Is Your "WHY" Crystal Clear?
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It was a dark and cloudy night….
Well, actually…it was a cloudy and rainy morning last June (Father’s Day, to be exact), and I had just dropped off my daughter at her Sunday school class at our church. The class is in an outside portable, and between the portable and a covered walkway were a couple of outdoor rugs. One of my feet caught on the rugs (actually, it felt like both feet, since I couldn’t move either to try to right myself), and down I went like a rock.
 You know how, when you’re going through something that’s even just mildly traumatic, it seems to happen in slow motion? That’s how it happened for me, and I remember every detail: a) My feet caught, b) I tried to right myself but couldn’t, then c) I made some very hard contact with the ground. My right knee took the brunt of it, followed by my right hip, right elbow, right shoulder, then both hands. The only good thing was that my head didn’t hit the pavement, too.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my knees, dealing with cartilage issues and various pains, and had been working over the last year to strengthen the muscles that support them, so that made this fall especially disappointing. Because of the fall, I’ve had a constant ache where my knee hit the ground. I’ve been taking it easy and giving it time to heal, but think I may be headed for an MRI, as my doctor suggested. Ugh….
The big bummer is, thanks to my knee injury, my aspirations of running in a 5K (and on up) have had to be put on hold. I haven’t even tried running again — I’m scared to, to be honest. But I can walk (though I haven’t tried very long distances yet), and I can do other things to stay in shape. If you’re dealing with a knee injury, follow the tips below for staying in shape in spite of it. (Assuming, of course, that you’ve gotten your doctor’s approval to do so, as I have.)
1. Try walking. If you can do that without pain, or at least with only minimal pain, you may be able to try other gentle forms of exercise. Walk only short distances first, gradually increasing that as time goes on.
2. Try Pilates. If you want a gentle yet effective workout, Pilates is the way to go. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know I’m a huge fan of Exercise TV. I find it on my local cable network (check your listings to see if you do, too), and do the workouts when I want to. I recommend the Pilates workouts by Nicole Stewart or Tandy Gutierrez.
3. Modify Your Favorite Workouts. I love Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred workout, but until my knee is completely healed, I’m laying off the lunges. Depending on your pain level, either forgo the lunges or just don’t lunge as far. This applies to squats, as well. Only go as low as is comfortable for your knee.
4. Swim. I’m not a swimmer, but if you are, go for it. Swimming is a great way to get in a low-impact workout. Water aerobics is another option — check with your local hospital, swimming pool, or YMCA for details.
Finally, it’s probably a good idea to get off of your knee (as soon as you can) for a while post-workout. Put it up, and use ice if it’s bothering you. Remember not to overdo your workouts! Baby that knee and it’ll take you far (yeah…pun intended). 
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and come join the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook page by clicking here.
 I always love hearing about family members and friends who’ve made the decision to change their lives for the better. But every now and then, someone will give up on their journey and go back to their old way of living…the way of living that got them in the mess they wanted so badly to get out of in the first place. They get discouraged again and again and convince themselves that becoming healthy is just “too hard.”
Why does this happen? Simple: They were expecting big changes right away and weren’t celebrating the small victories.
Folks, real life isn’t like “The Biggest Loser” (not putting down the show — any show that encourages and motivates milllions of people to change their lives and bodies is all right by me). Real change in your body, especially if you have a lot to lose, takes time. And sometimes it takes a lot longer than the three months allotted to contestants on TBL.
For normal people (i.e., people who don’t have access to a gym, or dieticians and trainers telling them what to eat and how to exercise on a daily basis), it can take quite a while to lose those extra pounds. Even if you’re almost to your goal, discouragement can be your constant companion: the last five pounds can be tough to get rid of, the cellulite on your thighs can seem as permanent as the spackle on your walls, and your craving for carbs can easily overwhelm your willpower — especially on a bad day.
Don’t give these things (or whatever is defeating you at the moment) more power in your life than they deserve. The only thing they should be able to do to you is remind you that life is full of choices, and that next time you’ll know to make the right choice.
No matter how you think you’ve failed in your quest to get healthy — or to get your family healthy — there are also small victories that you should be celebrating. If you’ve been focusing on the negative, you may have to actively search for the positive. Here are a few of the small victories I’ve been celebrating lately:
- My husband, who’s never been a label reader, will come home from the store now and proudly point out that this item has no MSG, this one has no high fructose corn syrup, that one is low-fat, etc. I don’t lord it over him at all — I’m just so glad to see him making good choices at the grocery store!
- At a recent visit to the doctor last month, the nurse told me I was seven pounds lighter than when they saw me last (seven months earlier). I shot my fist up and said, “Woo hoo!” I’m almost to my goal weight and that’s good news, especially since I’ve been under a lot of stress and haven’t gotten to workout as much as I’d like to.
- All three of my teens exercise on their own without me telling them to. They’re building good habits that will last a lifetime, and that’s awesome. I like to think I’ve been somewhat of a good example.
You know something? I feel better just remembering that little list of victories. Give it a try yourself. The next time you feel down about your progress being slow (or even if you’ve backslid and fell back into some bad health habits), remember the small victories and give yourself a pat on the back.
So what are your little victories? Maybe you just ran your first mile without stopping (heck, maybe you even just walked your first mile without stopping). Perhaps you lost two pounds this week. Or maybe you made it through your first tough workout on Exercise TV. Could be you’re seeing definition in your arms and shoulders…for the first time in your life. These are all terrific achievements and you should be proud!
Getting healthy is a journey with twists, turns, and setbacks, yes, but also victories big and small. Remind yourself — on a daily basis, if necessary — that at this time next month, and even this time next year, you’re going to be a whole lot healthier and way more fit than you are now. Don’t give up! 
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
By Susanne Myers
How many times have you said to yourself that you just don’t have the time to exercise? Don’t feel bad; it’s my favorite excuse as well. We all have busy lives and not much time for anything in our schedule. That’s why I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to sneak some exercise into everyday activities with you.
Get Up Earlier. Did you know that you are much more likely to stick with any type of exercise program, if you do it in the morning? Makes sense, doesn’t it. The day is new, and you haven’t had a chance yet to get burned out from long meetings at the office or running around town all day. It’s hard to get motivated to work out after a long day, so why not get it out of the way first thing in the morning?
Set your alarm to go off 20 – 30 minutes earlier than usual and ride your exercise bike, go for a brisk walk through the neighborhood, or get an exercise tape and work out with it in the morning. Exercise is a great way to start your day and you’ll feel energized throughout the rest of your day.
Walk During Commercial Breaks. You just settled down on the couch to watch your favorite TV show, and it goes to commercial. That’s the perfect time to get in a little exercise. Just get up and march in place right in front of the TV until the commercial break is over. Doing this even just once or twice a day will start making a big difference. You can even wear a pedometer to get an idea for how much walking you get done during your favorite TV shows.
Once you get used to your commercial workout, step it up a notch by marching through the entire show. Now that’s a workout! Plus you don’t have to feel guilty about watching Desperate Housewives anymore instead of doing the dishes – you’re exercising.
Work On Your Abs While You Wait In Line. One of my least favorite things to do is to stand in line. Whether it’s at the grocery store, the pharmacy or the DMV, it just seems like such a waist of time to just stand there and wait. That is unless you are working out at the same time. You can get a great abs workout standing in line and best of all, no one has to notice. Here’s how you do it:
Stand up straight and suck in your stomach as hard as you can. Hold and count to ten before you release. Repeat. Each of these counts as one sit-up and is just as effective. Just imagine how many sit-ups you can do just while waiting in line each week.
Go For A Family Hike Or Bike Ride. Instead of just hanging out on the weekends, take the family for a hike or go on a bike ride. You get to spend some quality time with your family and get some great exercise at the same time.
If your life is as busy as mine, give a few of these exercise tips a try and see if you can’t start to find time to work out a few times a week.
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 Susanne Meyers is the owner of HillbillyHousewife.com. Check out her fun and helpful ebooks by clicking here.
For more tips on how to squeeze some exercise in your busy day visit Home Based Workouts. Get healthy and low calorie meal ideas delivered right in your inbox. Sign up for a free trial at Healthy Menu Mailer.
Article printed from LadyPens.
I don’t usually do this when grocery shopping, but the other day a certain product took me so much by surprise that I stopped, stared, and laughed out loud. (It was little embarrassing considering there were other shoppers nearby.) What was the product?
Organic pancake batter.
“What,” you ask, “is wrong with organic pancake batter?”
Nothing, usually, but this stuff was in a – wait for it – SPRAY CAN! You know – the same kind of can usually filled with processed “cheese” or whipped cream.
Being a camera-happy iPhone owner, I just had to take a picture of it, along with the ingredients list. 
In case you can’t read them in the picture, the ingredients are:
“Filtered water, organic wheat flour (unbleached), organic cane sugar, organic eggs, sodium lactate to inhibit spoilage, organic soybean powder, leavening (dicalcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate), sea salt, organic rice bran extract….”
And last but not least, that most organic of all ingredients (please note the sarcasm): “propellant.”
Hmm….
No, thank you.
How are you at reading labels? If you’re new to it, there are some food additives you’ll want to keep an eye out for. If any of the following ingredients are on the label you’re reading, you should really just put the product back on the shelf.
Let’s start with that propellant. The ingredient most often used as propellant in the same type of can containing the pancake batter (and whipped cream, etc.), is nitrous oxide. According to Drug-Forum.com, it’s been known to “leave a residue similar to motor oil” in whipped cream chargers, “which can be potentially harmful to the user.” Yum, right? With motor oil residue on your pancakes, who needs syrup?
MSG is next. Short for monosodium glutamate, MSG is a “flavor enhancer” with a nasty reputation for causing allergic reactions. It’s also a known neurotoxin that, once you eat it, never leaves your body. Never. Almost everyone has consumed MSG at one time or another, but the point is to do your best to avoid it from now on, and that includes knowing the sneaky aliases it goes by. According to the site, The Carbohydrate Addict, you may be consuming monosodium glutamate (and free glutamates, which they go into detail about on their site) if you eat foods containing the following:
enzyme modified
anything fermented
anything protein fortified
anything ultra pasteurized
autolyzed yeast
barley malt
broth
bouillon
calcium caseinate
carrageen
flavoring
natural flavoring
gelatin
hydrolyzed oat flour
hydrolyzed vegetable
hydrolyzed protein
malt extract
maltodextrin
natural flavors,
pectin
plant protein extract
potassium glutamate
sodium caseinate
soy protein
soy sauce
stock
textured protein
whey protein
yeast extract
yeast food
Like I said…sneaky. (For further reading on how MSG is often hidden in your food, check out Truth in Labeling. )
Besides propellant and MSG, be on the lookout for the other usual criminals: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, different types of fat, white flour, unnecessary additives, and artificial sweeteners like sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda). Choose to keep natural foods in your cupboards as much as possible and make your own meals instead of eating out (especially at fast food joints). Your family may give you a tough time about it, but eventually – when they realize how good they feel – they’ll thank you!
©2010 Sally Dinius
 Need a little help when it comes to knowing what to cook to get your family healthy? Try the Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook. You’ll get some helpful bonuses along with these tasty (and did I mention “healthy”?) recipes.
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
I spent some much needed time yesterday “attacking” my home office. I’ve been spending hours putting together — and getting the word out about — a new online endeavor, and my work space was looking pretty ragged. Papers were piling up on top of the printer, and odds and ends were feeling a little too at-home on the edge of my desk. I even had a lunch plate or two perched precariously on top of my filing cart. Scary.
Well, enough was enough, so I cleared out and cleaned up! There’s really only one way to do that — remove everything, wipe down all surfaces (it’s amazing how much dust accumulates), then put things back one by one. The most important rule for making your home office a place you love: If it isn’t useful or beautiful, it just doesn’t belong anywhere near where you’re working. If our eyes see clutter, our thinking becomes cluttered, too. If you take the time to organize and beautify your work space, you’ll quickly see what I mean.
 My “office” happens to be a corner of my bedroom. Thankfully, even though our house is a 1968 rambler, our bedroom is fairly large. The desk and cupboards above are built-ins, and while they bugged me at first, I’m thankful for them now. Our bedroom is decorated in Country French decor — which I love — so of course I continued that theme in my work area.
I’d love to show you the details of what makes my home office one of my favorite places to be:
A printer is a must for any home entrepreneur. Mine, as you can see, sits atop an old breakfast tray. The side pocket holds my address book and planners, and the generous space underneath leaves room for a chunky basket from IKEA. The basket holds the things I use often: stapler, three-hole punch, photo paper, my camera, various cables…you get the idea.
My rolling filing cart is compact, in easy reach…and leaves no excuses for not doing my filing NOW. I love it because it’s black, so it goes with any decor, and has style, though I know that’s hard to see in the picture. I even purchased red hanging file folders to match the room. (Eventually all of the files will be red.) Someday in the future, when I’m feeling industrious, I might sew a cover for the cart…or pay someone else to do it!
 
I don’t remember where I got this old picnic basket, but it’s perfect. As you can see, not only is it attractive, but does double duty holding files for projects I’m currently working on. Baskets like this can be found at thrift stores, craft stores, or garage sales.
Unless you prefer to put your legs there, the underside of your desk can be used for extra storage, which is what I do. In my case, a Battenburg curtain panel, doubled over a tension rod, covers a multitude of sins. Cafe curtains from your local home store would work just as well, or hit the antique store to look for vintage linens, which is exactly where I found this treasure.
I’m sure the top of my desk will look cluttered to some. If you think it does, all I can say is, you should have seen it before! The things that are there now were carefully chosen because they’re items I love. When I’m working and deep in thought, my eyes tend to wander. I’d rather have my gaze fall on things that make me say “ahh” and not “ugh.” And I’ve found that surrounding myself with things that evoke a happy mood can have a profound effect on how much work I get done…and how well I do it!
Keeping with the theme of using things you love in your work area, try “repurposing” items intended for other rooms. On my desk, a fancy Fenton bon bon dish holds M&Ms (they, uh, help me think), and a vintage soap dish holds paper clips and push pins. Look around your home and see what you can add to your desk to infuse a little fun! Can’t find anything? Scour antique shops, thrift stores, even dollar stores. You never know what you’ll come across.
 
Besides two corkboard squares on the wall between my desktop and the cupboards, I have nowhere else in this small space to tack things up. But thanks to a roll of tape, the glass in the cupboard doors became my message center. It may look unsightly to some, but to me, it’s beautiful. Those doors are where I put quotes and reminders that motivate me and keep me going. I have Bible verses, quotes from other internet marketers (like this favorite from Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive: “I can either be fearful and broke, or afraid and well paid!”), and one by Jillian Michaels that really resonated with me when I read it in this months’ issue of Success Magazine: “If you are not taking responsibility for the state of your life, you are a victim.” The quote below it, “‘Cause you strong!” is from her 30-Day Shred DVD.
  
Inside the cupboards I have keepsakes like special things my kids have given me and my bear from when I was little. The cupboards also hold my business library…something I strongly recommend every home entrepreneur have.
Last, but certainly not least, you’ve got to have a great chair. If you want an office chair that leans back and rolls around, that’s what you should have. If you want a straight-backed parson’s chair, get one. My chair is a vintage, carved-back dining chair. I placed a cover on it, then topped that with an old dresser scarf secured with a fancy pin. The seat cushion is an old pillow, and it’s cover is one I found at the dollar store, of all places.
 
Thanks for sticking with me through this long post! I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into my home office. If you’ve got a blog of your own, upload pictures of your workspace, too. Send me the link and I’ll share it here.
Above all, remember: Just because you “work” in your home office, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy being there. How your surroundings make you feel — anywhere from contented and happy to irritable and depressed — really can affect the quality of your work and the level of success you achieve. Surround yourself with things you love…you’re worth it!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
Today I’d like to share with you a little blast from the past. I’ve been nostalgically scrolling through old posts from another blog I used to have (I think it’s still there, just sitting dormant), and found this fun recipe. I posted it back in 2007, and am actually thrilled because I’d forgotten all about this green drink (literally…it’s green). The only change I would make to it now is to add a scoop of vanilla-flavored protein powder.
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“Kermit in a Blender”
February 2, 2007
 You read that right: Kermit in a Blender.
Kermit in a Blender is my new favorite drink. It’s a terrible name, I know, and you’ll think it’s even worse once you hear what’s in it. Hey…it’s not easy being green, but if you ignore the color, it’s not too hard to drink it.
Kermit in a Blender is a smoothie that is simple as can be. I found a great juice called Mega Green in the health foods section at my local supermarket. First, I’ll tell you what’s in that, then I’ll tell you how to make the smoothie.
The maker is R.W. Knudsen, and Mega Green is in a line of juices called Simply Nutritious. The front of the label says Mega Green is “a juice blend from five concentrates with spirulina, chlorella, green grasses & other green foods.” (Spirulina and chlorella are types of algae.) The juice has a heck of a lot of potassium in it (330mg per 8 oz. serving), which is great for improving your memory, among other things. Take a look at this lovely list of ingredients:
FILTERED WATER (SUFFICIENT TO RECONSTITUTE), APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, PEACH PUREE CONCENTRATE, PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, BANANA AND MANGO PUREES, SPIRULINA, CHLORELLA, NATURAL GUMS (XANTHAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, LOCUST BEAN GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE), BARLEY AND WHEAT GRASSES, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), NATURAL FLAVOR, BROCCOLI AND SPINACH POWDERS.
By itself, it tastes like a virgin pina colada being sipped through a seaweed straw, but put it in the smoothie, and you’ve got a tasty breakfast (the “green” taste seems to disappear). Or at least a quick snack.
Kermit in a Blender
8 oz. Mega Green juice
4 oz. apple juice (optional)
7-10 ice cubes
1 banana
Place all of the above in a blender. On mine, I have a “crush ice” option, so I put it on that setting until I no longer see any large pieces of ice whirring around. So give it a go. Mix it up, and share it with a friend.
So far, this drink has a fan base of only two: my 11 year-old daughter and myself. My 12 year-old son, who will not drink it, affectionately calls it, “Kermit Getting Sick by the Lake.” Perhaps we need to think of a nicer (and more appetizing) name….
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It was fun sharing this blast from the past with you. Let me know if you try the drink, or if you have a favorite smoothie recipe of your own.
More blasts from the past to come!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
By Guest Blogger Pascale Vandenbroucke
If you’re a mom, you know there is nothing more rewarding than that look of adoration in your little one’s face. As a mom, you’ve made it your business to love, protect, and care for your children, better than anyone else. Because life can get so hectic, personal fitness, for busy moms like yourself, is often sacrificed to spending quality time with your kids. However, what many women don’t realize is that they can get an effective workout and enjoy one-on-one activities with their children at the same time.
Fitness for Busy Moms with Babies
When your child is an infant, workouts for two can be as simple as finding a gentle workout video that uses a baby carrier as part of the program. The carrier should, of course, be placed on your front. If your baby is young and can’t support his or her head, the carrier must allow you to have your child facing you. It should also provide the proper support to safely hold your little one’s neck and head.
Strength-training fitness for busy moms is possible as well. A great place to start is “peak-a-boo crunches”. Placing your baby facing you on your lap while you do standard crunches allows you to play peak-a-boo with every upward, tummy-tightening motion. If you want to strengthen you arms, chest, and back, try some “playful push-ups with baby,” by placing your baby between your arms, so his or her face is directly under yours. As you do your push-ups, each time your face moves towards your little one’s, share kisses, blow raspberries on his or her cheeks, or make a funny face. Start with three sets of 8 – 10 repetitions for each activity, at least 3 times a week. Work up to 15 repetitions.
Fitness for Busy Moms with Toddlers
If you have a toddler, carriers and simple strength training exercises likely won’t engage your little one. Luckily, there are other fun activities you can do together, and fitness for busy moms with one- to three- year- olds can take a number of forms. If your toddler is younger, pushing him or her in a stroller while you go for a brisk walk or jog is a simple way for both of you to get fresh air and enjoy the out-of-doors. To further involve their children in the activity, some moms have them kick their legs along the way.
While stroller activities are an effective method of fitness for busy moms, they are not quite as helpful for the kids. A more interactive choice of exercise is to engage daily in activity songs together. Songs that involve actions, like clapping, galloping, waving arms, and spinning around are endlessly fun. Some favorites are “ring-around-the-rosie,” “I’m a little tea-pot,” and “The Hokie Pokie.”
Fitness for Busy Moms with Preschoolers
Once your child is four and is gaining stronger motor skills, it’s quite possible that your preschooler will enjoy dancing along with your own fitness routine. Online workout programs provide you with a number of fun activities, brought right to your home. Some online workout programs allow you to choose shorter programs, especially well-suited to parents whose children’s attention spans are still developing. Choose a program that appeals to you, but one with high energy. While the majority of online workout programs aren’t designed for children, your child may enjoy mimicking your motions or simply moving along to the music.
Aside from online workout programs, you and your preschooler can also go for walks together, chase each other, and, of course, play active games and sing action songs. A trip to the local zoo, a stroll through the park, and a kite-flying excursion are all every-day things that you can do to add fun and fitness to your time with your child. Whether you choose indoor games, outdoor activities, or online workout programs, physical fitness for busy moms with preschoolers can be both fun and effective.
Whatever you choose to do, getting active with your children will ultimately benefit both of you in the long run. By keeping your body healthy, you are ensuring you will be in the best state to care for your kids, and, at the same time, you are providing them with a positive role model for life-long, physical fitness. You are also giving your children opportunity to be active while spending time with their mom! Fitness for busy moms like you may be difficult, but, when done deliberately with your children in mind, it can be a valuable addition to any weekly routine.
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Pascale Vandenbroucke is the Creative Director for Workouts On Demand. The website offers over 90 full-length online workout videos with everything from Toning and Kickboxing, to Yoga and Pilates, to Step Aerobics and Cardio Hip Hop…and much more. Watch the workouts on your computer or download workout videos to your hard drive. And with new exercise videos added every week, there is always a new workout available so you can get the results you have wanted.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
If you’re health conscious like me, you read labels. Or you at least try to remember to.
There are quite a few things I keep my eyes peeled for on food packaging, like: MSG (monosodium glutamate, a flavor-enhancer and known neurotoxin that never leaves the body), saturated fats, trans fats, high levels of sodium, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose.
I’m bringing this up because my shortest child just loves Capri Sun juice pouches. We usually buy the original variety, which contains sugar. I know that and am aware of it. I don’t like it, but it is what it is. The good thing about Capri Sun, as far as I can tell from the ingredients listings on their site, is that none of their juice drinks contain high fructose corn syrup. Thank you, Capri Sun and Kraft, for that — I wish more companies would follow that example.
That said, here’s the stinger. I’m upset. Not long ago I decided to buy their new “Roarin’ Waters” variety for my daughter. It is, essentially flavored water…not unlike Propel, et al. I felt okay buying it because it contains no food dyes. HOWEVER…at the store yesterday, I felt prompted to look at the ingredients listed on the side of the box. The following has been copied from their web site:
“CAPRI SUN WATER BEVERAGE ROARIN’ WATERS STRAWBERRY KIWI 10 CT
Size: 10 ct
Upc: 8768400114
Ingredients: WATER, SUGAR, CITRIC ACID, SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA BRAND SWEETENER), NATURLA FLAVOR.”
(Emphasis is mine. Misspelling of “NATURAL” is theirs.)
In my opinion, Kraft is being deceptive in their packaging of this product. In two places on the front of the box you’ll find the phrase, “No Artificial Colors or Flavors.” Did you catch the missing word? Hint: It’s “Sweeteners.” The above phrase attempts to trick us into thinking, “Oh, this is good — nothing artificial.” How sly.
You may remember the post I did some time ago about the effects sucralose had on me. It’s nasty stuff. I’m very upset that Kraft feels it can be put into kids’ drinks, especially after the bad press sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda) has gotten over the last few years. I realize some kids can’t have drinks flavored with sugar, so their parents buy drinks that are flavored artificially. But this drink already has sugar in it. There is NO reason to add the Splenda!
Please join me in voicing your concerns about this product to Kraft (the maker of Capri Sun juice pouches). Remind them of the detrimental effects sucralose can have on our children. Tell them you won’t buy that particular variety until sucralose is removed from the product.
Get active and get involved for the sake of your children’s health. None of us is too busy for that. Thank you!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
Not since Disney’s Beauty and the Beast came out on VHS back in the 90s has an animated movie gotten such a hold on me. (For Mother’s Day that year, I used a gift card my husband gave me and went and bought “Beauty and the Beast” for myself. I let my kids watch it, of course.)
Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon is a sweet story of a Viking teenager who befriends a dragon called a “night fury.” He tries to keep it a secret from the other Vikings because, well, the dragons are their enemies. (If you haven’t seen it, that’s all I’m saying — I won’t ruin it for you!) I love feel-good stories, and this is one of those. There’s also plenty of adventure, not to mention superb animation.
Not only do I love really great animated stories, I also love my iPhone. And not only do I love my iPhone…so does my four year-old daughter. She can operate that thing better than I can at times. When I need to keep her quiet for a little while (like when I’m blogging), age-appropriate apps come in very handy.
Tying this all together, today I’ve got to recommend the How to Train Your Dragon - Kids Book HD app from FrogDogMedia LLC.
Part of the iStoryTime library of narrated apps for kids, this one is a winner. I bought it for my daughter yesterday (it’s just $1.99 from the iTunes App Store), and she has already watched it several times.
As I said, my little one is four, but this app is appropriate for kids ages 2 years and up. New readers will appreciate the words to the story at the bottom of the screen, and I like that each word is highlighted in green lettering as the narrator reads it. To boost your child’s reading skills, try turning off the sound and having your child read the story out loud. You can even turn it into a game by having them try to keep up with the highlighted words.
Enjoy!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
(The above article contains affiliate links and a completely honest review. )
By Guest Blogger Joan Pagano
How do you know if you have a strong core? One method is to test the transversus abdominis (TVA), the deep abdominal muscle that plays a significant role in core strength. It functions to stabilize the pelvis and maintain the small curve in the lower back (neutral spine alignment). To assess the strength of this muscle, we challenge its ability to stabilize the pelvis against the changing resistance of various leg movements.
There are three levels of difficulty. All variations are performed lying on your back, arms resting by your sides with palms up to minimize any assistance from the upper body. For all levels, follow these guidelines:
* Before you move your legs, establish neutral spine alignment: Contract your abdomen by drawing your belly button toward your spine without flattening your lower back into the floor.
* As you add the leg movements, use your abs to keep your lower back from arching and your hips from rocking side to side.
* A good way to monitor how you are doing is to place your fingers under your pelvis and feel the two bumps on either side of your sacrum just below your waist. As you raise and lower your legs, make sure that the pelvis stays level, exerting even pressure on your fingers, and doesn’t lift up on either side.
1) Beginner Level: Start with your knees bent at 90 degrees, feet on the floor. Lift one leg at a time, keeping the right angle at the knee, then lower the leg back to the floor. Make sure your hips stay level and alternate sides for 10 repetitions (one rep = both sides).
2) Intermediate Level: From the above position, lift one leg at a time and hold, so that both legs are raised with your knees bent over your hips, calves parallel to the floor. Maintaining the right angles at your hips and knees, hold the position for 30 seconds or longer without arching the low back.
3) Advanced Level: From the previous position, legs raised with right angles at hips and knees, straighten both legs to the ceiling. Slowly lower them toward the floor as far as you can go without arching the lower back. You may only be able to go a few inches before your back begins to arch. If so, stop and bend the knees in over your chest to rest.
The advanced level is very difficult and can strain the back if the TVA is not strong enough to stabilize the pelvis against the resistance of the legs. Take your time to advance through the levels. As you build strength, you will be able to work through the progression with ease and without risking injury.
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 For expert guidance on abs workouts, including step-by-step color photos depicting the exercises and a live-action DVD, please check out the 15-Minute Abs Workout book by Joan Pagano.
Joan Pagano is an authority on the benefits of exercise for women’s health issues such as pregnancy, breast cancer, menopause and osteoporosis as well as strength training through the decades. For more about Joan, please visit http://joanpaganofitness.com.
(c) Copyright - Joan L. Pagano. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Article Source: Ezine Articles: Expert Joan Pagano.
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