Lipstick to Crayons » Health & Fitness

Not Too Late to Get a Flu Shot

lipsticktocrayons — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:15:45 +0000

With the holiday season right around the corner, the American Lung Association has an important message: It’s not too late to get your flu shot!

Vaccination is recommended and beneficial into the winter months – a time of the year when spreading holiday cheer with family and friends can also make it easier for disease, like influenza, to spread when we’re in close contact. Everyone six months of age and older is recommended for annual flu vaccination, and immunization is the best way to be protected and enjoy the celebration all the way into the New Year.

Learn more about influenza and the importance of annual vaccination by visiting www.facesofinfluenza.org.

About Influenza

Influenza is a serious respiratory illness. Each year in the U.S., on average, influenza and its related complications result in approximately 226,000 hospitalizations. Depending on virus severity during the influenza season, deaths can range from 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. Combined with pneumonia, influenza is the eighth leading cause of death in the nation.

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The Healthy School Lunch Makeover

lipsticktocrayons — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:05:07 +0000

By Connie Diekman, Registered Dietitian

As a mom, you likely know what your child eats for breakfast and dinner, but what about lunch at school? Typically, kids get about 30 to 50 percent of their calories while at school. The good news is there are several changes happening in school cafeterias across the country this year to make lunch time nutritious and delicious for students.

This year, moms will be pleased to know that school cafeterias are serving more whole grains in unexpected places (like pizza), more fresh vegetables (especially nutrient-rich leafy greens and orange vegetables), lessening sodium content and offering great-tasting flavored milk with fewer calories and less added sugar than in the past.

As the beverage of choice among students, the change to flavored milk is an important one. On average, school chocolate milk is projected to have just 31 calories more than white milk and 38% less added sugar, the result of ongoing work by milk processors with local districts across the country over the last five years.

This school year when kids pick up a carton of flavored milk with their lunch, the majority will be less than 150 calories and will have all the same nine essential nutrients as white milk – including vitamin D, calcium and potassium, nutrients that the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say children need to consume more of.

As a registered dietitian, I know most kids ages nine and older are far from the recommended three servings of dairy a day, and it’s important to offer a variety of choices, both flavored and white milk, to ensure kids have more opportunities to get the nutrients found in milk, versus choosing drinks with no nutritional value.

The food choices kids make today can have a big influence in shaping their future. Providing wholesome, nutritious meals for students increases their ability to pay attention in class, provides energy for sports and exercise, and reduces the risk of health problems later in life. These nutrients are important for kids’ growth and development, and for many children, school meals may be the best source of real nutrition they get all day.

So remember, nutritious food doesn’t have to be boring! Low-fat chocolate milk strikes a great balance between good nutrition and good fun.

For more information on school flavored milk reformulations, please visit: http://www.whymilk.com/school_milk.php.

Connie Diekman, M.Ed, RD, LD, FADA is a nutrition communications consultant in St. Louis, Missouri. Diekman is the past President of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and is a former chair of the American Heart Association – Missouri affiliate.

She is the voice of the “Eating Right” minute, which airs daily, on WBBM radio in Chicago. She is also a former television nutrition reporter with St. Louis’ NBC affiliate and the local FOX affiliate.

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Study Suggests Marital Changes Lead to Weight Gain

lipsticktocrayons — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:58:00 +0000

If you plan on getting married or divorced any time soon, you may want to stock up on Slimfast first. A new study released at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association found that a transition in marital status generally leads to weight gain for both men and women.

Lead by Dmitry Tumin and Dr. Zhenchao Qian of Ohio State University, the study used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth ’79, which took an annual survey of the BMIs of over 10,000 men and women (aged 14-22 at the time) up until 1994. The test subjects were separated into four groups: those with a small decrease in BMI of about 7 pounds (depending on the subject’s height), those with a small gain of 7-20 pounds, a large gain of more than 21 pounds, or a change of less than 7 pounds.

The results were that women gained more weight in the two years after their marriage, where men gained more weight in the two years after their divorce. These results contradicted previous studies that found that both men and women lose a small amount of weight after a divorce, which is blamed on the other studies’ averaging of weights together as well as grouping all the subjects in one category, according to Dr. Qian. To eschew this, the subjects were not only classified into the 4 classes of weight change, but pregnancy, poverty, education, and socioeconomic status were factored in as well.

As for the reasons why women tend to have a lower body fat percentage than men after divorce, Tumin suggests that “married men get a health benefit from marriage, and they lose that benefit once they get divorced, which may lead to their weight gain.”

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Training for the Chicago Marathon — almost halfway!

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:14:15 +0000

Well, I’m almost halfway through my training program for the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. And the training has been grueling in this heat!

This will be my third appearance in the Chicago Marathon. It was my first-ever marathon in 2005, with a time 4:30:54, and I went back in 2006 and completed it in 4:34:08. I initially wanted to complete the race in under four hours this year, but I’m starting to think that might be too aggressive of a goal. So, my goal now is to go faster than 4:30. And, I’m starting a new nutrition program that I hope will result in an 8-10 pound weight loss, which should also make me faster, right?

I’m really looking forward to this particular race because two of my closest friends are going to travel with me to Chicago and we’re going to make a “Girls Weekend” out of the affair. We haven’t chosen our hotel accommodations yet, so that’s next on the list.

Then it’s time for me to start shopping for new running shoes. Any suggestions? I’ve been training in New Balance so far, and I may stick with those, but I”m open to suggestions.

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Drinking More Water & Loving Our New Water Cooler!

lipsticktocrayons — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 19:49:22 +0000

I made lots of New Year’s Resolutions this year, and among there were:

Sign up to run the 2011 Chicago Marathon – Check. I’m registered for this October event.
Learn a new training/exercise program that requires me to run a little less and cross train a little more. Working on it.
Lose weight, of course. Working on it.
Drink more water. Check! In fact, all of us are drinking more water and it’s all because of our brand new Clover Water Cooler from Air & Water Inc.

I didn’t think I’d like having one of these water coolers in my house, although I KNEW my kids would love it. I thought it would be too big, too messy, and a something for which I would constantly have to fuss at my preschooler to leave alone!

As it turns out, the benefits far outweigh any downsides.

It is big, but we found a spot for it just off the kitchen in the laundry room, which is right beside the door to our garage. That’s perfect, because my kids can fill their water bottles with cold water as they walk out the door to their various sporting acitviites or to school.

It doesn’t leak at all, and I’ve bumped it several times while doing laundry. I never find any water on the floor.

The second best part?!! I was able to order safety valves for the hot AND cold water spouts, so my preschooler is unable to operate herself. That means no chance of burns from the hot water, and if she violates my rules about only using it when she has permission, I simply put the safety valve on the cold water spout until she “learns her lesson” again — usually within an hour or so.

But here’s the best part: Having a supply of fresh hot and cold water is infinitely useful around the house and it has encouraged all of us to drink more water!!

We have the Clover B7A Hot and Cold Water Dispenser for 5 Gallon Water Bottles. It features a cold water thermostat to set the temperature as cold as you prefer. The hot water is controlled to nearly 185°F using an automatic thermostat. It’s great for making a quick cup of tea or soup with the hot water side, and as I said, the cold water side is perfect when we’re running out the door to the gym or a swim or basketball practice. Our little princess, with permission, fills her small tea set with the cold water for some pretend play here and there.

The water cooler requires little maintenance and its ultra-efficient condenser is cooled via convection and operates quietly.

Air & Water Inc. sells countertop water coolers, as well as water coolers that hook directly into your water line. The model we have retails for about $220 and the 5 gallon water jugs can be purchased for as little as $12 at Home Depot.

If you’re looking to drink more water and might consider a water cooler for your home, you should visit Air & Water. Founded in 2002, Air & Water has quickly grown to become one of the internet’s largest independent appliance retailers. In addition to their Web site, the company also operates storefronts on online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. Air & Water, Inc. is also recognized as a trusted online retailer by some of the web’s biggest online shopping compare sites such as Bizrate, Shopping, and NexTag.

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2011 – The Year of the Vegetable

lipsticktocrayons — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:09:03 +0000

The following article was written by George Ball, Burpee Chairman & CEO, and is being reposted here as a shortened version of the original, which ran as an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. It is reprinted with Mr. Ball’s permission:

————-

Childhood obesity is now the nation’s disease—an ailment crippling the body politic. The long-term health effects are well-established and include early onset diabetes and premature hip and joint problems. American children are prematurely aging, suffering from sicknesses that were once the provenance of older adults. Old has become the new young.

The lineup of culprits includes school vending machines, latchkey children, the endangered home-cooked meal, vanishing physical-education classes, fried everything, supersized portions, sedentary hours spent zoned out in front of the computer screen, nutritional ignorance, misleading labeling and more. But whatever and whoever is to blame, it is surely not kids. We cannot expect children to make the right food choices when healthy foods are out of reach and nutrition-smart role models are not in evidence.

The saddest thing about childhood obesity is that it’s unnecessary. It’s inexcusable that in the breadbasket of the world American children are eating so much lousy food.

As an agriculturist and horticulturist, I believe that the answer is simple. As parents, educators, nutritionists and marketers, we have to imbue our children with the love of—and consumption of—the most beneficial food for growing bodies. This means fresh vegetables and fruits, whether store-bought or home-grown.

As kids, we imitate our elders, who teach most effectively by example. Right now, adults aren’t doing a good job of modeling good behavior. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just 26% of adults have three or more servings of vegetables a day, a number that includes those who deem a tomato slice or lettuce on a burger as a “vegetable serving.” In other words, roughly 80% of U.S. adults scarcely eat any vegetables at all.

Liking vegetables is not a given: Every food other than breast milk is an acquired taste. But children can easily learn to enjoy eating their greens. It’s simply a matter of education and familiarity—as in “family.” Children will happily eat squash, artichoke or broccoli, to the delight of the parents who taught them to do so. As for fruits, children can gobble them up, but like vegetables, they must be at the ready, at least as available as all the junky alternatives.

Kids imitate their elders, who teach most effectively by example.

In our research at Atlee Burpee, we have found that kids who grow vegetables alongside their parents eat them regularly and with gusto. Peas, green beans and raw carrots—the very vegetables that kids are told to eat, their parents’ admonishing fingers wagging—are particular favorites.

While not all American families have the benefit of a sun-filled backyard for a vegetable garden, companies like Burpee offer many vegetable seeds and plants that you can grow easily in containers. You can grow beets, carrots, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, which can be plucked from the stalk well into winter.

Eighteen years ago, as president of the American Horticultural Society, I initiated a children’s gardening program. Our annual symposium drew thousands of educators and community gardeners with the goal of educating and inspiring children to grow gardens in their school and neighborhoods. The results were heartening: Thousands of churches, schools and community centers sprouted new gardens.

Yet no single institution is sufficient; fighting a problem of this sort requires a multifaceted effort. Churches could do much more to inspire families to grow vegetables. Public and private botanical and community gardening groups should augment efforts to lure neighbors into their educational demonstration gardens. Most families, whether in the city or suburbs, can plant at least a “starter garden”—involving pre-teen children in the planting, tending and harvesting.

Let’s make 2011 the Year of the Vegetable. We have nothing to lose but our waistlines.

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Breathe Right Strips and $50 Travelocity Gift Card Giveaway

lipsticktocrayons — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:40:33 +0000

I used to have a newspaper editor who always sounded like she had a cold when I talked to her in the morning. I’d say, “Are you feeling okay?” and she’d say, “It’s just my morning voice.” I was LOTS younger than her, so I chalked it up to her advanced years (I think she was close to 30!!). And I felt bad for her because she could never disguise how long she’d been up for the day. (Me, on the other hand — I was always successful in hiding the fact that I’d risen exactly 20 minutes before I walked in the door to work.)

That was then, this is now. Now I have “morning voice.” Now I suffer from night time congestion. Now I WISH I were just 30! And until recently, I simply lived with it and chalked it up to my advanced years.

Fortunately, those Breathe Right strips that I’m always seeing advertised in local drug store fliers and on television actually work. I started trying them out last month, and I don’t have night time congestion when I’m wearing them. They literally raise your nasal passages so you, well, breathe right. And they’re comfortable to wear. I have never had a snoring problem (at least I don’t think so), but I’m certain these would help if you were a snorer, too. In fact, I’m going to make my husband give them a try next.

The Breathe Right strips are drug free — they simply open your nose more completely with their “advanced, four-point technology. They are recommended for use every night if you suffer from nasal congestion due to allergies, colds or a deviated septum or if you snore. Go to the Breathe Right Web site to analyze your nighttime breathing, to learn more about the product and to find locations where you can buy the strips.

The folks at Breathe Right are excited to get us talking about the product, so they’re offering one of my readers a $50 gift card to Travelocity. So, leave a comment below to enter.

Giveaway Guidelines:

To enter the contest, you MUST become an email subscriber to Lipstick to Crayons. The subscribe button is in the upper right corner of the site. Once you subscribe (or if you are already a subscriber), leave a comment below telling me you did so, and make sure the email address you provide is the one you used to subscribe. After completing this mandatory first entry method, you can gain additional entries by doing any or all of the following (but be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do):

Tell me our thoughts on the Breathe Right strips.
Blog about this contest
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (You can tweet daily, but leave a comment for each time you do so).
Favorite Lipstick to Crayons on Technorati
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Add Lipstick to Crayons to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar
Become a fan of Lipstick to Crayons on Facebook.
Post a link to this contest on your Facebook page.

This giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time Jan. 14, 2011. Be sure to include a valid email address with each of your entries. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and will be notified via email and announced on this post.

If the winner does not claim the prize by January 17, 2011, she will forfeit the prize to an alternate winner who will be drawn at random.

USA residents only.

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. CONGRATULATION TO JESSIE C., COMMENT # 20.

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Cool Touch Griddle Giveaway — Make Breakfast!! CLOSED

lipsticktocrayons — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:28:38 +0000

Knowing that school days can be a hectic time for families, I wanted to pass along some tips from the Midwest Dairy Council designed not only to save time, but also help that ensure kids take on the day with a healthy and balanced breakfast:

o Set out cereal boxes and bowls the night before, add milk in the morning, and enjoy

o Divide mini pretzels, nuts, and dried fruit into baggies the night before to sprinkle over yogurt

o Bake a fresh batch of muffins with your kids over the weekend to grab on the way to school

o Stock up on self-serve options such as individual flavored milks and granola bars

o Heat nutrient-rich leftovers for a quick, non-traditional breakfast

o If kids don’t have time to eat at home, take advantage of school breakfast programs

We’ve all heard that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but did you know that skipping breakfast can mean going a total of 15-17 hours without food? In fact, children who skip breakfast don’t typically make up the nutrients they miss at other meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast has also been linked to sustained energy levels throughout the school day, improved attendance, higher math and reading scores, increased creativity and an improved memory.

Giveaway

To help get families get off to a good start each morning, Midwest Dairy Council would like to provide a giveaway that will help make the routine quick, easy and tasty! The giveaway bundle includes:

o A Cool Touch Griddle (valued at $30.00), plus handy kitchen tools

o Dairy Makes Sense recipe cards, including a fall favorite, Pumpkin Pancakes.

o Reusable Dairy Makes Sense insulated grocery bag — perfect for stocking up on milk, cheese and yogurt at the grocery store.

Giveaway Guidelines:

Blog about this contest
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (you can do daily tweets, but leave a comment each time you do)
Favorite Lipstick to Crayons on Technorati
Stumble this post
Add Lipstick to Crayons to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar
Become a fan of Lipstick to Crayons on Facebook.
Post a link to this contest on your Facebook page.

This giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time November 5, 2010. Be sure to include a valid email address with each of your entries. Winners will be randomly chosen via random.org and will be notified via email and announced on this post.

If any winner does not claim the prize by November 8, 2010, she will forfeit the prize to an alternate winner who will be drawn at random.

USA residents only please!

For information about the importance of breaking for breakfast and 12 quick breakfast tips, please visit the newly updated www.dairymakessense.com.

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO GERI, COMMENT #29.

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Got Questions @ the Flu or the Flu Shots?

lipsticktocrayons — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 02:25:29 +0000

I admit I am one of the early-birds on the whole flu shot thing. My teen and I got our shots on Saturday (Sept. 11) and I plan to have the rest of us vaccinated by the end of this week. And did you know that the shots available this year are a combination of the H1N1 vaccine and two strains of the flu virus?

If you have questions about the flu, the shots, who should get them, where you can get them, what they cost, whether you can get your toddler vaccinated at the local pharmacy or if you have to go to the pediatrician, etc., etc., you can get them answered LIVE on Facebook today.

On Monday, September 13^th, Walgreens will have a licensed Pharmacist answering your flu questions LIVE on their Facebook page. The live chat will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central time.

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HUGE Giveaway worth almost $200 from Kymaro! – CLOSED

lipsticktocrayons — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:38:33 +0000

Kymaro Health and Beauty products are designed to help women look their best all the time. I have personally reviewed the Kymaro Body Shaper, which creates a smoother silhouette under fitted tees and dresses. I liked how the fabric is soft and lightweight, but it doesn’t roll up under your clothes. And it’s thin enough to be worn with the clingiest of fabrics.

But Kymaro Health and Beauty makes a host of other products, and they’d like to give one of my lucky readers a prize pack that includes more than $180 worth of stuff such as curve control jeans, a mini hair straightener, a backless bra, eyelash extenders and more. Here are details on the products in the prize pack:

Body Shaper
Kymaro’s New Body Shaper is the fastest way to get your figure back. You just slip it on and watch as the inches just seem to melt away. Starting from below the bust line, Kymaro’s New Body Shaper comfortably shapes all your problem areas by hugging your body to create a smooth, bump- free silhouette. This unique design focuses on your comfort.

Curve Control Jeans
Kymaro® Curve Control™ Jeans have come up with a solution to fix any body type…the special denim weave contours to your body, the same way shape wear holds you in, but this is all jean. The Curve Control ™ Jeans will shape you and mold to your body lifting your bottom, flattening your stomach, making you look and feel your best.

Kymaro’s ® Mini Hair Straightener
Introducing Kymaro’s ® Mini Straightener – ideal for short hair, bangs, touch-ups and travel! As the size of a permanent market, this flat iron straightens the hair from the root with ease. But don’t be fooled, just because its small doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. The mini beauty tool delivers instant styling results with its ceramic heater without taking up too much room. Its 6-inch long, compact and light weight design makes it the perfect styling tool to use on-the-go.

Kymaro Fix My Roots
A beauty tool that fixes your worst hair nightmares in just seconds with no mixing and no hassle! Fix My Roots can cover gray, dark or light roots without flaking or rubbing off! The special formula bonds to your hair and washes out when shampooed. Fix My Roots is an easy-to-use and mess free tool that applies expert color to your hair with control and precision. Bring this anywhere and everywhere – if you find a grey or you need a quick touch up, this is your solution!

Kymaro Glamour Eyes Eyelash Extension Kit
Getting eyelash extensions applied at a salon can cost you over $500 and the whole process can take up to 2 hours – but thanks to Kymaro’s Glamour Eyes you can now get eyelash extensions in three different lengths: short, medium, long in less than 10 minutes! With two specially formulated adhesives to bond each extension to your natural lash, one in black and one in white you can create a beautiful and glamour look!

Backless Bra
The KYMARO ® BACKLESS BRA is backless and strapless, making it ideal under tricky styles and dresses. Supportive, seamless and invisible under clothing, the KYMARO ® BACKLESS BRA even creates sexy cleavage like a normal push-up!

Portable Hair Dryer
With a powerful 1875 Watts, Kymaro’s ® Portable Hair Dryer provides maximum temperature and airflow to deliver shiny, smooth, frizz-free locks. The portable hair dryer comes with a concentrator attachment for twice as fast drying time, removable lint filter for easy cleaning and longer lasting motor life. This lightweight professional grade dryer with a folding handle to facilitate storage and easy travel makes styling fast, efficient and hassle-free!

Sunless Tanning System
Kymaro Sunless Tanning System gives you a natural, healthy looking tan without the embarrassing streaks that scream “I’m faking it!” Used in world class spas nationwide, Kymaro’s Sunless Tanning System is the only reliable option when it comes to tanning.

Rhythm Rocker by Kymaro
Unleash the dancer in you and sculpt the body you’ve always dreamed about with the Kymaro Rhythm Rocker. The Rhythm Rocker replaces boring old workouts with today’s’ Rockin’ Latin, Crunchin’ Hip Hop and Rollin’ Belly Dance Moves. The EZ-grip handles allow you to create your own perfect level of resistance, simply by leveraging your body weight against the tilting action of the seat. Advance at your own speed from easy moves, all the way to extreme muscle extensions that dramatically increase your range of motion.

If you want to win this amazing prize pack, enter the giveaway below:

Giveaway Guidelines:

Blog about this contest
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter
Favorite Lipstick to Crayons on Technorati
Stumble this post
Add Lipstick to Crayons to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar
Become a fan of Lipstick to Crayons on Facebook.
Post a link to this contest on your Facebook page.

This giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time August 3, 2010. Be sure to include a valid email address with each of your entries. Winners will be randomly chosen via random.org and will be notified via email and announced on this post.

If any winner does not claim the prize by August 5, 2010, he/she will forfeit the prize to an alternate winner who will be drawn at random.

USA residents only.

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO TINA B, COMMENT #33.