April 2011

I am sure that you have all heard of Lady Gaga but have you heard of Baby Gaga? Baby Gaga is a radical new, naturally blended ice cream being sold at Icecreamist in London. Baby Gaga ice cream is radical not because it costs $24 for a single scoop. It is radical because it is a creamy blend of pasteurized breast milk, Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest. Yes, that would be human breast milk. Matt O’Connor, founder of Icecreamist, wants to “liberate the world one lick at a time” and if nothing else he is creating a buzz around his Covent Garden boutique ice cream shop. The idea of using breast milk to make ice cream was born out of O’Connor’s desire not to waste an abundance of frozen breast milk he and his wife had stored in their freezer.

Most cultures of the world consider the consumption of breast milk as a dairy food bizarre. But believe it or not, breast milk ice cream is just one of an interesting new niche of natural products that include cheese, yogurt, bread and soap all made with human breast milk. It is universally recognized that there is no commercial formula on the market today that is superior to breast milk for the nutritional needs of a newborn baby. It sounds weird and wrong for adults to consume breast milk. But is it? Some in the medical community are convinced that breast milk can induce the destruction of some types of cancer cells. And it is used in home remedies for conjunctivitis, insect bites/stings, contact dermatitis and burns. I’ll admit it – this formula feed baby sampled her own breast milk. Like most of you, I tried a little of everything before feeding it to my own babies (even those nasty iron drops). I really can’t remember much about how breast milk tasted but Colby & Brady seemed to enjoy it. However, at this point in time I don’t think the Bolin men are willing to give up their Breyers All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream. And the thought that one day we may see signs in the grocery store that say “Product of a Free-Range Lactating Woman” is way beyond my comprehension.

Make the time to be good to you – treat yourself to a scoop of your favorite ice cream, enjoy the warmer temperatures and take advantage of the extra hours of sunlight.

Happy Spring, Happy Easter and Good Health!

Terry

“If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live”
– Lin Yutang

March 2011

This month I thought I would share some Good Health! tidbits:

Sensitive scalp? If your scalp is sensitive to hair dye you might want to try adding a mixture of two packets of Sweet’N Low and one ounce of skim milk to your color. I have no idea why it works but I found this tidbit in Redbook Magazine so it must be true -- right?

Coffee? Yes, please. Female laboratory rats given caffeine developed an intense interest in their rodent partners.

Massage? Forget the sit-ups ladies. Having a 45-minute massage lowered thelevel of cortisol in study volunteers. Since increased cortisol levels have beenlinked to increased belly fat, stress reducing activities like a massage, exercise, medication or taking a bath may actually allow you to throw out that Ab Blaster.

Shape Ups? You may want to throw those out too. In February 2011 a waitress from Ohio filed a lawsuit against Sketchers, maker of the popular rounded-sole walking shoe. Holly Ward’s lawsuit claims that the Shape Ups she wore to work everyday to tone her legs and butt were responsible for the stress fractures she experienced in both of her hips.

Tired? Well . . . you don’t have to look like it. According to Kathleen Baird Murray, author of Face Value, you can achieve a wide-awake look by hanging your head over the side of your bed for a few seconds.

Allergies? Researchers at Cornell University concluded that the sniffles, sneezing and snottiness associated with hay fever may actually rid the body of toxins before they can harm healthy cells and thus reduce the risk of developing cancers of the skin, lungs, throat, cervix, uterus and gastrointestinal tract.

Leggings? Health officials in Thailand have asked women to stop wearing black leggings. Evidently the dark material of this popular fashion item attracts mosquitoes that carry the dengue fever.

This month get in touch with your inner shamrock. You can make the time to be good to you by believing that you are lucky. People who believe they are lucky are able to see all the ways they really are. Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day -- just be careful if you plan to consume any funky green adult beverages.

Good Health!

Terry

"I never leaf through a copy of National Geographic without realizing how lucky we are to live in a society where it is traditional to wear clothes."
~ Erma Bombeck

February 2011

On average, Americans spend nearly 8 hours a day sitting down and our backsides are spreading because of it. According to Dr. James Levine, MD of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, long periods of sitting may be contributing to a larger waist, a greater Body Mass Index, elevated blood fats and elevated blood sugar levels in our increasingly obese society. That’s because when we sit our body’s metabolism slows down. Dr. Levine has been conducting research on the topic of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) for 20 years and believes that “people who tap their feet, prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around a lot burn up to 350 more calories a day than those who sit still.” NEAT is the energy you expend for activities other than direct exercise. I like to call it “incidental exercise” – things like gardening, cooking and folding laundry. In our modern society many NEAT activities have been eliminated thanks to the car, appliances and our beloved TV with remote control.

The detrimental effects of our increasingly sedentary lifestyle may be the reason why so many women struggle with weight, blood sugar and cholesterol despite consistent workout schedules. Dr. Levine believes that you can workout for 30 minutes every day but if you spend the rest of the day sitting in your car, behind a desk/computer or in front of the TV you are at risk of suffering the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle. In an independent study conducted by Canadian researchers concluded that no matter how fit your are, the more time you spend sitting each day the more likely you are to die an early death.

Of course, I am all about living a long and healthy life but let’s get real here – there is no way I am giving up my cute red car, TV or dishwasher. I would rather vacuum! Here are a few easy ways you can add small bursts of physical activity to your day:

• Walk. Don’t waste time and gas driving around the parking lot looking for the closest spot to the door. And never use the drive thru window at the bank or at your favorite coffee shop.
• Prepare your own meals. Chopping, mixing, standing over the stove and washing dishes burns calories.
• Walk the stairs whenever possible. I walk the stairs at my house two stairs at a time. It doesn’t look very lady-like but it is kind of like doing lunges.
• Be your own housekeeper/gardener. Cleaning and gardening is a lot more fun when you realize it is a productive way to burn calories. Did you know that making your bed every morning is a good way to stretch?
• Drink lots of water. When you drink water you have to pee and that means you are going to need to find a bathroom. I like to take it to the next level – a bathroom on another level of my home.
• Stand up and fidget while surfing the Internet or talking on the phone. CAUTION -- It’s never a good idea to text while walking as evidenced by this popular YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPpzj4PjNjU
• Do something while watching TV. It is also a good idea to stand up and stretch during the commercial breaks.
• Take your dog out for short walks. Don’t rely on Invisible Fence.

Please share your ideas for adding “incidental exercise” to your day by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post.

Be My Valentine ♥ and make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“Make it simple but significant.” ~Don Draper, Mad Men