ve plucked your apples.  There is nothing like enjoying a cool autumn picnic with a dessert of apples fresh off the tree.  Once you are home again, you can put those apples to good use, making applesauce or an apple crisp, or you can try this delightful recipe for a delicious and refreshing salad.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups diced red apples
• ½ cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 cups green grapes
• 2 Tbsp. light sour cream
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• ½ tsp. salt    
• ½ cup chopped dates
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice.  Add grapes, celery and dates.  In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, honey, sour cream and salt; mix well.  Pour over apple mixture and toss to coat.  Stir in the walnuts.  Serve right away.  Makes 8 servings.  One serving equals approximately 220 calories.

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When the kids were young, life was relatively simple It consisted mostly of nursing, changing dirty diapers, responding to cries and giving lots of love

As the children grew, life became more challenging as they became more independent Hey, wait a minute Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? When a baby is totally dependent on you for his every need, isn’t that when life is hardest?

As the children grow up and can do more for themselves, they also start to enjoy group activities It starts harmlessly enough, with a play date or two each week Once they reach school age, the after school activities begin Before you know it, you’re taking Suzy to her ballet lesson on the way to pick up Brad from baseball practice, after which both kids need to grab a quick dinner and do their homework before heading off to their violin lessons.

You cram more and more things into their schedules until you’re about to explode You begin to wish for the week to be over If I can just make it through the week, I’ll be okay, you think The only trouble is there’s a doubleheader on Saturday for Brad and a Girl Scout function for Suzy Soon you’re anticipating the end of the month, then the end of the school year, then you’re wondering when this hectic summer will be over and the kids will be back in school.

Before you know it, you’ve wished your entire life away!

My oldest two are now in college, and I would give anything to have that time back again. My new Golden Rule is to live fully in the present – to make the most out of every minute that is given to me I no longer wish for the day, week, or month to end I look for opportunities to fill my day with meaningful activity I listen more closely to what is being said to me and enjoy the company of others more If I am having a good time somewhere, I linger there a little longer, instead of rushing off to get the next thing on my list done.

I listen to the sounds of nature more, the rustle of the wind through the trees, the songs of the birds perched on the neighbor’s fence, the trickle of water from our backyard fountain I try to live in the moment and to embrace the unique challenges that come with each phase of life and of parenthood I have so much to be grateful for; I’m finally slowing down enough to take time to appreciate it all

Live in the moment! Cherish every day!

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I am a very calm person by nature. That’s not to say I never lose my cool. I have my share of stressful moments just like everyone else; but, on the whole, I react to situations without panicking and try to find a reasonable solution. Others must have noticed this, because several people have commented on my cool, collected temperament.

That got me thinking about the calming influences in my life, and one major one has got to be music. Growing up, my mom always had classical music playing softly on the stereo. It was a big part of our lives. Just as one gets accustomed to hearing the familiar ticking of a clock, our house always seemed noticeably quiet when no music was playing.

Because listening to music has always been a part of my life, it was natural that I should carry the habit into adulthood. My musical tastes range from classical to jazz, from swing to rock n’ roll. If I want to get the house clean in a hurry, I put on something lively that will get my blood pumping. If I want to improve my mood, I play something that brings me joy, like the waltzes of Johan Strauss. Jr.

However, if I need to have a sense of calm and peace, I will put on the smooth jazz station or select a classical piece that I find especially soothing, something by Chopin perhaps. Whatever mood you are in or would like to be in, there is some piece of music that will speak to you. So the next time you’re beginning to stress out, simply put on your favorite song, take a deep breath and relax.

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I first discovered the energizing health benefits of yoga about 5 years ago, and I’ve been practicing yoga on and off ever since. I say on and off, because my schedule has changed over the years, and I’ve sometimes gone months without doing yoga, making it necessary to start from the beginning when I do resume the practice.

Yoga has many health benefits, including increased flexibility and energy, lower blood pressure and peace of mind. It is not difficult to perform most of the basic positions, but if you have never done yoga before, or you have not practiced yoga in a long time, here are some things you should keep in mind before beginning your program.

Begin in a relaxation pose, so that you can start to release built-up tension right away and become aware of your body. Breathe deeply. This will help you to relax and prepare your body for yoga.

Begin with simple stretches, particularly any stretch that loosens the tightness in your neck and shoulders. Women carry a lot of tension in these areas, so we need to pay extra attention to them.

Stay within your comfort zone. Whether you are attending a class or following along with a book or DVD, you must not push yourself too hard at first. You risk injury. It will then take you time to recover and rest, and you must then begin all over again.

As a final thought, if an instructor ever pushes you to attempt a position that you do not feel comfortable doing, do not do it and find another class right away. Because of the increased popularity of yoga, many personal trainers and fitness coaches have taken quickie courses in yoga, but may not be qualified. Every bona-fide yoga instructor knows that you must listen to your body and stay within your comfort zone, whatever that is, on that particular day.

Once you get going, try this yoga routine:

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/slim-down-with-yoga/a018d786593b4110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/fitness/yoga.pilates/yoga

Sometimes you just have to have something made with chocolate. If you are smart about it, and if you can control your portion size, you can go right ahead and satisfy those cravings any time you want. Try one of these recipes for a low-fat chocolate dessert.

Delicious Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

Set aside to soften:

• 1 pkg. Knox gelatin
• 2 tbsp. water

In blender, combine:

1. ½ C. ricotta cheese
2. 2 pkgs. Alba “Fit and Frosty”
3. 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
4. 1 tsp. vanilla
5. 6 pkgs. Equal (or other sugar substitute)

Add ½ c. boiling water to gelatin. Mix all in blender with 4-6 ice cubes.

 

Makes 2 servings.

Low-Fat Devil’s Food Cake

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (18 ¼ oz.) reduced-fat devil’s food cake mix
• 1 8 oz. carton nonfat plain yogurt
• ½ c. orange juice
• ½ c. water
• Egg substitute equal to 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp. Grated orange peel
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Glaze:

• 1 c. confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp. baking cocoa
• 2 tbsp. orange juice
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; beat on low speed for 1 min., scraping bowl constantly. Coat a 10-in. fluted tube pan with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 50-55 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 min. before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzled over cake.

Makes 12 servings. One serving equals 245 cal., 4 gm. fat, 2 gm. fiber, trace cholesterol, 372 mg. sodium, 48 gm. carbohydrates.

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Some days you just have to push yourself to exercise. Whether it’s a trip to the gym, a workout with weights or a solitary walk, sometimes you just don’t feel like exercising. That’s when you need to talk yourself into it.

Here are five tips for convincing yourself to fit that exercise into your day.

1. Experience tells you that you will feel better after you’ve worked out. You will have more energy. You will feel stronger and more capable of tackling life’s challenges when you have taken the time to build up your strength and stamina.

2. You know that exercise provides long-term health benefits. The good you do for your body today will pay off in the long run with increased energy and vitality in your senior years, as well as better health and increased longevity.

3. You will find it becomes harder and harder to exercise. Maybe you don’t feel that missing one day will hurt. However, one missed day often leads to another. Before you know it, you haven’t exercised in a week or two. When (if) you do go back, you have to work back up to your previous level, or you risk injuring yourself.

4. Someone is counting on you. Whether it’s your running partner counting on you to keep her going, or your spouse admiring your fit, toned physique, others are counting on you to stay in shape. If you have young children, you will need every bit of energy you can muster just to keep up with them.

5. Just exercise for 10 minutes. If you really don’t feel like exercising and the thought of it tires you out, just commit to ten minutes of stretching or walking or lifting weights. Chances are you will soon get energized and exercise well beyond the 10 minutes. And, if you don’t, at least you’ve gotten those ten minutes in.

For more ideas on getting yourself to exercise, check out Bob Greene’s suggestions:

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/fall-in-like-with-exercise/86c3448feb793110VgnVCM20000012281eac____/fitness/getting.started/staying.motivated

Yesterday I went to see an ear specialist. I had been struggling with vertigo for several weeks and it wasn’t getting any better. I was diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV for short.
The symptoms began a few weeks ago, when I rolled over in bed to turn off the alarm clock and the room started to spin. After that, every time I lay down or even leaned back and moved my head to the left, the spinning occurred. It’s an odd sensation, to be sure, but the condition is relatively harmless. I found that shutting my eyes helped, and the dizziness only lasted a few seconds. Also, I discovered that I had to sit up slowly and give my body a chance to adjust to the change in position before standing up. Still, it’s unpleasant to experience any level of dizziness, so I went to an ear specialist for help.

My symptoms occurred only when I turned my head to the left side, so he had me induce the vertigo by lying back quickly and turning my head to the left. He then performed a technique called the Epley maneuver, which fixed my problem right away. Hooray, no more dizziness!

This was the second time I had been diagnosed with this problem. The first time I went to my GP initially, who sent me to an ENT, who sent me to a clinician for a number of hearing and balance tests, who then sent me to the ear specialist. This time, I cut through all the middlemen and went straight to the specialist.

If you have experienced similar symptoms, ask your doctor about BPPV and the Epley maneuver. Not every physician knows how to perform this procedure correctly, so ask for a referral to an ear specialist if needed.

Read this article for more information on BPPV.

I recently read the following information in The Intellectual Devotional, a newsletter put out by Prevention.com.

“After one night without sleep, we become tired and cranky. After two nights, we suffer from memory loss and diminished concentration. After three nights, delirium sets in. Although a healthy human being can survive without eating for more than a month, humans die without sleep in less than two weeks.”

With two kids in college, I worry constantly that they aren’t getting enough sleep. My son told me just the other day that he had only gotten three hours of sleep the night before, making a 3:00 a.m. run to Kinko’s to finish a big project that was due the next day. I sent him a copy of this article; whether or not he’ll take it to heart remains to be seen.

Of course, we’ve all pulled our share of all-nighters throughout the years. Whether we’re staying up late to study for exams, or putting the finishing touches on the project for work, or staying up with a sick child, some nights we simply don’t get the rest we need. Whereas one night won’t hurt too much, two nights will definitely take a toll, and three nights without enough sleep set you up for failure. Going without sleep affects our mood, our cognitive skills, and our ability to fight off infections.

The good news is we can make up for lost sleep. Taking a nap the next day will help get us back on track. Getting a few extra hours on the weekend can also help. However, most doctors agree that it’s best to get the correct amount of sleep in the first place.

Read more of the Prevention article about sleep loss.

The “C” word.  It frightens all of us, and I can’t name a single person whose life hasn’t been impacted in some way by cancer.  Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a friend, co-worker or neighbor, cancer is a reality that has touched all our lives, and it’s hard not to wonder who will be next.

There are some things we can all do to try to stay on top of this threat, to stay one step ahead of this disease.

1. Get Regular Checkups - A lot of people hate going to the doctor, but getting a yearly physical could save your life.  Your doctor will monitor your general physical condition and note any changes from the previous year.  He will know when to order routine tests that can catch cancer in its early stages.  Preventative medicine is always a good bet.
2. Don’t Ignore Symptoms - It’s foolish to ignore symptoms, hoping that they will just go away.  Get them checked out.  Even if it’s nothing, it’s good for your physician to note these symptoms in your chart, for future reference.
3. Take Control of your Well Being - You know what you need to do.  It’s not rocket science.  Eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest.  Avoid fast food and shortcuts.  Put in the time to prepare a healthy meal, to break a sweat and to get your 7-8 hours a night.
4. Stay Current, but Don’t Panic - Be aware of the latest studies about cancer, but don’t panic until you get all the facts.  Staying informed will allow you to ask the right questions of your physician, in a calm, logical manner, and will guide you in making the best decisions for your healthcare.

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Prevention.com’s Split Words is a challenging brain game that will keep you (and your brain) on your toes.

As a writer, I’m usually pretty good when it comes to word games. Games like Scrabble, Boggle and Text Twist are fun and enjoyable activities that involve the ability to put letters together to form words. There are varying levels of difficulty involved in each brain game, from beginner (hardly a challenge at all) to Expert (usually quite difficult.) I usually opt for a level somewhere in the middle – hard enough to test my mettle, but not so hard that it’s more work than fun.

In the game of Split Words, you are given several parts of words from a particular category. For example, you might be given ci, ca and da from the category of insects. Or perhaps you will be given hap, pi and ness from the emotions category. But even the easiest level in Split Words makes you work your brain a bit. From there, it gets progressively more challenging while you search for all the syllables necessary to complete the words.

This is a fun activity to get your brain going before completing a tough mental task. It will help you to focus on the task at hand. Just be sure to set a timer or you may just find yourself playing this brain game instead of doing your work!

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When I first joined the gym, it was brand new. It was so new, in fact, that it was still under construction. Work on the bathrooms, Jacuzzi and sauna was still underway, and classes had not yet begun. The equipment consisted of about ten treadmills, three elliptical machines and assorted weight machines, as well as free weights, strength bands and other portable equipment.

I had been walking regularly, and I thought I was in pretty good shape, until I tried the elliptical machine. I thought it would be a good form of exercise for me because I sometimes have problems with my knees. What I didn’t realize was that the climbing motion that is mimicked by the elliptical machine uses muscles that I had not been using during my walks. After three minutes, my legs ached and I could not go on.

I admit I was embarrassed that I lasted such a short time. I thought about giving up, but decided that if I would just be patient with myself, I could work my way up to a much longer workout. So the next time, I survived five whole minutes, and seven the time after that. I gradually worked my way up to 30 minutes, and I stayed there for a long time. Recently I tried the weight loss program on the machine, which runs for 28 minutes, with a 5-minute cool down at the end. I like that program best. It’s a good length of time, and I always bring some reading material with, so the time passes quickly.

I’m glad I tried something new, and I’m glad I stuck with it. Now it’s my favorite part of my workout.

Go to http://buzz.prevention.com/community/category/stressfreemom for more articles like this.

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For many people, autumn arrives with a change in the weather, a brisk wind or a chill in the air.  Not for all of us.  Here in sunny southern California, autumn means that the temperatures gradually return from the 80’s and 90’s of summertime to the more reasonable highs in the 70’s.  It means that the overnight lows may dip into the 50’s, possibly even the 40’s.  It’s a welcome change from the heat, and there is a great deal of excitement when we break out those sweaters sometime in mid-November.

Autumn can also bring with it colds and flu, especially when we get the Santa Ana winds blowing in October, subjecting us to temps in the 50’s at 7:00 am, rising to 90 degrees by noon then dropping once again into the 50’s as soon as the sun goes down.  How exactly do you dress for that?

Of course, autumn is back-to-school time, which means returning to a routine and keeping everyone on schedule.  This can either be stressful or relaxing, depending on how well you manage your time and activities at your house.

Autumn also signals the beginning of the holiday season.  It’s easier to get into the mood for the upcoming holidays when the weather has cooled off a bit.  This year, try eliminating some of the stress from your holiday season by getting some of your shopping done early.

Finally, for many of you, the penultimate sign of autumn is the bright color of falling leaves.  The northern states abound with beautiful sights of vivid red, yellow and oranges leaves.  But don’t think you have all the fun.  Our leaves change color too – usually sometime in January.

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Read the following entry for ways to keep your back strong and healthy. 

http://buzz.prevention.com:80/community/stressfreemom/five-ways-to-avoid-back-injury

It isn’t always easy to confront a problem in a relationship. Often, it’s more convenient to put off dealing with it, hoping that somehow it will resolve itself and everything will be just fine. More often than not, if you don’t deal with the problem right away, if you let it simmer, it will grow into an insurmountable obstacle between you and your partner.

Here are three tips for communicating and resolving those problems before they become too big.

1) Be brave enough to bring up the problem in the first place. This isn’t always easy, but it’s the mature thing to do. If you let it eat away at you, it will grow in importance with every passing day. You’ll start to resent your partner and the two of you will grow apart. Conquer your fear and address the issue now. Besides, you never know, your partner may have been waiting for an opportunity to discuss it and be glad you opened the door.

 

2) Communicate your concerns on neutral ground. Don’t bring up a problem when you’re out with friends or at your in-laws. If possible, take a walk or go to a park or out to dinner alone, just the two of you. Away from the kids and the many distractions at home, you will be more relaxed and better able to address your needs.

 

3) Use “I” messages, instead of “You” messages. Tell your spouse or partner how you feel about a particular issue, rather than what he is doing wrong. For example, “I feel hurt when you ignore my conversation and focus on the T.V.” is better than saying, “You should be a better listener.” The first way communicates how you are feeling, whereas the second accuses your partner of being deficient.

 

Try these techniques the next time you need to discuss a problem and see if things don’t go more smoothly.

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Hi,

I recently became a blogger for Prevention.com.  I've been an avid reader of their magazine for years, and now I'm thrilled to be contributing to this great site.  To see my latest post, please follow this link.  http://buzz.prevention.com/community/stressfreemom/shake-up-your-daily-routine

Thanks,
Theresa