September 2011

It has been almost 20 years but, I can still remember listening to another mother at the park describe giving birth to her son . . . in her kitchen . . . in a plastic kiddie pool . . . with her entire family in attendance. At the time I remember thinking ewww . . . . . no way. I never really thought about it again until recently when I heard that the number of mothers having a planned homebirth went up 20% from 2004 to 2008. That of course begs the question -- WHY? What I learned is that there has been a 94% increase in homebirths amongst white women in America. Some of these women are opting for homebirth because it’s cheaper, some because they want to be in charge of their birth experience and some because it is what a growing number of celebrity moms like Ricky Lake, Giselle Bundchan, Cindy Crawford, Kelly Preston and Maria Bello are doing. Homebirth websites tout benefits that include: familiar/comfortable surroundings, no stranger germs, Dad can rest (like that’s important) and convenient access to your favorite foods. Still only about 1% of all births in the US are homebirths. Thankfully my childbearing years are behind me. But I’m thinking the process can’t have changed all that much. It’s still somewhat unpredictable and messy isn’t it? I did it my way – at Methodist Hospital where Todd was able to smuggle in a celebratory cocktail for mom.

For all you ladies who carry those big heavy purses listen up: Ideally, your purse shouldn't weigh more than 10 percent of your body weight. I would encourage you to put your purse on a scale and see how much it weighs. Make the time to be good to you. If your purse is too heavy, give yourself a break -- clean it out or better yet buy a smaller one. Your back will thank you.

Good Health!

Terry

“No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”
~National September 11 Memorial Inscription

August 2011

Some of you are old enough to remember the iconic 70’s ad campaign in which Euell Gibbons asked, “Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible.” And even though Euell claimed Post Grape-Nuts had a naturally sweet taste that reminded him of wild hickory nuts, I thought they tasted like cardboard. Not any more. I recently became reacquainted with the new and improved Grape-Nuts cereal (http://www.postcereals.com/cereals/grape-nuts). Honestly -- it has been life changing. The 7 grams of dietary fiber in a single serving of Grape-Nuts has had an incredibly positive effect on my digestive system. Not only is Grape-Nuts cereal good for your digestive system it’s also good food for your heart. One ½ cup serving contains 100% of the nutritionist recommended daily amount of whole grains and 0 grams of saturated fat. That is really important because diets rich in whole grains and low in saturated fats and cholesterol can help reduce your risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death of women in this country. If that’s not enough to convince you to give Grape-Nuts a try how about the fact that they contain half of a day's requirement for iron, it's a good source of vitamin A and most of the B vitamins and a great source of that oh so important vitamin D. Five or six mornings a week I enjoy ½ cup of Grape-Nuts with a ¼ cup of low-fat milk or yogurt and a handful of fresh berries or dried fruit. I am certainly not a medical professional or nutritionist but I am an expert on me. After years of trying to regulate my moody digestive system I finally found the answer in a bowl of crunchy goodness. It’s good stuff and if it were up to me, Post Grape-Nuts would be classified as a superfood.

Make the time to be good to you -- SMILE.

Good Health & Good Luck to the gals of Team Ped-A-Cure!

Terry

“Is this a hickie or a bruise?”

~Katy Perry, “Last Friday Night”

July 2011

You might be surprised to hear that at least four out of five women in the Unites States will be infected with the HPV virus -- the virus that causes cervical cancer -- at some point in their lives. Ninety percent of the time no symptoms or health problems occur and the body’s immune system clears the HPV in about two years. Even so, 12,200 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually. In February of this year the results of the ATHENA (Addressing THE Need for Advanced HPV Diagnostics) were published. ATHENA concluded that the Cobas HPV Test was able to detect HPV-16 and HPV-18, two of the highest risk HPV genotypes (there are over 100!) that cause 70% of all cervical cancers. One in 10 women, age 30-years and older, who tested positive for HPV-16 and/or 18 by the Cobas HPV Test had cervical pre-cancer even though their Pap test showed no abnormality. The FDA approved the Cobas HPV Test in April of 2011 and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends the Pap test and Cobas HPV Test for women 30 and over. Talk to your doctor and make sure you are being properly tested under the new guidelines.

I am all about celebrating the uniqueness of every woman. But if a nip, tuck or injection makes you feel better about yourself -- go for it. You have spent more hours than you can count doing lunges and squats and you still can’t get rid of those saddlebags -- maybe it is time to consider having a little liposuction. Why not? It is now the most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States. Fat cells get sucked out and they are gone forever. Well, that’s a big fat lie according to a University of Colorado School of Medicine study that concluded the fat cells eventually return – within 1 year. Even more disappointing, the fat cells seem to be redistributed in the body causing fatty areas in the upper abdomen, shoulders and triceps. First we learned that Spanx may cause yeast infections (http://goodhealth-terry.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html) and now we are hearing about the unwanted side effects of liposuction. Very disappointing news for sure – almost as devastating as learning the truth about Santa Claus!

On the 4th of July Americans celebrated our independence and freedom. This month I would encourage you to celebrate YOU. Take the day off, enjoy the summer sunshine, sing like no one is listening and make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you finish the work.”
– Pat Clifford