Sunflower or Canola Oil?

I've been using Canola oil for a long time now, more than 12 years. I read and heard in the news that Canola oil is very good for your health, especially your heart health. Now, I read in a health/exercise magazine that sunflower oil is very good too. It has conjugated linoleic acid, a naturally and healthy fatty acid that is essential to the basic funtions of the body. Moreso, it has beed shown to help burn fat and build lean muscles. It sounds good, doesn't it? I have to research more about it though. I want to be sure that it is the best for me and my family. Have you tried sunflower oil?

Healthy in Middle Age

My main motivation to exercise is to be healthy. At my age (middle-age!), being healthy is my main concern. We all know that aches and pains (and some diseases) creep up when you are older. I do not want to wait to get sick before I start living a healthy life - through exercise and sensible diets. It is also crucial to take supplements daily since we all cannot eat a ton of veggies an fruits in each meal! I take daily vitamins for women along with a calcium tablet.

Vitamins - They're Good for You

I remember growing up, my mom would always have us take our daily vitamins. It would've been nice if it was in a tablet or capsule form but no, it's liquid and has an aftertaste. Good thing that she switched to a different brand and it was more palatable, it was sweet with an orangey taste. Now that I'm a mom myself, I give my children their daily vitamins. It is easy for me because it's in the form of a gummy (although their dentist wouldn't be happy with it! But I make sure that their teeth gets cleaned very well and no gummies are left in the nooks and crannies). It doesn't matter what age we're in, since we do not get the recommended daily servings of vitamins our body need, we need to take daily supplements and this is especially important if you are pregnant - then you have to take prenatal vitamins religiously.

Self-Medication

I know of some people who prefer to 'self-medicate' instead of seeing a doctor for their ailments. This is good for just simple illness like a headache, cold, cough or stomach ache. But if it has been weeks and months and there is no change, then for goodness sakes, see a doctor! There are a lot of websites where you can check out symptoms and recommended cure for illnesses - from the simple aches and pains, to the more serious diseases. There are even dedicated websites for different illnesses and recommended treatment like eczema treatment. One has to remember that it still is best to see a 'real'doctor than self-diagnose and self-medicate.

Getting a Flu Shot is Like Pulling Teeth!

It is hard to get flu shot for the kids these days. I guess a lot more people are getting them for their children. We always bring our kids for flu shots every year, you probably will too if you know that many are dying because of influenza. Then this year, you have the Swine flu!
Good thing that my children are not scared of doctors (and even dentists). It's not hard to get them to sit on the manual exam tables in the doctor's office. I think one of the key is talking to them days before the actual visit so they will have an idea on what is going to happen. It is also helpful if you're not nervous yourself.

I'm Becoming a Germophobe!

I hope not! Early this morning, I filled up my SUV. Afterwards, inside the car, I just realized that I didn't have any hand sanitizer in my pocket book or in the car. I almost panicked (well, kinda) and that's when I realized that I may be becoming a germophobe. Is it just me or is anyone out there feeling the same thing? Everytime I come home from shopping or any public place, I make sure that the kids and I either wash our hands or put on some hand sanitizer. Especially during these times wherein the fear of getting the H1N1 virus or Swine flu is very real, it is important to be extra vigilant. Every week, I hear in the news that a healthy kid or teen died from this virus and it is scary. I'm out of those anti-bacterial wipes since I gave the last two tubs to my kids' class. I need to stock up on it and also shop for the best weight loss pills that my cousin from the Philippines asked me to get for her.

Danger with Old Houses

I remember when we were looking for houses when we just moved into this state. We saw some beautiful Victorian homes, just like the ones usually seen in a period movie. The craftmanship was amazing along with the architecture. We considered it but we were worried about the upkeep. Buying an old house can be a lot of work and may take up a lot of your time. Plus it may end up costing us more $$. There is also the danger of the house having lead paint and asbestos which can lead to health problems like mesothelioma. At the end, we had a new house built since we don't want to deal with problems that comes with owning an old house.

Diabetes and Weight Loss

I know of some people who have Diabetes. It is one of those diseases that has a lot of complications. Some overweight people who are considered obese usually have this disease. Living with Diabetes is hard, there are a lot of food that one shouldn't consume. There are fruits that are in the list of foods Diabetics should not eat. Losing weight will help out a lot for someone who has Diabetes but for some people, this is not possible. It could be because of their low metabolism or other reasons, one solution they can look at is having a lap band surgery. As with any other surgeries, it is imperative that you choose a lap band doctor that has a lot of experience in this type of surgery. Doing so will at least give you a piece of mind knowing that the surgeon has done this surgery many times.

Mustela Skin Care for You and Your Baby

Having two kids, I know how stressed moms can be when it comes to medical problems that involves children. I remember when my kids were still babies, I had to always call their pediatrician for advise. Good thing that they have been healthy. My sister meanwhile, has a child that has a skin problem called eczema. Her son's skin is so sensitive that she has to be careful as to the kind of products he uses. She cannot even use the popular baby bath liquid soap that is known to be one of the gentlest products on the market. One product that is safe and gentle for babies with eczema is the line of Mustela Stelatopia products. These Mustela products have been tested on babies with eczema under the guidance of dermatologists and pediatricians. These are safe to use on babies and small children and will not dry their skin and cause more problems. If you are not sure of what product to use for your child, they have a Parent's Corner with helpful tips, FAQs, and other useful information that can help any parent, experienced or otherwise. Mustela also has products for expectant moms, lotions and creams to prevent stretch marks and such. For yours and your babies' skin care, use Mustela.

Get Ready for the Flu Season

I was the first in the family to get the Flu shot this year. When I called my Primary Care doctor's office, they had an opening the next day so off I went. The kids are already scheduled to have their Flu shot next month while dh will have his at work. This year, the Center for Disease Control recommended that all children under 19 years old get the Flu shot. My daughter has been getting her Flu shots every year even though it wasn't recommended by her doctor. It really makes a big difference, we rarely get sick during Winter. Some people take these for granted, they probably do not know that every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu. So if you do not want to suffer this coming Flu season, get yourself and your family immunized.

Collect Your Stem Cells, Help Cure a Disease

Have you heard about C'elle? It is a service by Cryo-Cell for women that provides discreet and easy collection and preservation of stem cells from the menstrual fluid each month. So why do you need to do this? Studies has shown that menstrual blood contains stem cells that can be used in treating life-threatening diseases like Leukemia, Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, Alzheimers and Parkinson's Disease. Not only you can benefit from this, even your parents, siblings and children will also benefit from this process. Your stem cells will be preserved for future use. You need not wait to do this because studies has shown that the healthier you are when your cells are collected and preserved, the more viable the cells may be for future use.
With C'elle, they make the whole process easy for you. The collection kit includes a detailed instruction for use and everything you need to collect your menstrual stem cells; it also includes a prepaid FedEx airbill for return shipment to Cryo-Cell.
Now for a limited time, they have a special promotion where you can save $200 off the regular price. You can check this out in their pricing page. So place your order now and protect the future health of you and your family.

Minute Clinics

Have you heard of Minute Clinics? They opened a number of clinics here in my state. I like this concept, no appointments necessary and they treat common illnesses like the flu, poison ivy rash, sinus infections, etc. A nurse practitioner will do the examination. I have no problem with this since in my doctor's health group , I see a nurse practitioner whenever I need to have something checked immediately and my primary care doctor is not available. I went to their website and found out that their price range from $30-$110 and what's more they accept most insurance plans. If you want to get a flu shot, it is available in these clinics daily starting Oct. 1. This is a good idea and I hope that they open one in my vicinity.

Schedule Flu Shots

It's coming, flu season is upon us. It's time to call your family doctor/pediatrician and schedule the flu shots. It used to be that only children under 5 years old get the flu vaccine every year. This year, my kids' pediatrician wants all kids to get it. I've been doing this every year, I always ask for a flu shot for my daughter who is now 9. Even if they tell me that she does not need one, I tell them that I want her to have it. Dh and I also get ours, he gets it from work while I get it from my Primary Care doctor. Doing this every year spares our household from getting the bug each year. Believe me, it is worth it.

Have You Started Your Christmas Shopping?

Hey, it's never too early, right? Since my parents and sister lives on the other coast, I try to shop early for presents. Doing so helps me avoid those long lines at the post office plus I have a lot of time to look for good deals. It is easy to shop for women, isn't it? There are a lot of choices like pocketbooks, jewelry, clothes, perfume and so on. Shopping for men though, is entirely a different matter. I always end up giving my dad a shirt for Christmas, pretty boring. I'm thinking of giving him a blood pressure monitor this year. His old one needs replacing since he's had for a long time and the velcro on the cuff are worn. This is one gift that I know he'll be using for a long time.

Cord Blood, Save It

Do you know that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, August has the highest number of births. That's why Cryo-Cell International started a campaign this month to educate new parents about the importance of cord blood banking. This company is the most established Family Cord Blood Bank in the country. Cord blood has the stem cells that can be used to treat 70 diseases. These diseases include diabetes, leukemia, cerebral palsy, anemia and many more. The stem cells are harvested from the cord blood after delivery and is preserved for later use. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for parents so it is imperative that they make a decision before the baby is born.

Cryo-Cell also launched a new service called C'elle which provides women with the opportunity to collect and preserve vital stem cells that can be harvested from the body's menstrual fluid during the menstrual cycle.

Current offers by Cryo-Cell includes $300 off with an online application for this Labor Day Weekend; savings for new clients up to $599 and up to $799 for returning clients; $200 savings for C'elle customers and many more. They have highly trained child birth educators available for consultation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Watch a Video, Save a Life

A year ago, I was surprised to learn that a former co-worker was in the hospital because of a Heart Failure. He is only in his early sixties and from what I knew, leads an active lifestyle. He wasn't aware that he was already experiencing a heart attack. A lot of people are not familiar with heart failure symptoms. There are a lot of types of heart disease and heart conditions and people need to be aware of all the possible causes and symptoms. There is a website called HeartLibrary.com that has a vast resource of interactive videos about heart conditions and diseases. Everyone can benefit from watching these videos where doctors explain everything about heart disease. Share this website with everyone you know, you might help save a life or two.

Gano Coffee, A Healthy Coffee

I did not start drinking coffee until about 3 years ago. Growing up, I drank milk and/or orange juice for my breakfast drink. Now, I am a regular coffee drinker. Just like everyone else, at least, I try to find ways to lead a healthy lifestyle starting with the foods and drinks that I consume. I found out about Gano coffee. This healthy coffee has about 150 antioxidants in every cup, now who wouldn't want that! We all know that anti-oxidants are good for the body so having all these in a cup of coffee is good. So what else makes Gano coffee different from the pack? It has the most Ganoerma also knows as Reishi which has 200 active nutrients, vitamins and minerals. I'm all psyched now that even my morning cup'o joe is packed with lots of good stuff!

A Miracle Exercise Pill

Okay, a group of scientists discovered a pill that gives the benefit of exercise without breaking out a sweat. It is a miracle only if you are a mouse. Don't fret, a pill for humans may come out in a couple of decades. Back to the exercise pill. The research concluded that mice with no exercise burned more calories and had less fat than the untreated mice. When the mice were tested on the treadmill, they could run farther (44%) and longer (23%) than the untreated mice. This is the only time I wish I was a mouse! LOL

Beware of Crypto in Swimming Pools

I heard about this warning from Good Morning America today. This parasite commonly found in swimming pools are resistant to chlorine. Tell your children not to swallow pool water and remind them of proper toilet hygiene.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned parents not to let a parasitic pest spoil a family trip to the pool.
Health experts are concerned about a chlorine-resistant parasite called Cryptosporidiosis or Crypto. The CDC said Crypto is the leading cause of recreational water illnesses, and more of those illnesses were reported in 2007 than ever before.

Crypto can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, dehydration, nausea, vomiting and fever. Experts said people with weakened immune systems are most at risk for severe or life-threatening complications.

The CDC warned because Crypto is resistant to chlorine, it can be a problem even in pools that are properly maintained.

To reduce your family's risk of infection, the CDC recommended:
Reminding children not to swallow water while swimming.
Not allowing children to swim when they have diarrhea.
Taking a shower before swimming.
Washing hands carefully after using the restroom or changing diapers.
The CDC also encouraged pool operators to use supplemental disinfection, in addition to conventional chlorine and filtration methods.

Be Careful When Texting

Emergency Doctors are seeing a rise in injuries acquired while texting. No, it's not your usual thumb injury but more serious injuries. People who text while walking, skating, riding a bike or even driving risks serious injuries. The ER are full of texters with injuries ranging from scrapes, cuts and sprains which they received when they walked into lampposts or walls or tripped over curbs. There was a teen who fell off her horse while texting and she suffered head and back injuries. Another girl meanwhile suffered burns when she was texting her boyfriend while cooking some noodles. There were also two recorded deaths: both were texting when they stepped off the curb and crossed the street while texting. Peope nowadays are so used to multi-tasking that they even do it at inoportune times.
I find it hard to text and concentrate on driving at the same time that I don't do it. How about you? Do you text and do other things at the same time?

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.linguistik.uni-erlangen.de/~msbethke