Working from home is every mom’s dream but it can be your body’s worst nightmare. Staying healthy is hard enough when working outside of the home; however, working inside of the home can create unhealthy habits that need to be solved rather quickly or even prevented. We all have our tricks to try and stay healthy– but you need tricks that are going to work. Here are a few tips to help you stay healthy while working at home:

Make time to exercise

If you are anything like me, then you do not necessarily like to exercise. You can change that though.  Make time to exercise and see how fun it can be. I say that because the more you exercise, then the more energy you will have throughout the rest of the day. Try exercising one or two times a week to start out. Overtime, you will find more and more time to exercise.

Watch what you eat

This seems like common sense but it’s very hard to do. When you are hungry, you simply walk into your kitchen and grab something to eat. You probably have threatened yourself to put a lock on the fridge. But that’s really not necessary. You can either stop buying junk food altogether or just watch what you eat. Eat smaller portions or whatever it takes to keep the junk food away from your mouth.

Play with your kids

Playing with the kiddos can help burn calories. Have you ever tried to run after a toddler? Take the time to play and chase your kiddos around and you are guaranteed to burn some of those unwanted calories. No kids–try playing with your pet.  Go out in the yard and play fetch with your pooch.  That’s a calorie burner also.  The key is to just get moving.

Keep Healthy All Around

You may hear the importace of physical health being tossed around a lot. The truth is that you should pay attention to more than just your physical health. Mental and emotional health is just as important. Talk to your friends about how you’re feeling. If your mental health is not good, then make sure to talk to a professional. Surround yourself with moms that know exactly what you are going through.

What ways do you try and stay healthy while working at home?

Diabetes is a disease that millions of Americans suffer from each year. There are several different types of diabetes but each one is a struggle. It’s important to take care of your body whenever you have diabetes so that you can live a long and healthy life. Talk to your doctor if you are having any troubles with your weight or sugar levels because it may just be diabetes knocking at your door.

How can I live with diabetes?                      

• The first step to living with diabetes is changing your lifestyle. No one lives a perfect life but there are ways to keep your body healthier. One of those ways is watching what you eat. There are tons of articles on diabetes that can give you the information you need to stay healthy. With the holiday’s right around the corner, try and stay true to your body and diet. Messing with those sugar levels is serious business.
• Try and connect with others who are living with diabetes. It’s not always a fun lifestyle by any means but it’s possible to live a very fulfilling life. Diabetes living is easy with someone else by your side. Use all of your resources like your spouse and children to help keep you on track. Remember, your family loves you and wants to see you live a very long life.
• Listen to your doctor. No one likes to listen to what “the doc” has to say. It’s essential to listen to your doctor so you can keep living a healthy life. Meet with a nutritionist to maximize your resources. Finding a nutritionist is an excellent way to receive diabetes help. A nutritionist can sit down with you and help you plan out your diet.

Who suffers from diabetes?

The main types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Various people are diagnosed with diabetes for different reasons. Some pregnant women suffer from gestational diabetes, which occurs only while they are pregnant. Young children are also susceptible to getting diagnosed with diabetes.

Utilize all of your resources for diabetes so you can live the fullest life possible and be there for your family.

Does someone you know suffer with diabetes?

When I was younger, I always wanted to look a bit older.  It always sucked being the oldest in the group and always mistaken for the youngest.  Still this day, folks are amazed when I tell them how old I am.  I guess being taken for a teenager when you are in your thirties isn’t all that bad just embarrassing at times when trying to buy a lottery ticket or alcohol and get carded. 

Now that I’m thinking about it, it probaly was more of an inconvenience being carded more than anything else so now I just take it in all in stride and am thankful for the good genes.  Now that I’m older, I don’t want to look OLDER.  Looking my age is just fine with me.   

So my question to you is, do you obsessed with how old you look ?  Do you want to look younger or older?  I came across this test recently that tells you just how old you look.

According to this test, I still look YOUNG!!! My results were 2 years younger.

What about you? How old do you look? Take the test and find out.  Have Fun.

When it comes to better quality, better tasting produce, it is usually better to buy them in season and local seasonal foods would be your best bet.  They are tastier, fresher and more nutritious.  But don’t let that discourage you if you do not have access to a local market.  You can enjoy the taste of any fruit or vegetable year-round.  Fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice –  they all count!.

Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that are in season for October:

• Apples
• Beets
• Blackberries
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chicory
• Cranberries
• Dates
• Figs
• Grapes
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Okra
• Oranges
• Parsnips
• Pears (late season)
• Peppers
• Pumpkins
• Quince
• Shallots
• Star fruit
• Sweet Potatoes
• Turnips
• Watercress
• Winter squash

Our hands tell us a lot about ourselves. In fact, mine are telling me that I need a manicure BADLY. Don’t laugh; yours are probably in need of one too. If you’re like me, you probaly don’t have the time or extra money to visit a manicurist regularly; learning to care for them yourselves can be a great way to save money while giving yourself a little pampering session.

I used to be a nail biter so my hands have not always looked their best. Once I broke that habit, the appearance of my nails became very important to me. I’ve had to learn how to maintain them, keep them healthy nails and am no longer embarrassed of their appearance. The quest for beautiful healthy nails doesn’t have to break the bank, in fact, it is easy and affordable if you know how to.

Here are some tips for better looking nails.

Remember I mentioned that I was once a nail biter. Well, that one is first on the list as a big no, no.

Don’t bite, chew, or peel your nails. Chewing on your nails and cuticles can cause bleeding and infection and sometimes permanently damages nail growth. Some habits are difficult to break, but you can do it!

Use nail clippers and a file regularly. Short nails are fashionable and healthy right now! Trimming nails regularly promotes healthy growth. If a nail gets snagged, trim it and file it right away. Also, trim hangnails with clippers instead of biting them off.

Moisturize. Nails and cuticles need moisturizer just like your skin does. Rub lotion into your nails and cuticles when you are moisturizing your hands at night.

Maintain a healthy diet. Yes, eating healthy is good for your entire body including your nails! Eat a diet that is rich in zinc and calcium. Eat foods with protein! Stay away from lots of sugar and alcohol. Your nails will reflect what you are eating.

Wear rubber gloves. Gloves can serve as a protectant. When you are engaging in activities where your nails could get dirty, damaged, or extremely dried out, wear gloves to protect them. This includes activities like dishwashing and gardening.

All in all, I think nails are an extension of our skin and they reflect our personal habits and health. You can achieve beautiful healthy nails yourself and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to do so.

I don’t know if it’s just me, or do you also think more about your health as you get older? I’ve always been one to take a multi-vitamin and not much beyond that but I figured as we get older our needs might change so I did a little research trying to find good quality vitamins and supplements specifically for us women.

To my discovery, there are quite a few out there and it can be quite overwhelming. “Just too much information”.  The two (2) questions that have been hanging over my head is “What exactly does my body need and how much?”

I read an article in Women’s Health Magazine, that states that we are most likely getting the nutrients we need. However, in order to give us the extra edge and stay out of the doctors office there are supplements that can give us a boost in the right direction.

That works for me.

The only thing is that it appears you would have to take each of these individually unless you find a one size fits all multivitamin. I haven’t come across one that has so if you should know of one, please let me know.

According to Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D., these are the ones that top the list.

Grape Seed Extract
What it does Protects against wrinkles and skin cancer.
How much you need 150-300 mg daily
Grape seed extract is rich in proanthocyanidins, a class of antioxidants 50 times as potent as vitamin E. Preliminary animal research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has shown that it may reverse wrinkles, skin cancer, and other damage from UV rays. In pill form, it also helps maintain collagen and elastin, two ­building blocks of smooth skin.

Coenzyme Q-10
What it does prevents migraines
How much you need 100-300 mg daily
One possible cause of these killer headaches‚ which women are three times as likely to suffer from than men‚ is a lack of coenzyme Q-10, a compound made by the body. A study in the journal Headache found that when patients with lower CoQ-10 levels started taking a CoQ-10 supplement, their headaches were less frequent and less severe.

Cinnamon
What it does Boosts energy
How much you need 1-4 g daily
This spice may help regulate blood sugar levels, which can keep your energy up through the day, according to a new study from the University of Birmingham in England. And no, you don’t have to carry a cinnamon shaker in your purse‚ take two 500-milligram cinnamon capsules around midday to help steady your levels before the afternoon slump.

Vitamin D
What it does Protects against cancer
How much you need 1,000 IU daily
In a review of 63 studies, getting more vitamin D was associated with a lower risk of colon, breast, and ovarian cancers. It’s hard to get enough through food alone, so taking it in pill form is your best bet.

Calcium
What it does Quells PMS symptoms
How much you need 1,000 mg of calcium citrate daily for the two weeks before your period
According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who get 1,000 milligrams or more have a 40 percent lower risk of having PMS symptoms.

Do you take multi-vitamins? Do you think that they make a difference for you?

Hi Ladies,

I haven’t posted a monthly breast reminder in a while and it is definitely over due.

 Many of us are so involved in our everyday lives  and caught up in doing things for everyone else that we tend to forget or neglect to do important things for ourselves.  One of those being  a life-saving preventative measure like monthly breast exams.  I posted previously about an e-mail reminder for your self breast exam offered by BeBrightPink.Org.
I found the service to be very helpful in keeping me mindful of monthy self examinations. Getting started is simple.  All you have to do to sign up up text PINK to 59227 or by providing your e-mail address.  On the 15th of every month you will receive a reminder along with health tips and a complete guide to doing self exams!

Early Detection Saves Lives!  I know this to be true.  My mom is 23 year survivor of Breast Cancer.  Early detection and promt attention is what saved her.  Don’t let life get too busy and not remember to do a simple self check.  Young or old it can affect you.

I’ve already got my reminder for the month so here yours.

From Bright Pink:  No matter if u have OOs, (O)(O)s, (o)(o)s, or oos spend quality time w/them regularly. Note irregularities & C if they change.

We all can use a healthy reminder, so I hope that you remember to give yourself a breast exam this month.

Until next time…..Be Well!

 If you’re like most of us, you save the abdominal portion of your work out until the very end.  Getting the power walk or run out of the way is not problem. Laying on the floor to complete the necessary 15 minutes you need for a tight tummy, though, is grueling. Enter the ab belt.  If you haven’t tried one yet, it might be time to consider it.

If you’re like many women with a child, pregnancy will have stretched out those tummy muscles on you.  While it’s completely normal, it doesn’t mean you don’t want your old abdominals back.  It might be time to check out the ab belt.  Sites like AbBelts.com have already done the leg work for you.  They tested hundreds of ab belts and give you their top picks.  After all, if you’re aiming for a tight stomach, using the wrong tools won’t help.

The amazing part about these silly straps?  You can use most of them while you’re doing almost anything else.  It’s tough enough to take a little time for yourself.  Using an ab belt while you do other household chores has become a common theme.  Basically, your abdominals are made up of a series of muscles, side and center.  When you do ab exercises it trains your muscles to tighten and hold themselves in, making you appear thinner.  Cleverly, ab belts work in a variety of ways.  They vibrate, apply heat to sweat out the extra water, or even stimulate the muscles with little electric impulses.

To choose the belt that’s right for you, check out the above link.  You’ll be able to read up on this very cool, very easy trend.  Think about it: Even while you’re chasing after your toddler you can be toning your tummy.  What’s not to like about that?

Photo Source

So much has been going on today, I almost forgot about it being National Relaxation Day.  That just tells me that I need to slow it down a bit.  Everyone needs a break sometimes, including me.

 In honor of National Relaxation Day, this is how I will be spending the rest of my day.

I plan on:

Curling up in my favorite pair of pajamas with a good

Take a quick nap

Spend the evening watching movies with the boys,

AND when nighttime comes, Light a scented candle and take a nice long bubble bath and listen to some of my favorite tunes.

Stress can have a bearing on both our physical and mentally health so I ask that you along with me take some time to sit back and relax.  I named a few things that I will be doing on this so but no matter what you choose to do, just remember to take it easy, even if only for a few minutes.

Enjoy National Relaxation Day and Take Care of YOU!

It’s seems that their has been a lot of grief , pain and just hard times going on in the lives of folks around the blogosphere and some I know in the real world.  With that in mind, I wanted today’s post to be something uplifting, something  lighthearted and maybe something that makes you LOL. 

Laughter is good medicine and a cure for almost anything.   I once heard that if you practice smiling six times a day for a few weeks,  you would automatically become happy no matter how difficult your situation may seem at the moment.  So let’s LAUGH a lot!  I hope these quotes about laughter put a smile on your face and you can somehow find the laughter again in your life. 

 
The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter. ~Mark Twain

A laugh is a smile that bursts. ~Mary H. Waldrip

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. ~Kurt Vonnegut

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge – myth is more potent than history – dreams are more powerful than facts – hope always triumphs over experience – laughter is the cure for grief – love is stronger than death. ~Robert Fulghum