Women Blog

MealsMatter.org Offers Delicious Ways to Keep the Flu at Bay

As flu season grips the nation with heightened awareness of hand washing and cough covering, healthy eating is a potent prevention method getting left out in the cold.

“It’s important to eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups throughout the year, but it’s particularly significant during flu season,” said Andrea Garen, Registered Dietitian and Project Manager with Dairy Council of California. “Adding flu-fighting foods like yogurt, garlic, citrus and chicken to your diet can boost your body’s immune system and help you to avoid getting sick.”

Yogurt and other cultured milk products contain probiotics, beneficial bacteria with immune-boosting benefits. Look for the “live active culture” seal, which indicates that probiotics have been added. Also check milk product labels for vitamin D. Early research suggests low levels of vitamin D may be linked to a seasonal increase in colds and flu and a higher incidence of respiratory infections.

Garlic boosts the immune system, increasing resistance to infection and stress. Crush the cloves with the flat side of a knife before adding them to food to release the garlic juice and its immune properties.

Citrus fruits contain vitamin C, and chicken, meat and peanuts contain zinc. Both nutrients play important roles in the proper functioning of the immune system.

To help families eat healthy and boost their immune systems, Garen compiled a Flu-Fighting Foods Cookbook on the free family-nutrition website Meals Matter, sponsored by Dairy Council of California. View the cookbook at http://www.mealsmatter.org/Cookbooks/DCC/flufightingfoods/

For easy-to-swallow flu prevention, try a Creamy Orange Shake. Combine one-half cup of orange juice with one-half cup of fat-free frozen yogurt and a teaspoon of vanilla. Each one-cup serving has just 177 calories and 3.5 grams of fat, in addition to flu-fighting goodness.

For families already affected by the flu, find relief in other recipes like Ginger Citrus Pops and Southwestern Chicken Soup. Fresh ginger helps control nausea and stomach upset, while chicken soup reduces inflammation and helps relieve nasal congestion.

For more ways protect your family with healthy eating during flu season, visit website

Source: Dairy Council of California

Vitamin D appears to boost health from head to toe. But, so far, there’s no consensus on what level of vitamin D is optimal for good health.

Recent reports on vitamin D suggest that it offers many benefits, especially for older adults. Findings point to improved balance, reduction in the risk of bone fractures, and better thinking skills such as planning, organizing and abstract thinking. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders, infections such as tuberculosis, and periodontal disease. Low vitamin D levels also may affect certain cancers, including colon, breast and prostate cancers.

Vitamin D is the only vitamin that the body can manufacture itself. The only requirement is sunshine, specifically ultraviolet B rays. About 10 to 15 minutes of exposure two to three times a week during nonpeak sun hours is considered adequate. But the sunshine approach doesn’t work for everyone. With age, the body is less efficient at processing vitamin D. Other barriers are darker skin and living in northern climates. Using sunscreen — still recommended to prevent skin cancer — also reduces absorption of ultraviolet B rays.

Food sources are usually an excellent way to obtain vitamins, but choices are limited for vitamin D. Rich sources are fatty fish, fish-liver oils, liver and egg yolks. Milk fortified with vitamin D is another option.

With limited food choices, consumers may opt to rely on vitamin D supplements. The current daily recommended dose of vitamin D for adults 50 and older is 400 to 600 international units (IU). But many researchers believe that a higher amount is warranted because of the many health benefits. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a daily intake of 800 to 1,000 IU per day for adults over age 50. The upper daily limit considered safe for use is 2,000 IU per day, but there’s debate about this level. Very large doses of vitamin D taken over time can cause ill effects, including nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Without me saying, I believe all work at home moms do feel that they are busy everyday and it seems that the list of to-do’s is endless. Being a busy work at home mom myself, I sometimes fall into the mommy guilt trap where I start to neglect my own interests.

Many moms feel guilty if they take time for themselves and end up taking care of everyone else around them and putting their own needs aside. This can leave you feeling burn out, stressed, tired, unhappy and sometimes resentful. During the journey of motherhood, it is easy to lose ourselves along the way and inadvertently cut off or not seek out the support from others.

Therefore, I always encourage all stay at home and work at home moms to give yourself time to unwind, socialize and network with others, especially other work at home moms. And with today’s technology advancement, you can network online via email or other social networking platforms. This allows you to open up to others while rediscovering yourself. When you socialize with other moms, you can gain support, ideas and tips to assist you with deal with certain parenting and relationship concerns from others who have dealt with the same issues.

Even when you are busy, you can always connect with other stay at home or work at home moms during your kids’ activities. Start getting to know other moms at your kid’s soccer practice or after her ballet class. Start looking out for other networking opportunities and you may even set aside time every fortnight to have tea with a friend.

Luggage Tags, Online Community and ‘How To’ Video Celebrate the Event

Monday, September 21st, marks the 4th annual celebration of Woman Road Warrior Day. This year’s events will include distribution of Woman Road Warrior luggage tags at Chicago area travel hubs (O’Hare, Midway and Amtrak), as well as the launch of the Woman Road Warrior online community for women business travelers at www.WomanRoadWarrior.com.

“Our new online community will be a place for women business travelers to share resources, recommendations and reviews of their travel experiences,” says Kathy Ameche, 25 year Road Warrior, Traveler in Chief of WomanRoadWarrior.com and author of The Woman Road Warrior: A Woman’s Guide to Business Travel (Agate 2005, 2007).

“These women have a tremendous amount of know-how. We want to gather their knowledge for the benefit of other women travelers and inform travel-related businesses how they can be serving this group better.”

Simultaneously, www.monkeysee.com will premiere a “How To” video on business travel for women featuring Ameche. “We hope that our viewers will learn something from it. Soon that website will also be showing my video on work-life balance.”

Winners of this year’s sweepstakes will be announced, and preliminary results of the recent survey of preferences and opinions of woman business travelers will be released.

Business supporters of Woman Road Warrior Day include: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin, TX; Pasta Moon, Half Moon Bay, CA; PowerLinks, RightPoint Consulting and Your Plan B Company, Chicago, IL.

Ameche is a well-known speaker and travel expert who has appeared on Oprah and Friends, CNN Airport News and WBBM CBS, Chicago. She has also joined the entrepreneur community by launching the miccimicci line of travel products (www.miccimicci.com) which include Treads travel slippers and Clip-It bags in multiple sizes and colors. “In talking to woman travelers and hearing what kind of gear they found missing in the market, I was inspired to come up with my own solutions,” explains Ameche.

She has twenty plus years of executive level corporate experience including Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Tribune Company, and Senior Director, Dun & Bradstreet Software.

Source: Ameche Group LLC

A health club membership isn’t a prerequisite for staying in shape. The September issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource offers suggestions on free and low-cost options to help stay in shape without straining the budget.

Buy used equipment: Some sporting good stores specialize in used equipment. Great deals can be found online too. But be aware that shipping costs might put the cost out of budget range. Shoppers should be cautious about responding to ads, since scams abound.

Buy affordable equipment (or make your own): Hand weights are reasonably priced, available in many sizes, and can be used to strengthen every muscle group. Home-improvised versions work well too. Milk jugs or water bottles filled with varying levels of water or sand work well as weights. (Secure the tops with duct tape.)

Check out the local recreation department: Many community recreation centers offer discounted fitness classes to local residents. High school or college fitness centers or swimming pools also may be open to community members.

Use exercise DVDs: Practice aerobics, yoga, strength training and tai chi with DVDs. They are available to buy or rent. Libraries are a good source, too.

Share costs with a friend: Trade exercise DVDs with a friend. Find a personal trainer who is open to you sharing sessions with a friend or two.

Know what to avoid: Some fitness products aren’t worth buying, no matter how low the price. Avoid products that offer instant fitness benefits or promise to melt away pounds without diet and exercise. Avoid products that focus on one body part, such as abs or thighs.

Make the most of everyday activities: Walking, gardening, taking the stairs, and playing with children or grandchildren offer free fitness benefits.

Source: Mayo Clinic

BedandBreakfast.com’s Annual 2009 Roundup of Spirited “Dead and Breakfasts”

Ghostly spirits make themselves as comfortable in America’s B&Bs as living guests do, and not just in the dead of night. In a recent BedandBreakfast.com survey, innkeepers revealed that nearly 20% (about 3600) inns in the U.S. are haunted. Similarly, a current BedandBreakfast.com consumer survey showed that 20% of travelers seek a haunted inn for Halloween, so those who seek experiences with the world beyond can rest assured that they’ll have a good chance of sleeping with a ghost.

For a complete list of Halloween packages and over 100 great places to sleep with a ghost, visit http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/ and click Sleep with a Ghost.

In alpha order by state, here is a sampling of B&B ghost stories:

Gate House Inn, Jackson, CA: A “Garden Ghost” appeared soon after overgrowth around the mansion was cleared away for new gardens. Although no paranormal activity has been reported inside, the surrounding land has a ghostly presence.

Kehoe House B&B, Savannah, GA: This B&B is reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of twin Kehoe children who may have died while playing in one of the house’s fireplaces (now blocked up). Many sightings of the ghosts and the night-time sounds of children laughing and playing are detailed on the inn’s website.

Old Bridge Inn, Jeffersonville, IN: Guests have seen floating objects, canes picked up and twirled around, tea cups floating across the room and candles being raised up then down on their own. A small dog named Buttons has also been seen.

Deerfield Inn, Deerfield, MA: Flashing lights, knocks on doors when no one is there, moving books, and tables moved into the middle of the room are regular occurrences, especially in rooms 48, 43 and 41. The ghost is believed to be the original owner of the house, Cora Carlisle, still hanging around as the inn celebrates 125 years of history.

Coach Stop Inn, Bar Harbor, ME: This former tavern is home to Abbe, a spirited little girl who loves music. Strange noises, flickering lights and fleeting reflections may either be Abbe singing or additional spirits.

Bingham Hall B&B, New Ulm, MN: A man named Jake has been seen by innkeepers standing in the doorway, never going in or out. Additionally, guests feel a presence of someone watching, say the doors open by themselves, and hear noises.

Ghost Rails Inn, Alberton, MT: The railroading days live on in the form of a phantom brakeman, still awaiting his call upstairs in the old hotel, according to the tales of those who’ve seen him.

Carambola Inn B&B, Fuquay-Varina, NC: Both the distinctive scent of perfume plus a report of a friendly woman seen hovering about five inches off the ground indicate that former residents still linger on.

Mary-Penn B&B, Gettysburg, PA: A paranormal group recorded horse noises and voices in their basement, and from time to time guests claim to experience friendly spirits.

By The Side Of The Road Bed and Breakfast, Harrisonburg, VA: When the innkeeper went to turn off the basement light, an unseen presence grabbed her hand. Footsteps are mysteriously heard in hallways, and doors open and close on their own.

Ovarian cancer is a frightening diagnosis that often comes after the cancer has spread. As a result, it’s the most deadly of the gynecological cancers.

But not all the news about ovarian cancer is grim. Incidence is declining. Doctors are learning more about early symptoms and more effective treatments. The September issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource looks at myths and facts about ovarian cancer.

Myth: There are no early symptoms.

Fact: Many women with ovarian cancer do have early warning signs. However, common symptoms — abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating, urinary urgency and pelvic discomfort or pain — mimic those of many other conditions. It’s not unusual for women with ovarian cancer to be diagnosed first with a digestive or bladder disorder. With these concerns, symptoms tend to come and go, occur in certain situations or be related to certain foods. With ovarian cancer, symptoms are likely to occur daily for weeks or months on end. Symptomatic women who have been treated for other health conditions and have not improved should schedule a follow-up visit with their doctor or seek a second opinion.

Myth: Pap tests can detect ovarian cancer.

Fact: Pap tests, also called Pap smears, are designed to detect cervical cancer, not ovarian cancer. Other exams and tests can help detect ovarian cancer but none are helpful for routine screening.

When ovarian cancer is suspected, a doctor will likely perform a pelvic exam to check for masses or growths on the ovaries. Other diagnostic tests include a CA 125 blood test and a transvaginal ultrasound. The protein CA 125 often is elevated in women with ovarian cancer. A transvaginal ultrasound is used to produce detailed images of the ovaries and other reproductive organs.

Myth: Most women with ovarian cancer have a family history of the disease.

Fact: Only 10 to 15 percent of ovarian cancers are inherited. The most important risk factor for ovarian cancer is the presence of inherited mutations in breast cancer genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Other risk factors are personal or family history of breast cancer, obesity, and a woman’s age. Most patients with ovarian cancer are postmenopausal.

Myth: Women who have had a hysterectomy can’t get ovarian cancer.

Fact: During a hysterectomy, a surgeon removes the uterus and usually the cervix. In some cases, the fallopian tubes and ovaries are removed. If one or both ovaries are left intact, ovarian cancer is possible. There’s a very small chance of the disease, even when the ovaries are removed.

Myth: Ovarian cancer is always deadly.

Fact: Ovarian cancer is a serious illness, but it’s not always deadly. An estimated 21,550 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2009, and 14,600 will die from the disease. When ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated early, five-year survival rates are nearly 93 percent. Having a gynecologic oncologist perform the surgery increases survival rates. Combining certain chemotherapy drugs also may improve survival rates and help prevent recurrence, even in women with later stages of the disease.

Source: Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com)

Organizing Clutter

One of the reasons we have clutter is because of the emotional attachments we have to some of our possessions. Some of us are still holding onto the rock our child picked up off the ground and gave us as a “present.” Here are some great solutions to emotional attachment clutter from Womansday magazine:

Think Big - When you’re tempted to keep everything your child brings home, try this visualization exercise - Imagine how the volume of stuff will grow until your child is 18. After picturing the mountain of “child craft” you will be less tempted to save everything and save only the truly worthy.

Scan it - Use a scanner to create digital files of paper ephemera, like letters; toss originals. For bulky items, take digital snapshots and compile into a photobook at blurb.com

Re-purpose favorites - One woman hung onto a beloved maternity dress for 13 years. (Erma Bombeck says if you don’t save at least one box baby clothes you will immediately become pregnant no matter how old you are. I’m sure the same goes for maternity clothes) An organizer suggested the woman frame a swatch of fabric and a few other keepsakes in a shadow box.

I have been saving all my kids t-shirts from activities (camp, band etc.) and plan to have a quilt made by someone other than me (since I don’t sew well) for each of them. You can also make this memory quilt with baby clothes, college sweatshirts etc. The online crafts store Ticche & Bee has a kit you can order if you want to try this yourself (kits run $35.00 and up). Ticche and Bee will also do the sewing for you for an additional cost.

See our sister site Fasthowto.com and see our post on How to File Paperwork Faster

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Three drugs, including tamoxifen, reduce a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer, but each drug carries distinct potential harms of its own, according to a new report from HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Drugs to reduce the risk of breast cancer can be prescribed to women with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, but prescribing practices vary widely. The comparative effectiveness review found that all three drugs — tamoxifen, raloxifene, and tibolone — significantly reduce invasive breast cancer in midlife and older women but that benefits and adverse effects can vary depending on the drug and the patient.

“Taking medicine to avoid breast cancer in the first place is an attractive notion, but the decision to do so must be made by patients in consultation with their clinicians with benefit of the best evidence available,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. “These drugs are not necessarily for everyone. This report sheds important light on their advantages and potential harms.”

The report is the first to make a direct, comprehensive comparison of the drugs so that women and their health care providers can assess the medications’ potential effectiveness and adverse effects. The report compares the use of the three drugs to reduce the risks of getting breast cancer in women who have not previously had breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer of women (after skin cancer), with more than 190,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. It is estimated to cause more than 40,000 deaths per year. The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 15 percent of women born today will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. Most cases of breast cancer occur in women with no specific risk factors other than age and gender, although family history of breast and ovarian cancer is associated with higher risk.

Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998 to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk of developing the disease. Tamoxifen’s use to reduce the risk of breast cancer is accepted clinical practice, although the drug is primarily used for treatment rather than risk reduction.

The AHRQ report compared tamoxifen with another SERM, raloxifene, which is primarily used to prevent and treat osteoporosis and was approved by the FDA for breast cancer risk reduction in 2007. A third drug, tibolone, which has not been approved by the FDA for use in the United States but is commonly used in other countries to treat menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis, also was included in the study.

The report found that all three drugs reduce the occurrence of breast cancer but have various side effects. The most common side effects for tamoxifen are flushing and other vasomotor symptoms (e.g., night sweats, hot flashes), vaginal discharge and other vaginal symptoms such as itching or dryness; for raloxifene, side effects include vasomotor symptoms and leg cramps; and for tibolone, side effects include vaginal bleeding.

The report also found that each drug carried the risk of adverse effects. It found that tamoxifen increases risk for endometrial cancer, hysterectomies, and cataracts compared with the other drugs. Tamoxifen and raloxifene increase risk of blood clots, although tamoxifen’s risk is greater. Tibolone carries an increased risk of stroke.

The report also examined the drugs’ effectiveness and harms based on such factors as age, menopausal status, estrogen use, and family history of breast cancer and sought to identify the kinds of women who might be good candidates for prevention therapy, although the evidence is limited in this area. The report called for more research to more clearly identify characteristics of patients who would benefit from these drugs while suffering the least harm.

AHRQ’s new report, Comparative Effectiveness of Medications to Reduce Risk of Primary Breast Cancer in Women, is the latest analysis from the Agency’s Effective Health Care Program. That program, authorized by the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, represents an important federal effort to compare alternative treatments for health conditions and make the findings public. The program is intended to help patients, doctors, nurses, and others choose the most effective treatments. Information, including the new report, can be found at www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and L’Oreal Paris is leading the fight to raise awareness of this disease which claims the lives of nearly 15,000 women a year. With a longstanding commitment to female health and well being, L’Oreal has helped to raise an excess of $18 million for ovarian cancer research and awareness programs over the last decade.

Raise Funds with the Color of Hope Cosmetics Bag and Makeup Collection:

L’Oreal Paris will be offering the limited edition Color of Hope Cosmetics Bag, which includes four key products from the Color of Hope Makeup Collection. With every purchase of the Color of Hope Cosmetics Bag, L’Oreal Paris will donate $5.00 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). This universally flattering collection is only $29.95 (plus shipping). To purchase, please visit lorealcolorofhope.com.

The L’Oreal Paris Color of Hope Makeup Collection is every bit as inspiring, on-trend and fashion-forward, as they are hopeful. Featuring products for eyes, lips and nails, the collection teams up three shades: universally flattering shade of mauve, vibrant teal-the color symbolizing ovarian cancer awareness-and the on-trend accent shade of rich plum. L’Oreal Paris will donate $1.00 to OCRF from the sale of each item in the Color of Hope Cosmetics Collection. The collection will be available during the month of September at mass-market retailers nationwide.

Know the Signs & Symptoms – A woman’s best line of defense against this terrible disease is to know there are identifiable signs and symptoms. We at L’Oreal Paris have developed lorealcolorofhope.com as a one-stop resource for information pertaining to ovarian cancer, including signs and symptoms and our PSA campaign.

Get Support Through the L’Oreal Paris OCRF Ovarian Cancer Hope Line – In partnership with CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free professional support for anyone affected by cancer, the L’Oreal Paris OCRF Hope Line has launched this September to provide callers with counseling, support and financial guidance. Staffed by professional oncology social workers, the line will serve as a valuable resource for women and their loved ones who are affected by the difficult experience on an ovarian cancer diagnosis. For help and support please call 1-800-OV-HOPE-1.

Source: L’Oreal Paris