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Entry bubble Vegetarian Awareness Month

By: Jess | October 22, 2009 | Category: Health

Fruits and vegetablesI know to many Americans the thought of living without meat seems practically impossible. But there's an entire group of people in the country who do it and love it. Vegetarianism has many forms, from the super flexible flexitarian, who eats meat on occasion, to the extremely strict vegan, who doesn't buy any product that was tested on animals or contains any animal products.

The North American Vegetarian Society dubbed October as Vegetarian Awareness Month to teach people some of the benefits of not eating meat. Don't worry, the group isn't trying to convert you. It just wants to show you that it's possible to go a day, a week or even a month without eating meat and still have plenty of yummy and healthy options.

Personally, I consider myself a flexitarian. I only eat meat if it's served to me or if I'm at a restaurant and the vegetarian options aren't that great. Or on that rare occasion when I just want a turkey sandwich. For me it wasn't a big moment when I realized eating meat was wrong, or anything like that. Touching raw meat in the kitchen just kind of grosses me out.

So in honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month, I present you with a challenge. Check out some of the great vegetarian resources from USA.gov and explore some vegetarian recipes and lifecycle information available. Pick a recipe and try it. You might be surprised to find that a diet based in fruits, vegetables and healthy grains tastes better than you expected.

Do you consider yourself a vegetarian? 

| Post a Comment | View Comments [14] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: awareness   diet   eating   jess   vegetables   vegetarian  

 

Entry bubble Cosmetics and Beauty Products

By: Ginger | October 09, 2009 | Category: Health

Woman putting on makeupI accepted a long time ago that no bottle, compact, or spray with its glorious concoction of magical elements is going to turn me into some gorgeous babe, but I recognized that products could enhance my appearance, so I used them religiously. Now that I am older, I am getting stubborn, or perhaps just lazy in the pursuit of beauty. On any given day, it is anyone's guess whether I will slap on the old war paint or even use some moisturizer. I may have skin like an old rhino and pores the size of Montana, but I really can't be bothered.

Don't get me wrong, I have just as much product as the next gal. I consider it my consumer duty to keep the economy healthy by regularly purchasing quantities of beauty products that I then toss in to makeup bags, purses, drawers, and cabinets where they sit rarely, and sometimes never, used.

When a friend mentioned to me that I should write a blog about cosmetics and beauty products, I decided to take inventory of my beauty stash. Holy cow! I have acquired so much stuff over the years! It is embarrassing to tell you this, but I have makeup and other products that date back to the 90's.

Most women know that makeup should not be kept for that long, but how many of us keep informed about other aspects of the cosmetics industry? Do you know what is in your beauty products? Do you ever look at product labels? To be honest, I don't.

As I began to delve into information about makeup and other beauty products, I realized that there are many information resources in the federal government that pertain to cosmetics and other beauty products. Here are a few:

I learned from reading this information that I need to throw out my old beauty products. I also need to pay more attention to what I am purchasing, and just because something is more expensive doesn't mean that it is, in fact, better. Hope you find these resources useful too. See ya next week.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: beauty_products   cosmetics   ginger   makeup  

 

Entry bubble Smoking Ban Leads to Drop in Heart Attacks

By: Colleen | October 07, 2009 | Category: Health

no smoking

A few months ago I wrote a post about the ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. People were very torn on this issue.

Now, with a little time to see its effects, research shows that the ban has a direct correlation with a 17% decline in heart attacks in areas where the no-smoking policy has been implemented. In addition to that, for each year following the ban on smoking, communities are seeing an average of a 26% decline in heart attacks.

Due to second-hand smoke, non-smokers have a 25-30% higher risk of heart attack if they inhale smoke at home or at work. Because cancer takes longer to develop, research has not yet demonstrated a link between the smoking ban and a decreased chance of getting lung cancer. But there also seems to be a decline in strokes.

Have your thoughts or feelings about the ban on smoking changed in light of this research? Do you still think bar/restaurant owners should be able to choose whether or not to allow smoking in their establishment?

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Entry bubble Flu Vaccines

By: Joanne | October 06, 2009 | Category: Health

The H1N1 (swine) flu is spreading, and this week H1N1 flu vaccinations will be arriving in just about every state.

Did you know that there are two flu vaccines this year? That’s right, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) encourages you to get a vaccination for the regular old seasonal flu, and to be fully protected they also recommend the special vaccine for the H1N1 (swine) flu. The seasonal flu shot will not protect you against H1N1.

Are you in a high risk group? Pregnant women, the elderly, and people with chronic health conditions are at higher risk for serious illness or death from the flu, and should get their flu vaccinations as soon as it becomes available.

Even if you get the flu vaccines this year, it’s important to remember that the vaccines aren’t 100% effective in preventing illness, so be sure to practice good habits to prevent the spread of disease, and to take good care of yourself if you do get the flu.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: flu   h1n1   joanne   swine   vaccine  

 

Entry bubble National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By: Ginger | October 02, 2009 | Category: Health

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have several friends whose mothers have had breast cancer. My friends witnessed their mothers go through surgeries and cancer treatment therapies, so they are familiar with the disease. Because a woman's risk of breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer, my friends pay special attention to their own breast health.

Woman getting a mammogramEarly detection with regular mammograms and manual breast self-examinations, can increase survival rates. Women who do not have a family history of breast cancer should also have a mammogram and clinical breast examination by a health care provider every year. Treatments can be most successful and chances of survival are best when breast cancer is found at the earliest opportunity.

I have a little ritual I perform when I go to get my mammogram. I ask the technician, on a scale of 1 to 10, what kind of day she is having. If she responds with a 6 or lower, I joke with her that she needs to go have a strawberry margarita before putting me in the pincher (not the technical name for the thing, but you know what I'm talking about). If she responds with a 9 or 10, I joke with her that I am going to have to reschedule because she is a little too happy and might be a little overzealous in her job. It might sound dumb, but this little ice breaker helps me relax and it makes the experience... I won't say pleasant, how about, not so bad?

There are many resources out there that are useful, here are just a few that I was able to locate:

| Post a Comment | View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: breast_cancer   ginger   mammograms   national_breast_cancer_awareness_month  

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