CrazyBusy Mama! (Dot Calm)

For some of you, this may be old news, but if you haven’t heard (and you’re a big ExerciseTV fan), you may want to sit down.

As of December 31, ExerciseTV on Comcast OnDemand, and the accompanying ExerciseTV website, will cease operations. If you go to the website, all you will see is the following message:

I lost over 20 pounds a couple of years ago thanks to ExerciseTV (and my daughter’s constant pushing me to start exercising with her), and even blogged for them for a while. I’m very sorry to see them go. In fact, I’m still holding out hope that some millionaire will come along and rescue the brand before the lights at ExerciseTV are out for good.

Any takers?

If you, like me, have relied on the workouts on ExerciseTV to stay in shape, I’d like to leave you with just a little bit of encouragement. Don’t be discouraged: Keep working out! Every door that closes just means a new door is ready to be opened somewhere. This might be a good time to try something new, like joining a gym or exercise class. Go walking or running. Or if you’re more comfortable working out at home, find your favorite ExTV workouts on iTunes or Amazon.com. Many stores also sell exercise DVDs — try some out and find some new favorites.

If you’ve been relying on ExerciseTV to stay in shape, please leave a comment and tell us what new thing you’ll be doing to stay healthy and fit now.

Today, I’m featuring another important repost from days gone by; this one from about a year ago. It’s so important to make the extra effort in choosing the foods our kids eat. They develop a taste for what we feed them, be it good or bad, homemade or McDonald’s, whole foods or processed. All it takes is a scanning of the label and a refusal to buy garbage. Read on!

I have a confession to make: I got a little spoiled this summer. With three teens and a four-year-old, it was nice only having to make lunch for one of them. The older ones were on their own when it came to making their lunches, and didn’t seem to mind one bit.

Now that school has begun again (for two of them, anyway — one graduated last June), I’m back to my job as chief lunch maker. They do make their own lunches to take on occasion, but I’m still the one who decides which foods will be in the cupboards and fridge to pick from.

The hardest part, for me, is variety — making sure they don’t get tired of the same-old, same-old. The easiest part is making sure they’re not getting junk, and it’s easy for one reason: I read food packaging labels and I know what I’m looking for.

My “dream lunch” to send to school with my kids would be something like this:

Turkey sandwich on whole wheat
Fruit
Veggies with healthy ranch dip
Crackers with no added MSG, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup
Water or milk

But…that’s not always possible, nor what they want on a daily basis. Sometimes I’ll give in (Doritos, cookies), but only a little, and not too often. It’s easy to throw a lunch together with conveniently-packaged snack foods from the grocery store, but it really doesn’t take that much effort to make it healthier.

At the very least, keep an eye out at the grocery store (yes, read labels while you’re shopping) for the usual criminals: monosodium glutamate (a.k.a. MSG), high fructose corn syrup (HFSC), bad fats, and artificial sweeteners.

Why? MSG is a known neurotoxin that never leaves the human body and has been proven to cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. HFCS can wreak havoc on the body and is thought to make certain people more prone to developing diabetes, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose (Splenda), Nutra Sweet, and others are chemically derived, can cause symptoms like headaches and depression, and can contribute to obesity by actually causing you to actually crave real sugar…after all, you can’t really fool your own body — at least not for very long.

I’m always amazed at how many prepackaged foods contain food additives like the ones mentioned above. (MSG is also known by many other names. Read this post to learn more.)

We parents hold our children’s health in our hands…literally. It is vital to make sure we’re feeding them the healthiest foods possible and are teaching them good habits now. I realize it’s not always possible to keep this stuff out of our cupboards (especially if you aren’t the only grocery shopper in your family), but at least getting started — and making changes, no matter how small — is the important thing.

In the spirit of the highly popular book series, Eat This, Not That, I’d like to share with you some good substitutes for your kids’ school lunches. I’ve compiled a list of common not-so-healthy lunchbox items and their more nutritious counterparts (notice I didn’t say “perfect,” just “more nutritious”). You’ll notice that some of the items do contain sugar, but when it comes right down to it, I’d rather my kids have a small amount of sugar than HFCS or chemically-derived artificial sweeteners. Our bodies at least know what to do with regular sugar (eat it or store it as fat), but simply gets confused by the others.

Peanut butter. Here is a good example of choosing “the lesser of two evils.” I know what you’re thinking…how could peanut butter possibly be evil? I love peanut butter as much as the next kid (I’m a kid at heart), but there are two things to watch out for: calories and fats. Rather than do an all-out comparison, I’ll just recommend two brands that I’ve bought, eaten, and fed to my own family.

The first is Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter. The only ingredients are roasted peanuts, sugar (3 g. per 2 tbsp.), palm oil, and salt. There’s much debate about palm oil, but it’s healthier than regular Skippy Peanut Butter, which contains cottonseed, soybean, and rapeseed oils. (Oops, I guess I just did a comparison.) Skippy Natural has 190 calories per two tablespoons; 140 of those are from fat.

The second I’m going to recommend is Adam’s 100% Natural Creamy Peanut Butter. It has more calories at 210 per two tablespoons, 150 of those being from fat. Yikes. However, its only ingredients are roasted peanuts and salt. Adam’s Peanut Butter is an acquired taste, I’ll admit, especially if your kids are used to regular peanut butter, which is sweeter and more processed.

Jelly and/or Jam. Do NOT buy “low sugar” or “sugar free” unless it’s from the nutrition section of the store. I can pretty much guarantee it will contain artificial sweeteners. (Smucker’s Simply Fruit “Low Sugar” variety has the NutraSweet logo right on the label.) Also, avoid jams and jellies with HFCS. My favorite sweetened-with-sugar-only brand is Danish Orchards.

Crackers. Many store-bought cracker varieties contain MSG and HFCS. There’s no need for it! It’s one of my chief frustrations while shopping to see foods that are full of this garbage being marketed toward our children. Even Cheez-It crackers — the regular variety contains MSG. The same brand’s whole grain variety does not, so if your kids like Cheez-Its as much as mine do, get the whole grain ones. They don’t taste ANY different.

Update: You can also try making your own crackers that aren’t full of the preservatives and flavor enhancers like many of the store brands are. Do a Google search for “healthy cracker recipes” and you’ll find more than you can possibly use.

Capri Sun. Ah, memories. My mom put Capri Sun pouches in my lunch when I was in junior high school (back in the…ahem…early 80s). There are more varieties of Capri Sun now, so being a vigilant parent is very important if you buy them for your kids. Depending on the variety, you could be giving your kids HFCS or artificial sweeteners (sucralose, in this case, which caused serious depression in me last year…so I know first hand how bad it is). Stay away, for example, from the Roarin’ Waters variety. It’s clear in color, so it makes you think it’s healthier. NOT. Roarin’ Waters contains sucralose, identified as “Splenda brand sweetener” on the ingredients list. If a child can’t have sugar, I can understand why a parent might need to buy items with artificial sweeteners once in a while. HOWEVER, Roarin’ Waters also contains sugar along with the sucralose. If someone could explain the reasoning behind that, go ahead: I’m all ears!

Instead of Roarin’ Waters, buy instead the Original Capri Sun, which is sweetened only with sugar and real juice concentrates. Their Sunrise variety is also sweetened only with sugar, and their 100% Juice line is just as it says…100% juice. See my previous post on Capri Suns here.

Of course, my favorite (and usual) drink to send along with my kids in their lunches is bottled purified water.

I hope this article has given you some “food for thought.” If you remember none of what you read here, at least remember this: READ LABELS before you buy. Steer clear of MSG, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, trans fats (and saturated fats, when possible). If it doesn’t sound natural, it most likely isn’t. Also, when you can, avoid unnecessary sugar. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind when reading labels is this: A long list of ingredients gives you a long list of reasons to not buy that particular product.

©2010 Sally Dinius
=================================================

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.

When I was a kid, the word “plank” had one meaning: a piece of wood. And not just any piece of wood: In my mind, that plank was something to be walked on…then walked off of…followed by a big “splash.”

Probably had a little bit to do with my trips to see The Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. That, and my voracious appetite for reading.

Nowadays, plank has a new meaning that’s been gaining steadily in popularity. It’s still a noun, but instead of just being a piece of lumber, it’s also now an exercise.

An exercise that resembles a piece of lumber.

As exciting as that sounds (not), the plank is actually one of my favorite exercises for increasing core stability and strength, and for toning the abdominal muscles. And when you’re finally able to do it — and hold it for a millenium…er, minute…that’s really something to brag about.

I first learned to do a plank by following Holly Perkins’ Pink Ribbon Workouts. You’ll find it in Strength Training for Runners and Walkers, a workout I would recommend to anyone and everyone, whether they’re into walking and running or not. (It’s often on Exercise TV OnDemand; keep an eye out for it. Otherwise, check the Exercise TV site.

The plank Holly teaches in the video is a side plank, and as she says, you may find while doing it that you are stronger on one side than the other. (It’s a great diagnostic “tool” to discover which side of your body needs a little more strength training and toning.)

To do a side plank, lay on your side, your top foot stacked evenly on your bottom foot (see the picture, above). Resting on your forearm (keep your elbow under your shoulder, not at an angle), push your body up so all that’s touching the floor is your forearm and foot. Keep your body straight and don’t let your hips sag. Hold for 30 seconds for beginners; longer if you’re more in shape, and release. Try to do it a couple more times. If you lose balance or feel shaky on one side, you’ll know that’s the side you need to focus on strengthening more.

See Holly’s Strength Training for Runners and Walkers to see how she adds to this exercise to really tone your core.

The traditional plank is one you may have already seen or heard of — or done yourself — and is really very simple. For beginners, lie on your stomach on the floor. Push up onto your toes and forearms (bent at the elbow, just under your shoulders). Keep your body straight, not letting your lower back sway or your hips arch. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute. If you’re more advanced, do the exercise straight armed so your hands are supporting your weight instead of your forearms (I actually find this to be more comfortable, anyway), and hold for longer.

Combine both versions of the plank with your other favorite abdominal exercises, and you’ll be beach-ready in no time, mama.

Just stay away from the pirate ships.

—————————————————————-
Need a New Gym Bag? Get up to 70% Off Top Brands at eBags!
—————————————————————-
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 just found out…a little late…that this is National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month. While allergies and asthma are no laughing matter, the title of it did make me chuckle a little, because anyone with either of those maladies is already well aware of its presence.

Hay fever is something that’s fairly new to me. I don’t remember having it at anytime in my life before these last 10 years, though I’ve pretty much always been allergic to something. Whether it was cigarette smoke, cat dander, lactose, or what have you, there was always some allergen trying to pick a fight with me.

If you think you might be an allergy or asthma sufferer as well, but have yet to be diagnosed, check your symptoms against those in the following lists. (Besides asthma, I chose only to list symptoms for the two “big” allergies: hay fever and cat allergy.) You’ll want to follow up with your doctor if your symptoms are severe.

Hay Fever Symptoms

* Runny nose and nasal congestion
* Watery or itchy eyes
* Sneezing
* Cough
* Itchy nose, roof of mouth, or throat
* Sinus pressure and facial pain
* Swollen, blue-colored skin under the eyes (allergic shiners)
* Decreased sense of smell or taste
(Source: Mayo Clinic)

Hay fever symptoms usually hit right after you’re exposed to the specific allergen that causes them for you and, more often than not, at a specific time of year. For me, May is my worst month (hence, I am fully aware…sorry, couldn’t resist), and my symptoms (crazy sneezing and nasal congestion) seem to be triggered by pollen. Now I’m just waiting for the cottonwood trees to release their seeds. There are always so many each spring that it looks like snow on the ground…and my sneezing (etc.) goes into overdrive.

If your symptoms are bad, have your doctor prescribe something. Over-the-counter Sudafed seems to work well for me, if I take anything at all.

Cat Allergy Symptoms

Symptoms of cat allergy can include:

* coughing and wheezing
* hives or a rash on the chest and face
* red, itchy eyes
* redness of the skin where a cat has scratched, bitten, or licked you
* runny, itchy, stuffy nose
* sneezing
(Source: WebMD)

According to WebMD, “about 10% of the U.S. population has pet allergies, and cats are among the most common culprits. Cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies. But contrary to what you might think, it’s not the fur or hair that’s the real problem. People with cat allergies are really allergic to proteins in the cat’s saliva, urine, and dander (dried flakes of skin).”

What I’ve heard, and it may or may not be true, is that cats with black fur put more allergens into the air than other cats. And wouldn’t you know it: I have a cat with black fur. He’s a “tuxedo cat” and not entirely black, but it seems it’s enough to send my allergies into a…uh…hissy fit. Will I ever give him up? Never! He’s my “baby,” and he knows it.

Because some of the symptoms of cat allergy can resemble hay fever, your doctor will need to do a skin or blood test to be sure. If the results are positive, don’t get rid of Fluffy just yet: Your doctor can prescribe certain medications (okay, so sometimes it’s a shot) to help you deal with your kitty allergies. And hey, there’s even talk now of a vaccine to help cat allergy sufferers.

Asthma Symtoms

* Coughing, especially at night
* Wheezing
* Shortness of breath
* Chest tightness, pain, or pressure
(Source: WebMD)

Because asthma is so serious, please do NOT try to self-diagnose. We had one big experience with asthma when my oldest son was in his mid-teens (he’s 19 now, but it still seems like so long ago). He was trying to swim in a lake, but found himself unable to breathe and had to be rescued by one of his friends (to whom we will be forever grateful). The doctor said it was exercise-induced asthma.

We know full well we could have lost him that day. Did he have earlier symptoms that could have clued us in to his being susceptible to asthma? I can’t think of any, but it’s possible he did have some that we missed. We don’t have a family history or asthma, so my son’s experience with it was a real surprise. Please take some time to read the information at the following websites to educate yourself on the symptoms — and seriousness — of asthma.

WebMD’s Asthma Guide: http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma-overview-facts

Overview on Asthma from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma/DS00021

More on Asthma from eMedicine Health: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/asthma/article_em.htm

And finally, you’ll want to see if your city made it on the list of the 10 worst cities for asthma. If you live near one of them, you’ll want to be extra vigilant.

That said, see your doctor if necessary, but don’t let allergies or asthma keep you from enjoying the beautiful outdoors this spring! I’ll be out there gardening right beside you…after I take my Sudafed.

=================================================
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.

Ah, soy milk. How I used to love it…until I found out that it could conceivably do more harm to our bodies than its growers and sellers (“Big Soy”) want us to know about. (See yesterday’s article and definitely do your own Google search, as well, to learn more.)

One of the things about the dangers of soy that upsets me the most is that it also poses dangers to young children. I’d been giving vanilla soy milk to my young daughter (now four-years-old) for quite some time, not because she needed it but because she just loved how it tasted (she called it “noy milt” — never did quite get down the pronunciation of it). Needless to say, I no longer buy it and, thankfully, she seems to have mostly forgotten about it.

If you’re a drinker of soy milk, I highly encourage you to try something else. There are several alternatives available, so if you don’t like one, do try another until you find one that’s a good fit for you and your family.

Probably the most obvious alternative to soy milk would be cow’s milk. Look for an organic brand to (hopefully) avoid the hormones and antibiotics often fed to dairy cows. It’s likely, however, that you chose soy to get away from having to drink cow’s milk for one reason or another, so let’s move on.

(Note: Each item below contains a link to purchase it online, or you may simply check your local health food store. Many large grocery stores also carry these types of “milk.”)

1. Coconut Milk I’ve been hearing some great things about coconut milk (and coconut oil). If you’re not watching your weight and plan to drink a lot of it, then bottoms up! Thick coconut milk — not to be confused with “thin” coconut milk, also known as coconut water — has a whopping 552 calories per 240 gram serving (about 8 ounces), and 479 of those calories are from fat. On the other hand, it’s a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids (Omega 6, to be exact). Coconut milk contains lauric acid, which aids in brain development and helps to preserve bone health. The lauric acid in coconut milk has also been used to heal skin infections when the milk is applied directly to the affected area.

2. Rice Milk is typically made from cooked brown or other short-grain rice, water, and flavorings. I actually used to drink rice milk fairly regularly (almond, too), until I found soy. Now that I’m wise to soy, I’ll probably go back to rice or almond milk (see below), which is very good, too. So what’s so great about rice milk? Well, nothing spectacular really, except that it’s a good substitute for skim cow’s milk, to which it’s similar in texture. Rice milk has higher carbs than skim milk, if that’s important to you, and is often fortified with vitamins A and D to make it comparable to skim milk.

3. Almond Milk is another good alternative to dairy and soy. It has a nice texture, and the vanilla variety is especially good (I haven’t really noticed a difference between brands). Almond milk is high in Vitamin E, which is good for the skin, along with Vitamins D and A, which benefit your bone and eye health. It’s also low in calories at just 60 calories or so per 8 ounce serving, so you can drink it a little more often than the coconut milk mentioned above. Make your own almond milk using Dr. Ben Kim’s recipe found here.

4. Hemp Milk Yes…that hemp. I really hemmed and hawed about adding this one, but the fact is that it’s a viable and genuine milk — and soy milk — substitute. A major concern people have when it comes to hemp milk is that is that it might contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical found in marijuana (cannabis). I understand from my research that it does not contain THC, and even comes in different flavors, like plain, vanilla, and chocolate. Hemp has no cholesterol, no trans fats, is low in sodium and carbs, and has only around 60-ish calories per serving, based on 240 grams (compare that to the same amount of coconut milk, above — yowza). And as one web site said, it’s legal (that made me laugh). BUT…I still don’t know if I want to try it. You first.

©2010 Sally Dinius
=================================================

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’m one of those people who thought — for a while — that soy milk was a healthy alternative to regular milk. I was quite proud of myself for ordering my chai tea latte with soy at Starbucks. Thankfully, more and more voices are being raised, declaring that there are more dangers than benefits when it comes to soy. I first heard the warning bells from Jillian Michaels’ posts on Facebook, and wanted to share this article by Marisa Vicario with you, as well. You may want to think twice about buying that carton of soy milk. Stay tuned tomorrow to learn about some healthier alternatives to soy. – Ed.

By Marisa Vicario

We consume it in everything from our morning coffee to burger substitutes but products like soy milk and veggie burgers could actually be more dangerous than we think.

Ever since the FDA deemed it heart-healthy, soy and soy-based products have been cropping up all over supermarkets and health food stores. The legume native to East Asia is an ingredient found in 60 percent of processed foods from baby food to ice cream, but lately there has been widespread controversy surrounding the health claims. In fact, some studies claim that soy can accelerate the onset of breast cancer, lower sperm count and decrease libido.

What is at the root of the concerns about soy?

Allergens: One of the top eight allergens, soy is commonly difficult to digest.

Phytoestrogens: Plant hormones that act like female estrogens called phytoestrogens are found in soy. The research is out on whether these compounds can prevent certain cancers, but it is also known that phytoestrogens have the ability to disrupt natural hormone function in the body especially during times such as pregnancy, infancy, puberty, the reproductive years and menopause and may alter sexual development.

Soy Isoflavines: Also questionable are soy isoflavines, a chemical compound derived from the soybean, which also have an estrogenic effect. While they are being studied for their role in relieving symptoms of menopause, cancer prevention, slowing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of heart disease, soy isoflavines are also being investigated for causing hyperthyroidism.

Phytic Acid: All legumes contain some phytic acid but soy contains higher-than-average levels. Phytic acid blocks mineral absorption which can cause zinc and calcium deficiencies.

Genetic Modification and Processing: Finally, over 90 percent of the soy on the market today is genetically modified and most soy products are highly processed. Soy protein isolate, the main ingredient in most soy foods that act as substitutes for meat and dairy as well as fast foods, baked goods and diet beverages is processed at high temperatures using a high pressure extrusion process and then sprayed with nitrates and MSG.

But not all soy is created equal. Organic soy that has been fermented such as miso, tempeh and natto are far safer foods than organic or genetically modified soy foods. Fermentation reduces phytic acid levels in soy making them more nourishing and digestible.

While, the jury is still out on whether the health risks pertaining to soy outweigh the benefits, there are a few rules of thumb that can be helpful:

* Read ingredients and avoid processed foods and genetically modified forms of soy.
* Enjoy old-fashioned soy (miso, natto, tempeh) in moderation
* Avoid excess soy consumption during key stages of life: pregnancy, infancy, puberty, the reproductive years and menopause
* Avoid soy if you are taking thyroid medication.
* Listen to your body and avoid soy in all forms if the body doesn’t agree with it.

==================================================
Marissa Vicario is a certified health and wellness coach based in Manhattan. For more information, visit http://www.mwahonline.com.

We’ve been having some truly beautiful fall days here in the Pacific Northwest. The crisp foggy mornings softly give way to sunny…almost warm (60-ish)…afternoons, all framed by firey orange and red leaves. It’s an absolutely perfect time to go for a walk or a drive just to soak up the beauty of it all.

But…it’s definitely one of those things that you feel you have to “hurry up and enjoy” — and take lots of pictures to remember it by. According to local and national weather forecasters, our usually-mild section of the country is going to be hard hit when grumpy, icy old man winter clashes with La Nina…and maybe sooner than later.

(Check out the country wide winter forecast and get the details at AccuWeather.com.)

If you’re a runner or walker and living in an area of the country that typically gets cold and snowy (or is usually mild but is going to be cold and snowy…brrrr!), here are some ways to make sure you don’t freeze your limbs off while getting your workout.

1. Bundle up! Now, this doesn’t mean wear a parka. (If it’s that cold, just stay inside and workout to Exercise TV or a favorite DVD.) Instead, dress in layers — the idea being that you can remove them as needed while still staying somewhat warm. Make sure your jacket is one that you can remove and tie around your waist if you need to. To protect your hands, wear gloves or at least place some air-activated hand warmers in your pockets. Pull on some leg warmers, toss on a beanie (around 40% of your body heat is lost through your head) and a scarf, and you’re good to go.

If possible, be sure any fabric you wear is the kind that wicks moisture away from your skin. Leaving moisture next to your skin on cold days can make you even colder and be a contributing factor for hypothermia.

2. Wear shoes with good traction to keep from slipping on snowy, icy, or wet roads. The last thing you need is an injury that might put you out of commission for a while. What you wear on your feet is just as important as what you put on the rest of your body.

3. Carry your cell phone and driver’s license. To me, these are all-the-time necessities, not just during the winter. But if you do fall and get hurt, you’re going to be glad you’ve got your phone. And keeping your identification on you is always a good idea.

4. Stay hydrated. It doesn’t have to be a hot day in order for you to get dehydrated. A hydration belt is a great way to keep your water handy…without having to carry it in your hand.

5. Go with a buddy. Walking or running with a friend is not only more fun, it’s safer, too.

6. Check with your doctor first. If you have a medical condition that might make cold-air exercise not such a good idea (like asthma), check with your doctor first. If he says no, running on a treadmill or indoor track will still give you a great workout.

7. Make sure you’re visible. With fewer daylight hours, chances are you may have to do your walking and running during times of low light or even darkness. Take a flashlight with you, and wear something reflective. Here’s a good selection of reflective gear to choose from. Personally, my plan is to get a reflective vest, but the arm bands I have should also do the trick nicely (I bought them a while back and will definitely not be leaving home for a run without them.

8. Finally, before you leave for that walk or run, take a few minutes to prepare your muscles. They’re more susceptible to injury on cold days, so take the time to warm up those muscles before you go, and don’t push yourself too hard if it’s especially cold outside — save that for the gym (or your at-home workout).

So remember — bundle up, keep hydrated, stay safe, and have fun. And don’t forget to thumb your nose at old man winter as you pass by.

©2010 Sally Dinius
=================================================

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.

Many people have been touched by breast cancer in some way. Perhaps you have, too — whether you’ve received the diagnosis yourself, know someone who has, or have even lost someone to it. I haven’t lost anyone to breast cancer, thankfully, but I do have a few friends who are breast cancer survivors (including one who conquered it twice). They are inspiring women, and I’m truly in awe of the strength each one displayed during her ordeal. Even my grandmother, who passed away last year from stroke complications, survived breast cancer almost 20 years ago.

Breast cancer is something we women should always be on the lookout for. Not to the point where the fear of it rules our lives, but in order to show fear that we are in charge of our own health. There are so many resources available regarding how to do breast self-exams, what to ask the doctor, when to call the doctor, and what kind of info we need to be up-to-date on.

Because there’s such a glut of information on the ‘net, I’ve cut through it and found a handful of sites that should be helpful to you. Read through them, get wise, and be brave. Knowledge is power, ladies!

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month — Official Site

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

American Cancer Society – Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

WebMD – How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam

©2010 Sally Dinius
=================================================

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.

If I could shout a clarion call to all parents in the civilized world, it would be this (if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you could probably say it with me): “READ FOOD PACKAGING LABELS!”

When shopping, it’s easy to take the smooth road and toss things in our carts without even glancing at the label, especially if we’re tired, money’s tight, or if our kids are with us. I know how that is – that used to be me. But when we take the time to learn about what major food manufacturers are putting in the foods we buy and the effects those ingredients have on our health (immediate and future), we suddenly begin to see that reading labels is no longer a chore…it’s our right and our responsibility. We must understand and own the fact that good health is our right and no one’s responsibility but our own.

What really makes my blood boil is when unhealthy packaged foods are marketed to our children with flashy packaging, cartoon-type drawings, and promises of treats. This kind of unscrupulous, unethical marketing has been going on for decades, but I’m hoping the day will come – and soon – when the majority of parents become wise to it.

My husband and I were grocery shopping the other day, and while he was looking for the ingredients he needed to make chili, a huge sign advertising a product called LunchMakers by Armour caught my eye. LunchMakers are a Lunchables-type product, and were being sold for just 88 cents each. (Interestingly, I couldn’t find a link on the Armour site to view the nutritional information for LunchMakers. File that under “things that make you go hmm.”)

Wow. What a great deal, huh? Sure, if someone wants to fill their child full of “food grade” garbage, including a cancer-causing chemical that’s been banned in Europe (see below).

Here, in all it’s non-glory, is the too-long ingredients list from the back of the package (so long that it had to be printed in a very tiny font just to make it all fit on the label). I’ve said before…I’ll say it again: If the ingredients list on a package contains more than just a handful of items, put the item back on the shelf and walk away. You may see some things on the list that you recognize (flour, milk, etc.), but the rest is little more than preservatives, fillers, flavor enhancers, non-nutritive sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, and the like. Yuck.

So, here we go. The ingredients every parent should definitely be concerned about are in bold font. Maybe I should have hired a speed reader to read this in a video for you (it would have at least made it entertaining):

LunchMakers by Armour “Pepperoni Flavored Sausage Pizza Kit” Ingredients

Pizza Crust: Enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, corn oil, yeast, sugar, salt, calcium proprionate, guar gum, xantham gum, food starch, monoglycerides.

Pizza Sauce: Water, tomato paste, high fructose corn syrup, salt, spices, soybean oil, modified food starch, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preservative), garlic powder, xantham gum, onion powder.

Low-moisture, Part-skim Mozzerella Cheese: Pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, anti-caking agent (cellulose), natamycin (preservative).

Pepperoni Flavored Sausage: Pork, mechanically separated turkey, corn syrup, pepperoni [pork, beef, salt, contains 2% or less of beef, dextrose, flavorings, lactic acid starter culture, oleoresin of paprika, sodium nitrite, BHA, BHT, citric acid], salt, water, contains 2% or less of beef, dextrose, oleoresin of paprika, flavorings, modified food starch, potassium lactate, smoke flavoring, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, BHA, BHT, citric acid.

Then it lists the ingredients of the included Nestle’ Crunch Bar, which I’m not going to copy here since it’s not the issue (though it could be, as it does contain sugar…but letting kids eat candy during the school day is another topic for another time). Following are the highlighted questionable ingredients — and why you should question them:

Sugar. Ahh, sugar. It’s in almost everything we purchase. It’s really not in that high of a dose in this package (9 grams total, and that includes the mini candy bar), but because we should limit the amounts of sugar our kids eat, especially during the school day when even a slight blood sugar crash could affect learning, I’m mentioning it here.

Calcium propionate. Calcium propionate (I’ll call it CP) is a preservative that’s included in breads for its mold-inhibiting activities. It’s not added for the calcium – calcium can be included in other ways. Many children, often with undiagnosed food allergies, have negative behavioral reactions to calcium propionate. If your child often seems “off the wall” after eating foods containing CP, look for preservative-free breads (and, because whey powder usually contains CP, make sure your bread is also whey and whey powder-free).

Food starch, modified food starch, flavorings, cheese cultures, and enzymes. According to the site Truth in Labeling, these ingredients “sometimes or always contain or create monosodium glutamate.” (Click here for a very informative list of hidden sources of MSG that you can print out and take to the grocery store next time you go.)

High fructose corn syrup. A cheap sweetener, usually only included because it’s so inexpensive, that is being increasingly implicated in a growing (no pun intended) epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes. Why is it used in so many of our food products? As mentioned in the article referenced in this paragraph, HFCS is about six times sweeter than sugar and costs about half as much.

Mechanically separated turkey. I’m including this in the list just because it’s gross. Mechanically separated meat isn’t cut up by sharp machines on a conveyor belt, it’s meat that is separated from the bones by being pressed – mechanically – through a sieve under high pressure. Imagine the meat your child is going to consume being pressed through tiny holes like paste. That’s disturbing and creates a disgusting mental picture. You may also remember the Mad Cow scare from several years ago. The UK banned mechanically-separated beef from being sold to consumers because the meat often contained portions of the cow’s spinal cord, which is where the Mad Cow virus was typically found. I don’t know – I’ll leave this one up to you, but I’m staying away from mechanically-separated meat of any kind. (What happened to the days when Grandma used to boil the bones to remove the extra meat in order to make soup? These big companies can’t do that?)

Sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite is a dangerous chemical once in danger of being banned – decades ago – by the USDA. The meat industry, of course, convinced them otherwise (another example of how money talks). Sodium nitrite is used to stabilize the color in processed meats, like hotdogs. When eaten, it turns to nitrosamines, highly carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals that have been implicated in cancers such as pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, and leukemia. Cancer rates in the U.S. skyrocketed after the addition of sodium nitrite to our food supply.

BHA and BHT. According to About.com, “Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and the related compound butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are phenolic compounds that are often added to foods to preserve fats.”

BHA has been found to be positively carcinogenic, and BHT possibly carcinogenic. BHA, identified as a known carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has been banned in Europe but not here in the US. I find the fact that it has not been banned here, quite honestly and simply, pathetic.

Smoke flavoring may also have a toxic effect on the body.

The amounts of dangerous additives in this package are small enough to not really cause any noticeable harm if eaten just once (unless your child is severely allergic to one or more of the chemicals/additives present). What is alarming to me is the seriously high number of unhealthy and/or dangerous substances crammed into this one package. And if a child is fed this garbage on a regular basis, these chemicals and additives WILL build up in his body and – very likely – cause serious health problems later. (Some sooner than later.)

It’s like playing Russian Roulette with our children’s health.

Besides all of these unnecessary additives, you’ll notice the amount of sodium in this one small package is very high at 550 milligrams. According to the Mayo Clinic, that’s one-half to one-third of the recommended daily limit of sodium intake for children, depending on the child’s age and size. A steady diet of high sodium foods like this could put any child on the path to developing hypertension (high blood pressure).

Obviously, we can’t avoid every dangerous additive in our food supply. But with diligence and knowledge we can significantly decrease our families’ exposure to it. Study up and spend some time on Google learning about the additives mentioned above.

After all, knowledge is power. The more we know, the less of these “foods” we’ll buy, and perhaps then these big manufacturers will begin to change the way their products are made. Like I said…money talks.

By the way, a friend of mine had a great suggestion if your child likes this type of lunch: “Small cookie cutters do a great job of mimicking the meat in the package. And you can get fun designs in the cutter that Lunchables and the like will NEVER have.” (Thanks to Eric Ehrman for that idea.) It’s also a fun way to get your kids involved with making their own lunches.

Comments welcome!

©2010 Sally Dinius
=================================================

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.

The start of this school year, like most others, was met in our house by groans, nervous stomachs, and mixed feelings of dread and anticipation. But one of the positive things about school being in session again is that it forces my family to get on a better schedule – something we’ve needed to do for quite a while now. The lazy routine of summer is gone, and we find ourselves having to work that inner, unseen muscle called self-discipline…stronger in some of us than in others.

This year, my daughter has to catch a too-early (in my opinion) bus to the junior high, and because I’m a mom and it’s what I do, I get up with her. At this time of year, though, it’s still dark outside when my alarm clock beeps and getting up at that moment feels unnatural…and that’s an understatement.

Getting up before the birds means I have to go to bed sooner than I’d like to. For me, that means no more late-night snuggle time with my husband watching Frasier and Jay Leno, and it also means no more late-night Exercise TV workouts. I’d grown accustomed to putting my youngest to bed and then getting in a few 10- to 20-minute workouts in front of the family room TV. But being a new member of the early-to-rise club means I now have to join the early-to-bed club. My night owl schedule was really wearing on me, so I know this will be a good thing! (And I keep telling myself that over and over and over….)

But, you know, I’ve decided I like this new way of doing things. Once my daughter is on her bus, and my son catches his about an hour later, there’s no going back to bed for me. I’m forced to be disciplined, so I spend the morning hours working on my home business, catching up on housework, and exercising. My four-year-old is usually up shortly after her brother leaves, so this morning I decided I was going to get her started in a health habit that I’m hoping will last a lifetime.

I told her I was going to work out and — just as I expected — she said she wanted to work out with me (she’s my shadow and loves doing anything I do). First, we had to find her “stretchy clothes,” as she calls them, then we went to the family room for our workout. Once the coffee table was yanked and shoved out of the way and my yoga mat was in place, she got her mat: my grandmother’s quilt. (I’m thinking I should get her a yoga mat of her own!)

We did the “Pilates Fit” workout by Tandy Guitierrez, and Bethany made it about halfway through. Next up was the “2 Mile Walk” with Leslie Sansone. (In my opinion, putting these two workouts together is a great combo – you get to tone your muscles with Tandy’s workout and burn calories with Leslie’s.)

Bethany joined me again off and on during the “2 Mile Walk,” and that included running circles around me while I tried to keep from running into her. She thought it was hysterical each time I pretended to try to step on her feet during the side steps, and she even attempted to get her arms moving during the power walk. She never quite got the rhythm down, but she was moving and having fun, and that’s what it’s all about: having a fun time getting fit.

If you’re a parent with little ones at home, get them involved in your workouts! It’s a fantastic way to teach them healthy living by example. When they’re young, they don’t always pay attention to what we say, but they do watch us – like hawks. Eat right, get the sleep you need, exercise, and have them do it, too (and cut down on time spent in front of the TV – unless you’re doing a work out, of course). Starting healthy habits in our kids while they’re young will go a long way toward ensuring those habits stick with them when they’re grown.

By the way, did you know that Exercise TV on Comcast On Demand has a section just for working out with your kids? It’s called “Kids Fun Fitness.” Definitely check it out!

………………………………………………………………….
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.