Women Blog

Are you stressed? Do you have a family history of breast cancer?

Health SMART is a study is being conducted by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to see how stress-reduction workshops can help women with a family history of breast cancer manage their everyday stresses and cancer-risk concerns. The goal of the study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is to see whether various stress-management and coping techniques reduce stress and improve immune function.

Specifically, the study will teach women scientifically proven stress-management techniques (such as mindfulness meditation and guided imagery), coping strategies (such as anger management and assertiveness training) and provide information on health behaviors. All workshops are conducted in a supportive group setting with other women who have a family history of breast cancer. Participants will be asked to complete
questionnaires, give blood and saliva samples, and receive two hepatitis-A vaccinations. Some risks involved in participating in the study include the possibility of discomfort and a bruise at the blood draw site, the possibility of distress from discussing one’s breast cancer risk in a group setting, brief pain at the hepatitis-A vaccination injection site and, in rare cases, an allergic reaction to the vaccine. There is no charge to participate.

All participants will receive a set of CDs with relaxation exercises, a tote bag and a workbook filled with stress-management techniques taught in the classes.

The study aims to recruit 96 Seattle-area women, age 18 to 60, who are willing to participate in 10 two-hour workshops.

WHERE: All study activities will take place on the Hutchinson Center campus in the Prevention Center, which is located in the Robert M. Arnold Building, 1212 Aloha St., Seattle.

For more information about the Health SMART Study, visit http://www.healthsmartstudy.org/, call the study information line at 206-667-2448 or e-mail healthsmart@fhcrc.org

A European Survey Conducted by the IT Job Board Finds That the IT Sector is not Doing Enough to Attract and Retain Women in IT

According to The IT Job Board’s, http://www.theitjobboard.co.uk, latest European survey[1] findings, only one third (35%) of IT workers in Europe appear to be women. However the feeling within the IT community is that this is set to change. The survey highlighted that increasing numbers of women are entering the IT sector across Europe, and that 45% of women in the UK and Holland think this is set to increase.

The survey also found that 49% of women believe that working benefits and conditions in IT could be improved, and although there has been an increase in the number of women working in IT, 51% of women in the UK and 49% of women in Holland believe that working conditions are not equal for men and women. It seems that women in Belgium are struggling to find parity, 66% felt that working conditions favoured their male colleagues.

90% of women across Europe believe that women do IT jobs just as well as their male counterparts and 81% of women questioned believe that the industry should do more to encourage a mix of male and female employees in IT.

However in the UK, the phrase “boys club” was given by survey respondents on several occasions and it is clear that many women find it hard being a female in such a male dominated environment.

Other surprising statistics the survey showed were as follows:

• 49% of women in IT in the UK believe there are fewer opportunities open to them;

• 20% claimed it was not important to have a mix of men and women working in the industry; and

• 38% of women work in an IT department that has 1-3 women working in it.

Commenting on the survey, Alex Farrell, managing director of The IT Job Board, said: “While the number of women in IT continues to grow, it seems that there still isn’t a level playing field. The dynamic needs to change in order to attract and nurture women to fulfil their potential. There is still a deep rooted “club for the boys” that will probably always exist, the question is whether this “club” has a future for the masses.”

[1] 618 surveyed on `Professional Networking’ in the UK March 2010

Family Eating Dinner Together

We know we should eat together as a family but it is so difficult to find the time. Is it so important? What are the benefits of family meals? Studies have shown that children who regularly interact with their parents around the dinner table have larger vocabularies, make better grades in school and are less likely to experiment with drugs or premarital sex.

Even though it seems our kids are only interested in what their peers have to say child development experts agree that, even during the teen years, the voice kids most want to hear is that of their parents. One of the benefits of family meals are that they are a great way to foster parent/child communication.

One of the reasons eating together does so much to help us talk with our kids is that is uses what psychologist call a peripheral activity. In plain English, this means that buttering a slice of bread or putting dressing on your salad, relieves some of the pressure of talking, making it easier to open up in conversations.

Okay so you can’t manage dinner together as a family seven or even five nights a week but maybe you could do three. Here is more incentive … a study found that one common theme in the lives of National Honor Society Scholars in this country is that most of them grew up in homes where families ate dinner together three or more nights a week.

Here are some tips on helping to make it happen so you can enjoy the benefits of family meals:

Keep it simple – If the most you can manage is sharing take-out or gathering in a booth at a restaurant or fast food place that is okay – the important thing is the time together.

Delay the dinner hour if you need - if you work late, provide healthy snacks to tide the rest of the family over until they get home.

Grill meat, chicken or fish not your kids – Keep family meals stress-free, relaxed and fun. Don’t nag about school grades or chores.

No electronics - no cell phones or hand held video devices at the table. Shut off the TV and don’t answer phones.

Teamwork - Take turns with chores like setting and clearing the table and washing the dishes so the burden doesn’t fall on one person.

Ask open-ended questions - Share your day with your kids then ask open-ended questions to get them talking about theirs.

Practice active listening - know when to talk and when to zip it and let your kids lead the conversation.

Family time anytime - it doesn’t have to be the evening meal you share. Plan a Saturday brunch or Sunday lunch together.

Want a quick easy recipe for your first family meal? See our post =>
Easy Soup Recipes – Spinach Tortellini Soup

[tag]benefits of family meals,easy family meals,easy meals,family eating dinner together,family meals,healthy family meals[tag]

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It is a mistake to suppose that any room, however small and unpleasantly situated, is “good enough” for a kitchen. This is the room where housekeepers pass a great portion of their time, and it should be one of the brightest and most convenient rooms in the house; for upon the results of no other department depend so greatly the health and comfort of the family as upon those involved in this ‘household workshop’.

Every kitchen should have windows on two sides of the room, and the sun should have free entrance through them; the windows should open from the top to allow a complete change of air, for light and fresh air are among the chief essentials to success in all departments of the household. Good drainage should also be provided, and the ventilation of the kitchen ought to be even more carefully attended to than that of a sleeping room. The ventilation of the kitchen should be so ample as to thoroughly remove all gases and odors, which, together with steam from boiling and other cooking processes, generally invade and render to some degree unhealthful every other portion of the house.

There should be ample space for tables, chairs, range, sink, and cupboards, yet the room should not be so large as to necessitate too many steps. Undoubtedly much of the distaste for, and neglect of, “housework,” so often deplored, arises from unpleasant surroundings. If the kitchen be light, airy, and tidy, and the utensils bright and clean, the work of compounding those articles of food which grace the table and satisfy the appetite will be a pleasant task.

It is desirable, from a sanitary standpoint, that the kitchen floor be made impervious to moisture; hence, concrete or tile floors are better than wooden floors. Cleanliness is the great desideratum, and this can be best attained by having all woodwork in and about the kitchen coated with polish; substances which cause stain and grease spots, do not penetrate the wood when polished, and can be easily removed with a damp cloth.

The elements of beauty should not be lacking in the kitchen. Pictures and fancy articles are inappropriate; but a few pots of easily cultivated flowers on the window ledge or arranged upon brackets about the window in winter, and a window box arranged as a jardiniere, with vines and blooming plants in summer, will greatly brighten the room, and thus serve to lighten the task of those whose daily labor confines them to the precincts of the kitchen.

The kitchen furniture.

The furniture for a kitchen should not be cumbersome, and should be so made and dressed as to be easily cleaned. There should be plenty of cupboards, and each for the sake of order, should be devoted to a special purpose. Cupboards with sliding doors are much superior to closets. They should be placed upon casters so as to be easily moved, as they, are thus not only more convenient, but admit of more thorough cleanliness.

Cupboards used for the storage of food should be well ventilated; otherwise, they furnish choice conditions for the development of mold and germs. Movable cupboards may be ventilated by means of openings in the top, and doors covered with very fine wire gauze which will admit the air but keep out flies and dust.

For ordinary kitchen uses, small tables of suitable height on easy-rolling casters, and with zinc tops, are the most convenient and most easily kept clean. It is quite as well that they be made without drawers, which are too apt to become receptacles for a heterogeneous mass of rubbish. If desirable to have some handy place for keeping articles which are frequently required for use, an arrangement similar to that represented in the accompanying cut may be made at very small expense. It may be also an advantage to arrange small shelves about and above the range, on which may be kept various articles necessary for cooking purposes.

One of the most indispensable articles of furnishing for a well-appointed kitchen, is a sink; however, a sink must be properly constructed and well cared for, or it is likely to become a source of great danger to the health of the inmates of the household.  The sink should if possible stand out from the wall, so as to allow free access to all sides of it for the sake of cleanliness. The pipes and fixtures should be selected and placed by a competent plumber.

Great pains should be taken to keep the pipes clean and well disinfected. Refuse of all kinds should be kept out. Thoughtless housekeepers and careless domestics often allow greasy water and bits of table waste to find their way into the pipes. Drain pipes usually have a bend, or trap, through which water containing no sediment flows freely; but the melted grease which often passes into the pipes mixed with hot water, becomes cooled and solid as it descends, adhering to the pipes, and gradually accumulating until the drain is blocked, or the water passes through very slowly. A grease-lined pipe is a hotbed for disease germs.

All-Bran(R) products help women spring ahead with great-tasting recipes that help get your body back on track

While spring signals lighter and brighter days, a new survey(1) of women 45 and older in the United States revealed that the majority of women (61 percent) feel sluggish at least once a week, and 66 percent attribute this to unhealthy eating. This feeling of sluggishness can be particularly prevalent during the months leading up to Daylight Savings Time, as winter conditions are often marked by heavier comfort foods and less frequent exercise.

According to the survey, fielded by Kellogg Company and Braun Research, women also attribute this wintertime sluggishness to other factors, including a lack of exercise (75 percent) and sitting for long periods of time (64 percent). However the majority, or two-thirds, agreed that the key to overcoming winter-weather sluggishness is eating healthier foods. And All-Bran® products are here to help.

Studies report that increasing fiber intake can result in consumers feeling lighter and more comfortable, as well as reduced fatigue(2). So, to help women feel renewed this spring the makers of All-Bran® products are offering five refreshing, spring-inspired recipes that help get the body back on track to take advantage of the lighter and brighter days of spring.

– Crunchy Bananas with Greek Yogurt: Slices of banana coated with Kellogg’s® All-Bran® Complete Wheat Flakes cereal, baked until crisp and served with sweetened low-fat Greek yogurt.
– Mac and Cheese: Rich and creamy mac and cheese with a crunchy Kellogg’s® All-Bran® Original cereal and Parmesan topping.
– Cranberry Chicken Burgers: Tart dried cranberries lend pizzazz to these grilled chicken burgers.
– No Bake Strawberry Granola Bars: Kellogg’s® All-Bran® Strawberry Medley cereal melds with mixed dried fruits, creating a chewy, crunchy granola bar.
– Baked Goat Cheese Salad: Rounds of fresh goat cheese rolled in Kellogg’s® All-Bran® Original cereal and herbs, baked and served on a green salad.

From sweet to savory, all five recipes provide simple ways to incorporate fiber into every meal, offering at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, per recipe. You can also try the All-Bran 7-Day Promise(TM) to increase fiber intake by including one serving of All-Bran® in your daily diet. These recipes and others can be found at www.All-Bran.com.

“Including All-Bran cereal as a part of meals, from breakfast and dinner, to hors d’oeuvres and dessert, allows women to increase their daily fiber intake while enjoying new tastes throughout the day,” said Cheryl Dolven, registered dietitian and Kellogg Company director of nutrition. “Coupling these new recipes with the All-Bran 7-Day Promise is a great way to get nearly half of the daily fiber the body needs.”

(1) Phone survey of 500 American women age 45 and older in the United States. The survey was conducted by Braun Research between January 28-31, 2010, by a mix of land and cellular phones. The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percent.

(2) Smith A et al (2001) High fiber cereals reduce fatigue. Appetite 37: 1-3.3 All-Bran® cereal, as a part of a high fiber diet, helps promote digestive health.

Seven Days to a Better Feeling You

Taking the All-Bran 7-Day Promise(TM)(3) is an easy way to incorporate the daily fiber that your body needs; 25 grams of fiber for most adult women and 38 grams of fiber for most adult men. While the five new spring-inspired recipes include All-Bran® Original cereal and All-Bran® Complete Wheat Flakes cereal, All-Bran® also offers hundreds of recipes featuring All-Bran® Bran Buds®, such as Bran Buds® with Fruit and Yogurt. All-Bran® Bran Buds® offers 51 percent of your recommended daily fiber per serving, and as with all varieties of All-Bran®, it cleanses your system helping you feel lighter, happier and more energetic. No complicated meal plans, or counting calories; simply incorporate one serving of Kellogg’s® All-Bran® into your diet per day, for seven days.

(3) All-Bran® cereal, as a part of a high fiber diet, helps promote digestive health.

Consumers who complete the All-Bran 7-Day Promise(TM) may see improvements in overall digestive health, including changes in regularity, feeling as if they have more energy, and less bloating and sluggishness.

With four varieties of All-Bran® cereal and new All-Bran(TM) recipes, there are plenty of tasty ways to fit fiber into your diet. Learn more about the All-Bran 7-Day Promise(TM) at www.All-Bran.com.

Health is wealth. By being physically fit, it can make a person look lean both inside and out.

There is a lot a person can do such jogging or walking in the morning, playing basketball or any other sport with friends but if a person wants to have muscles and look lean, the best thing to do will be to sign up and workout in a gym.

Just like taking any medicine, one should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.

Physical exercise is beneficial because it helps maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death. It also makes a person feel happier and increases ones self esteem preventing one from falling into depression or anxiety. It has also shown to make a person with an active lifestyle live longer than a person who doesn’t.

The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and make one either gain or lose weight.

A person who has never worked out before should do it gradually. Doing it too much for the first time can make one pull a muscle or have an injury making it worse. Endurance will never be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will surely be good to the person.

Focusing on certain portion in the body can help make it improve. A good example is going to the gym and doing a workout more often in a specific area such as the abs can give one a chest pack.

But beauty is not only about having muscles which is what people can see. It is also about enhancing the beauty within.

Here are some things one can do everyday to stay beautiful and healthy:

• Reading books and other reading material more often keeps the mind sharp just like working out keeps the body in shape.

• Work no matter what kind it is produces stress. One can reduce this by taking the time out to do something special like lying in a hot tub, shopping or watching a movie. Studies have shown it is reliever and helps one from looking haggardly.

• Pollution is something people cannot control given the size of the problem. When one goes out, it is best to put some form of protection such as beauty products that contain antioxidants that protect the skin from damage. There are also other beauty products available and choosing the right one with the help of a dermatologist can help the person.

• Another way to stay healthy is to give up some vices. Most people smoke and drink. Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer and other diseases as well complications for women giving birth. Excessive drinking has also shown to do the same.

• For people who don’t smoke, it is best to stay away from people who do since studies have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk of developing cancer due to secondary smoke inhalation.

• Lastly, it is best to always start the day with a positive outlook. Just as studies have shown that exercise makes a person feel happier, smiling produces the same effect. A smile can do a lot and it is contagious in a positive sense. It brightens the day of not only one but others as well.

When you decide to step out from your full time job to begin your journey to work at home, there are adjustments to be made. You need to be mentally prepared that things aren’t going to be the same anymore. You may not expect a regular salary for the start and there’ll be some financial planning involved too.

It is advisable to discuss your plans with your spouse if he is going to be the main breadwinner for the start. Sometimes you are so used to a combined income that it takes some time to cope with a reduction in household income. There may be a need to work within budget for the household expenses and other commitment as you get started. Many work at home moms begin their home office journey but doing it part time first and as the business begins to take shape, they leave their full time job for good. Holding ‘two jobs’ can be tough but it is a more gradual transition.

This morning I was reading some quick trim reviews in the web when a friend of mine called to ask my advice. She is thinking of starting a home business so that she can spend more time with her growing preschooler. It is often not easy to entrust a young child to a third party and she felt a need to take over. I told her to start exploring and doing her research before making a firm decision. She had some experience with blogging and internet marketing so it would be easy to take the online business to a newer height.

As much as we mothers want to work from home, sometimes this plan may take some months or years to come to pass. As you wait for that day to come, you can start looking around for potential home based opportunities and put your dream into action.

Fresh Faces from Music, Modeling & Hollywood Debut as Hennessy Ambassadors to Consumers Nationwide

Following the success of Lady Hennessy 2009, Hennessy is pleased to kick off this year’s brand ambassador campaign with three fresh faces, and one returning Lady Hennessy, who embody the Hennessy brand–sophisticated, sexy, unique and authentic. Returning Lady Hennessy, and former contestant on “America’s Next Top Model,” Toccara Jones will be joined by television personality and model Alesha Renee, music artist Teedra Moses and actress Hayley Marie Norman.

“Lady Hennessy 2010 will connect consumers to Hennessy right in their hometowns – whether they are purchasing it at the local liquor store or having a cocktail out at their city’s nightlife hotspot,” says Andy Glaser, Senior Vice President Hennessy Business. “The ladies all embody Hennessy values from their creative talents and personal strengths, to their grace and sensuality.”

Throughout 2010, Lady Hennessy will run in two phases–the first beginning in March and the second in September. Each Lady Hennessy ambassador will represent a region of the country, appearing at various on and off premise promotions, including military bases, during the year. This unique partnership between Hennessy and each Lady Hennessy ambassador will be supported with a fully integrated marketing campaign consisting of in-store executions, strong digital presence, PR and media support, including a consumer sweepstakes offering both regional and national prizes.

Toccara Jones

Toccara Jones is not only a former competitor from “America’s Next Top Model,” but she is also a BET correspondent and television personality. She first partnered with Hennessy for Lady Hennessy 2009 and recently helped launch Hennessy Black in Los Angeles market by hosting the kick off event.

Alesha Renee

Alesha Renee is a television host and model. Currently, she is the host of BET’s 5ive after winning BET’s Fresh Faces competition. She will also be the face of the Cover Girl “Black is Beautiful” Tour in 2010.

Teedra Moses

Teedra Moses is a singer and songwriter, and released her album “Complex Simplicity” through TVT Records. She has written for artists such as Raphael Saadiq, Christina Milian and Mary J. Blige.

Hayley Marie Norman

Hayley Marie Norman is an actress, appearing in films Norbit, Hancock, and Fired Up! She has a recurring role on the Starz drama, Crash, and will appear in a feature film with Forrest Whitaker in 2010.

Source: www.Hennessy.com

Some of you may have noticed that MLM businesses are becoming more popular in the recent years so more people seek work and financial freedom. Multi level marketing businesses have tapped on the powers of technology and allowed many to start home office businesses online.

Many MLM businesses offer a model that allows distributors or home business owners to sell the products online. Infact, I have seen many internet marketing sites that are promoting MLM products. These home based business owners are also recruiting downlines via their website. MLM companies present a new realm of options for those who want to become entrepreneurs. Distributors are the representatives of MLM companies and they are responsible for helping the company grow. Just do a search in the web and you can find lots of MLM business opportunities so you need to do your research to find out what works for you. From hair loss for women to a wide range of health care, many MLM centered around wellness in today’s disease stricken world!

As a distributor, people need to do extensive promotions or marketing so that many people get to know the product, while giving them attractive opportunity of earning money, too. And the beauty is, the business can begin from a home office with a little investment. When searching for a MLM business, you should ensure that the company has a successful distribution system and attractive compensation plan.

Before I joined the internet marketing foray, I heard of many frauds and scams, giving false hopes about instant riches for a hundred dollars. Many of these sites even provide you with evidences, testimonies and bank accounts to show that their schemes really work. Many women who desire to work from home will easily fall prey to these schemes as they can sound so promising and assuring.

It is important to be alert and cautious when dealing with strangers who promise you instant wealth. Having said that, it shouldn’t deter you from making any money online. There are many legitmate ways where you can earn money from home.

If you want to create an online business, you should prepare yourself for a series of working and studying. Patience is an important virtue for success. Not everything in this world happens in just a snap of the finger. It involves a process of learning and exploring. Many work from home moms start their online business through writing. This can involve writing web content and articles. Pop by Elance.com to have a look and feel of this online freelance site works. The writers in elance can write just about anything under the sun from how multivitamin supplement works for the body to how to decorate an old house. You can even write an ebook and market it online via commission junction. Find the topics that interest you and check out what are the popular ebooks sold online. Although they may not make you millions in a short time, they can open doors for you to earn money from home.

Don’t be disheartened if writing is not your forte, you can always engage yourself in other online businesses. Perhaps you should first look into getting a domain and starting a website.This may require some investment if you don’t know how, but with good promotion, your site will possibly open many home business opportunities.