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Healthy Living: Can Yoga Help Reduce Symptoms of Chronic Illness? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Back in March, I told you about yet another invisible illness that I’ve had the pleasure of being diagnosed with. Fibromalgia. It was also at that appointment where I learned of the 20+ pounds I had put on in less than a year. And it wasn’t like I was at my ideal weight before that time either. For the first time in my life, I actually weighed more than I did when I was pregnant. It was then that I decided I must begin to take eating healthy more seriously. Aside from not being able to fit into my skinny jeans, the extra weight was exacerbating all of my invisible medical problems.

Since then I’ve lost about fifteen pounds, and I’m starting to think there might be a chance that I’ll be able to finally get back down to my ideal weight. The main problem I’m facing now, is my inability to exercise. It’s not that I have an aversion to exercising, it’s because I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (here are some videos that might help you understand), and one of the most devastating symptoms is something called post-exertional malaise. Basically, even though I need to exercise to be healthy and lose weight, just a little bit of exercise can make my fatigue and pain much worse.

I know that yoga would be the best type of exercise for me to try, and I’ve always wanted to try it. But, up until now, I thought yoga was the type of thing that would be too difficult to learn how to do on my own. And then I came across a book on yoga, that was written specifically for people with Fibromyalgia. I was a little skeptical at first, but I was also ready to give something new a try. So, I emailed the publisher, and asked them to send me a review copy of Yoga for Fibromyalgia: Move, Breathe, and Relax to Improve Your Quality of Life by Shoosh Lettick Crotzer.

When I received the book, I was happy to see that it was an easy read, and included many pictures of the yoga positions it was recommending. It’s not a book that claims to be a cure for Fibromyagia, but rather a book that aims to improve the quality of life, of anyone suffering with this debilitating illness. There are positions for reducing pain and fatigue, improving sleep, and maintaining flexibility. If you are living with Fibromyagia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I think you would find this book very helpful. I’ve only just begun to learn these yoga positions, but I intend to make them part of my personal healthy living program, and I’m hopeful that this will be just the type of exercise that will help me.

Here are some other BlogHers that are blogging about yoga…

From BlissChick - 8 Triggers For Centering Yourself

I started this week writing about becoming imbalanced over the weekend (which happened for a variety of reasons). I have spent the whole week getting back to myself, doing all the things I know I have to do to be in my center, to feel good and to be productive.

And this got me to thinking about reminders. Remembering to be centered. Remembering what is important. Remembering what we value and where we want to put our energy.

From Somebody Heal Me - Meditation & Yoga Can Reduce Migraines

Researchers speculate that yoga, meditation and deep breathing help prevent migraines by raising serotonin levels.

From BlogHer contributing editor Mipmup

The popularity of yoga is undeniable. Research varies, but it is estimated that from 15 to 28 million people practice yoga in the United States alone. And with good cause. Yoga “asanas,” or postures, benefit the body physically, mentally and spiritually. Besides keeping fit, yoga is being used to treat HIV/AIDS, depression, heart disease, cancer and anxiety disorders. So who’s blogging about it?

the accidental yogist, as the name implies, finds herself unexpectedly exploring yoga after a knee injury.

Notesgirl has written up a complete step-by-step yoga practice for digestion and stress relief.

the ohmtastic blog is the blog of the founder of ohmtastic lifestyle apparel. She has a useful post on reducing injury during practice.

Everything Yoga, the blog of a registered yoga teacher, posts about the “prenatal yoga trend.”

Are you blogging about yoga? Are you using yoga to help reduce symptoms of chronic illness? I hope you’ll let me know what you think in comments.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, and The Care2 Election Blog

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June Is Home Safety Month: How Safe is Your Home? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

June Is Home Safety Month, and a great opportunity to a take look at how safe our homes are. How safe is your home? The Home Safety Council has a very informative website, and you can use their Safety Guide to make sure you haven’t been overlooking an important safety issue in your home.

Make sure you check out their Resource Center, it has everything you could ever want to know about home safety.

This year’s Home Safety Month campaign theme – Hands on Home Safety – asks the public to take some simple hands-on steps to create a safer home environment from the five leading causes of home injury – falls, poisonings, fires and burns, choking/suffocation and drowning. We’re offering turnkey resources to help families nationwide learn how to be “hands-on” with proper home safety practices.

It’s summer, so don’t forget to check out the safety tips for grilling and swimming safety.

Here are a few other women blogging about home safety this month.

From Bay Area Mommy…

Are you ready for a disaster? Hands on Home Safety – asks the public to take some simple hands-on steps to create a safer home environment from the five leading causes of home injury – falls, poisonings, fires and burns, choking/suffocation and drowning. The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year.

Sandy from the Chronic Health Blog has links to all of June’s health awareness campaigns…

Another month has gone by and the year is almost half over! Here’s my monthly list of the national health awareness campaigns you can research and become involved in if you are interested. I will be posting about some of these throughout the month.

Michelle from Healthy Habits for Life…

In recent years, ergonomists have attempted to define postures which minimize unnecessary static work and reduce the forces acting on the body. All of us could significantly reduce our risk of injury if we could adhere to the following ergonomic principles:

• All work activities should permit the worker to adopt several different, but equally healthy and safe postures
• Where muscular force has to be exerted it should be done by the largest appropriate muscle groups available.
• Work activities should be performed with the joints at about mid-point of their range of movement. This applies particularly to the head, trunk, and upper limbs.

Is there a home safety issue that you tend to overlook or avoid? Is there something you’ve been meaning to get to, but you keep putting it off? How safe is you home?

Also See:

Caroline at Parent Club

As Busy As I Want To Bee

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Heart Disease: The Leading Cause of Death. Are You At Risk? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

What is a heart attack? Why do some people live and others die? Can something be done to help prevent heart disease? Are you at risk?

Yesterday we heard the sad news of Tim Russert’s sudden death from an apparent heart attack, at the age of 58.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2008, an estimated 770,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, and about 430,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 26 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one.

We now know that Tim Russert was being treated for a condition known as asymptomatic coronary artery disease. This means that through tests, he was aware that he had coronary artery disease, however he had no symptoms. Ultimately, this disease and sudden cardiac arrest is what killed him. In more technical terms, he had a sudden coronary thrombosis, that caused ventricular arrhythmia, that caused a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest.

Although people can survive heart attacks (when they receive prompt medical treatment), the type of heart attack that Tim Russert had (sudden cardiac arrest), has a very low survival rate.

Here is a video clip of Tim Russert’s physician (who was with him before and after his death), explaining what exactly happened.

I was planning to blog about something else today, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to address some of the issues surrounding heart disease. Specifically, prevention of coronary artery disease.

The Mayo Clinic has a list of specific lifestyle changes we can all make to help prevent coronary artery disease. One of the most important ways to prevent heart disease, is to adopt healthy eating habits. They also suggest…

In addition to healthy lifestyle changes, remember the importance of regular medical checkups. Some of the main risk factors for coronary artery disease — high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes — have no symptoms in the early stages. Early detection and treatment can set the stage for a lifetime of better heart health.

It’s important to Know The Warning Signs…

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Wendy at Healthy Endeavors is Heartsick over Heart Disease…

Do you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women, taking close to 500,000 lives each year, far surpassing breast cancer, diabetes and other causes of death?

The reality, however, is that heart disease is highly preventable, yet research shows that many women don’t even know they’re at risk. Why? For a myriad of reasons women often put their health last on the list, despite their best intentions.

I say enough is enough. It’s time for each of us to take a stand and take action about our heart health.

That’s why I created the Take Your Health To Heart Challenge. The Challenge motivates and inspires women across the country and around the world to make heart-healthy lifestyle changes that help prevent heart disease and significantly reduce risk factors. Heart disease has affected people in my own life and I’m determined to help spread the word and encourage women to truly take their health to heart.

Kim from Up North Mommy discovered a man seemingly taking advantage of Tim Russert’s death to push his own agenda (and books)…

If you take a look at this website, you’ll see a couple of books written my Mr. Adams clearly displayed on the right hand side.

So what’s the issue? It’s this: before Mr. Russert has even been eulogized and buried, Mr. Adams has published an article in which he blames Mr. Russert’s death on pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Adams doesn’t know anything about Mr. Russert’s medical history or daily eating and exercise habits. Nor does he know anything about his stress levels, yet he acts like he and his lifestyle alone could have single handedly saved Mr. Russert’s life. Not only is this in bad taste, but it’s also sickeningly manipulative.

Also See:

Women and Heart Disease - Knowing The Facts Could Save Your Life

Menopause and Heart Disease

How Old Is Your Heart?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Surfing Blogs By Women With Migraines — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Do you get migraines?

I had my first migraine when I was pregnant with my daughter, and since then I have had them off and on. I can go weeks (sometimes months) without having one, but when I do get a migraine, it feels like I will never get rid of it. When I take medicine for a migraine, it sometimes helps, but never gets rid of the migraine completely. And, it seems like once I get a migraine, I go through a period of time where I finally get rid of it, but a day or two later I get another. This cycle can go on for weeks, before finally stopping.

I’ve recently been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and told that there may be a connection between Fibromyalgia and migraines. My doctor suggested that a begin to take a medication to prevent the onset of a migraine. I was surprised to find out that the medication he recommended was an anti-convulsive (used for seizure disorders). These medications have many troubling (possible) side-effects, so I’m not sure if I’m actually going to try it.

To help me in my decision, I thought I would check out some blogs by other women, who suffer with migraines.

Somebody Heal Me

On anti-convulsive medication to treat migraines…

A review of controlled studies published in the June 2008 edition of the journal Cephalalagia supports the notion that anti-convulsants Depakote and Topamax are much more effective than placebo in preventing migraine attacks. The study also indicates that other anti-convulsants sometimes used for migraine prevention are no more effective than placebo.

Topamax and others get FDA warning.

The FDA is preparing to put warning labels on epilepsy drugs, including Topiramate (marketed as Topamax), Valproate (marketed as Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon), Pregabalin (marketed as Lyrica), and Zonisamide (marketed as Zonegran) that will notify users about the increased risk for suicidal behavior. Sales of the affected drugs, widely used for nonepilepsy problems such as migraines, topped $8 billion last year.

From the migraine girl — a great post addressing Migraines and Vacations (a blog carnival)…

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy taking vacations, but in our Migraine & headache community, it’s easy to come across many folks who see the health threats that accompany any trip out of town. Luckily for all of you reading this, we have a really helpful batch of blogs to sift through, all of which will increase your chance of having a happy, healthy vacation despite your headache disease. Some people have a very personal take on the situation, describing specific issues they’ve had preparing for and embarking upon vacations. Others give us generalized lists of things to pack and/or what to be aware of as you travel to maintain a pain-free brain. Whether or not you have a trip coming up, I believe these writers’ tips and insights will benefit you.

I found this video on migraines at My Life With Migraine…

Deborah at Weathering Migraine Storms

I have Migraine Disease - It has ripped years from my life, life with my husband and me together, from my kids lives. It’s been very disabling for me. But that’s not ALL there is to me. I am a Mom, and a wacky, fun kind of Mom. I like to play with my kids, have fun with them - sometimes at their expense. What good Mother doesn’t. I’m trying hard to live with a horrid, painful disease; and have fun while doing so. And I’m learning, probably too much about it. But along the way, I’m meeting very interesting friends. I hope you do, too. I wish you pain-free days! And happy ones as well.Debbie at Down the Rabbit HoleI have had chronic daily migraines for the past 7 years. They are a part of my life, but I don’t want a migraine to define me. That’s why my blog is about more than migraines. My hobbies are gardening, rubberstamping, scrapbooking and knitting, not necessarily in that order.

Also See:

Migraine Mom

The Left Handed Rabbit — Migraine Town

Migraine Chick

rhymes with migraines — grieving my past life

Andreas Buzzing About - Horrid Day for a Migraine

I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about taking the medication used to prevent a migraine. Any advise would be welcome.

Do you suffer with migraines? Have you considered taking medication to prevent the onset of a migraine? Have you heard of a connection between Fibromyalgia and migraines?

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1 Million Homes In Foreclosure — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

If you are a homeowner with a mortgage, these numbers may be very scary to you…Nearly 1 in 10 Homeowners Face Loan Problems, and More Than A Million Homes Are In Foreclosure.From The Associated Press…

The foreclosure hammer is hitting ever harder. People lost their homes at the highest rate on record in the first three months of the year, and late payments soared to a new high, too — an alarming sign that the housing crisis and its damage to the national economy may only get worse.

Dumping more empty homes on an already glutted market also is likely to put a further drag on home prices — extending a vicious cycle.

Slumping home values are being blamed in large part for the rising tide of foreclosures. Troubled borrowers are left owing more to the bank than their homes are worth. They can’t sell without taking a huge financial hit, so they just walk away.

In fact, Americans’ equity in their homes — usually their single biggest asset — now has dropped to the lowest level on record in figures going back to the end of World War II.

CNN’s Cafferty File asked the question - What does it mean when more than a million homes are now in foreclosure? So far there are over 200 responses to the question. Here are just a few…

Rick writes:
It means maybe, maybe, Washington will begin to realize just how much the American people are hurting. From the mortgage crisis to gas prices, our leaders still have their blinders on. At some point, they’ll have to stop paying lip service to these problems and actually start addressing them. We can only hope.

Linda writes:
People can’t afford gas to get to work or look for work, high unemployment rates, high cost of health care to name a few. How can one make a mortgage payment when they can’t even afford a few gallons of gas?

Rick from West Hollywood, Calif. writes:
1 million homes in foreclosure and a recession “longer and deeper” than anyone realizes mean one thing: George Bush and the GOP’s chickens are coming home to roost. And we are the newspaper lining the chicken coop floor.

Also See:

Video of Ed McMahon - talking about his possible foreclosure.

More Million Dollar Foreclosures

The Housing Crisis Is NOT Over

For Those Of You Counting

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What Is Your Favorite Sunscreen? - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

It’s summer, and that means it’s time to stock up on sunscreen. What’s important to you when it comes to sunscreen? Is it the SPF? Natural ingredients? Smell? Price? Are you hoping to prevent skin cancer or premature aging? Are you worried the chemicals in sunscreen could be just as bad for you as the sun? What sunscreen is your favorite? I’ll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.

Okay, me first. Here is the evolution of my use of sunscreen (formally known as suntan lotion)…

When I was younger, SPF didn’t mean anything to me, and my favorite sunscreen was Copportone, because I loved how it smelled. I actually would have preferred the scent of Hawaiian Tropic or BAIN de SOLEIL, but they were a little out of my price range back then. As far as SPF goes…2 was plenty, anything higher than 4 and I thought I would never tan. I eventually wised up, and moved up to an SPF of 8, and even though I still loved the way Copportone smelled, I started using Banana Boat and No-Ad products because they were cheaper. Once I had my kids, I spent the extra money to get them Copportone Water Babies with a high SPF, but I stuck with just getting whatever was cheap for myself. Now that my kids are older, we use the same sunscreen, so I always buy an SPF of 15 or greater. But, I’m not buying the Copportone or the cheap stuff anymore. For me, it’s back to being all about how it smells…And I love, love, love, the way Australian Gold smells, I started buying it a few years ago, and now it is all I buy. It’s not the cheapest sunscreen, but it certainly isn’t the most expensive either.

Not everyone is as concerned with the smell of their sunscreen as I am. Take Michelle at Chic Armoire for example, she says…

For the past 2 summers, I’ve used the Neutrogena Dry-Touch in an SPF range of 15 to 30. The formula goes on dry without an sunscreen smell (I hate the smell of Coppertone and similar sunscreens). It’s paba free, waterproof, and sweat proof. Note that the FDA is considering that the word waterproof not be used in the future. Water resistant maybe the replacement term. It also has Helioplex which is a broad spectrum for UVA and UVB.

Savvy Skin suggests…

There are probably 100 different sunscreens available at drugstores, but of those 100, there’s only a few I would bother buying. I firmly believe Zinc Oxide is the best sunscreen ingredient, and there are almost no drugstore sunscreens that contain decent levels of Zinc Oxide.

Blue Lizard is the only drugstore brand I currently buy. They have a few different products, and the Zinc Oxide ranges from 6%-10%, which isn’t spectacular, but it’s the highest concentration of Zinc Oxide I’ve seen in a drugstore brand.

In searching for posts on sunscreen, I kept coming across this video. I know I’ve seen it before, I just don’t know where. It’s more about inspiration and advice than sunscreen, but I thought I would include it anyway.

So, what is your favorite sunscreen? Why?

Is it because of the smell? The SPF? The price?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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I have a love/hate relationship with my scale. — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

About eight weeks ago I posted about how I started a pre-diet. I was trying to get reacquainted with the taste of healthy foods, and wean myself off of sugar. As far as that goes, I feel like I’m doing pretty well, I’ve even lost some weight. At the time of the post I had lost about six pounds, and since then I have lost another six. I’m now down 12 pounds from my heaviest weight ever (not counting when I was pregnant), I know because that’s what my scale says. If it wasn’t for my scale I wouldn’t believe I’ve lost any weight at all, so for that reason, I love my scale. However, I also hate that the number is still so high. And, I hate that even after losing 12 pounds, I still have almost 30 to go.

But, it’s always a better idea to focus on the positive, so that’s what I’ll try to do.

First, I have finally gotten over the sugar hump, and I’m not craving sugar the way I used to. I even made my world famous chocolate brownie cake with my daughter, and wasn’t tempted to eat any of it. That’s a pretty big deal for me. I’ve also stopped eating junk food, and I’ve stopped eating late at night (for the most part). Another thing I do, is always keep several bags of vegetables, and microwavable diet entrees in my freezer, for when I need a quick meal.

My daughter has been a great help by not asking me to buy cookies and ice-cream when we go shopping. It’s amazing how much easier it is to avoid eating junk, when it’s not in the house. Instead of ice-cream with chocolate sauce, she is now happy to get no sugar added ice-pops, and low-fat granola bars. We also had the opportunity to try something new. Skinny Cow sent us two boxes of Skinny Dippers, and they are very yummy (and only 80 calories). We both love mint chocolate chip ice-cream, so the mint Skinny Dippers were are favorite.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to for the last several weeks. I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself, and I’m not starving myself. I guess what I’m doing could be called a diet, but I’m sticking with calling it a pre-diet for now. Once I hit a plateau, and I’m not continuing to lose weight, I’ll kick it up a notch and go on an actual diet. For now, this is working for me, so why mess with it?

Have you been trying to lose some weight? How much do you want to lose? Have you been having any luck? What kind of things have been working for you? Are you calling it a diet?

Other bloggers dieting…

Michelle ~ mother & scrapaholic…

So, some of you may have noticed my weight gain over the past few months… well, I’ve officially decided to do something about it. I don’t believe in “dieting” as in starving myself to death, but I do realize that I’ve got to make better nutritional choices. I’m also going to weigh myself weekly to track progress and post the results on my blog. (Hopefully, having to be accountable will help me beat any cravings for big fat fudge brownies or cool ranch doritos or Debbie’s “little Debbie bars”, etc!)

The Diet Naked Blog

Big Fat Deal

Dieting Battle

Down Home Dieting

Vickie’s Voice

Lilly Hydrangeas Blog

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Dream On - An Inspirational Video

This is a great inspirational video that I posted here several months ago. I thought it would be nice to post it again.

Also See:

Inspirational Quotes Set To The Music of John Lennon’s Imagine

Who Will “Stand By You”?

It’s Never Too Late To Follow Your Dreams

How to Learn From Life’s Greatest Lessons

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Women and Hair Loss: It’s more common than you think. — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

When it comes to my hair…I don’t play very nice. For at least the last ten years I have put my hair through more than most heads of hair will go through in a lifetime (I bleach it, color it, over process it). I’m sure if my hair could talk, it would have plenty of nasty things to say to me.

You would think, that since the women in my family tend to eventually have problems with female pattern hair loss, that I would take better care of my hair. But, I don’t. And apparently, thinning hair and hair loss isn’t that uncommon among women, it’s just that nobody seems to want to talk about it. There have been some breakthroughs when it come to genetic testing and hair loss in women, I’m just not sure I would want to know.

Personally, I find there are times in life when ignorance is bliss. And this just may be one of those times. Do I really want to spend the time between now and my hair falling out, worrying about my hair falling out? Honestly, I’ve got enough things to worry about right now, without worrying about my hair falling out too. [Note to anyone going to the BlogHer Conference in July: If you notice my hair falling out, please don’t tell me.]

But, there are many good reasons to know if you are predisposed to the problem of hair loss. Elaine from Genetics and Health talks about the new genetic testing…

Until now, Female Hair Loss has been difficult to predict and diagnose. That changes with today’s announcement that HairDX, LLC pioneers of consumer-friendly genetic tests for hair loss, has introduced a screening test using genetic markers strongly associated with Female Hair Loss (Female Androgenetic Alopecia).

The easy to understand test, which costs US$149, provides an accurate and understandable genetic analysis of a woman’s likelihood of developing this common type of hair loss.

Here are some links to women brave enough to talk about this problem.

This is from The Course Hair Diary…

Several recent studies of men have found that smoking also seems to increase hair loss. I don’t know of any similar studies in women, but one thing is clear: Smoking is harmful for a multitude of reasons, whether or not increased hair loss is among them!

The best plan of action for anyone experiencing hair loss is to determine the underlying cause and eliminate it. And the best place to start is a routine physical exam with blood work. By simply drawing your blood, your physician can determine your ferritin (iron) levels, thyroid levels, and estrogen status - and that will already get you far in recognizing or ruling out many of these causes.

Alisa at Simple. Healthy. Period.

Recently I was speaking with my hairdresser and the topic of hair and the impact of life-events on its luster, texture, thickness, and color came up. He confided in me that the impact of hormonal fluctuations is so great that he often knows when/if his clients are pregnant long before they’re prepared to share the news and sometimes even before they themselves know. But it’s not just the strong hormonal changes that come with pregnancy that have an impact on your hair; have you ever noticed that a prolonged period of stress results in hair loss for you? If you’re struggling with other hormonal imbalances you may have also noticed the unpleasant common symptom of dandruff or an itchy scalp. So, what is the connection?

Kimberly from Petroville is talking about her recent hair loss…

At my annual well woman exam two weeks ago, I told the doctor my concerns over the massive amounts of hair loss I have been experiencing since April. I walked her through my hair color time line which left off with my last color job right at the precise time that my hair began to disassociate itself with my scalp.

Frances Ellen wrote Senior Cotton Candy…

My intent for this blog is to provide a senior citizen voice. In that regard, I am eminently qualified since I have recently joined the 55+ gang. With that in mind, here are a few things you should know about me.

I live and work in corporate America, I like to cook, and reading is my obsession. There’s much more, but for now I’d like to talk about my “cotton candy hair.”

I don’t mean to imply my hair is pastel pink or blue. What I’m saying is, my hair has lost all semblance of what is commonly known as “body.” When I watch shampoo commercials on TV and the model’s lustrous hair is bouncing and flowing from side to side in slow motion, I sigh deeply, and force myself to face reality. The fact is there is no shampoo on the face of this planet that is going to change the fact that I have cotton candy hair.

Fabulously40 wrote Great Hair After 40

After loosing a great deal of my hair I found out that generic hair loss is much worse for women who are deficient in iron and those who have low levels of the B vitamins.

What’s worse is that nine out of ten women between the ages of 16 to 50 are iron deficient.

Surprisingly these figures are much worse nowadays than for our mothers. The reason? So many of us are on some kind of a health kick, and tend not to eat meat or other iron-rich foods like fresh green leafy vegetables.

We can hardly complain about dull, thinning hair if we’re just not giving it the food it needs to be healthy, glossy and thick. So - here’s a quick checklist to add to your shopping cart next time you hit the supermarket.

Eat lots of:

* Fresh vegetables - high colored and green leafy
* Non-citrus fruits- natural yogurt
* Cold pressed oils- such as olive oil, flax seed or sesame
* Soy protein- in the form of tofu, soy milk or soy yogurts
* Legumes- peas, beans and lentils
* Whole grains- especially brown rice, oats and buckwheat
* Seeds-sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and linseeds
* Almonds, figs and dates
* Fresh oily fish- like salmon, tuna, herring, pilchards and sardines

Drink:

* Lots of: pure still water to aid your digestive system and eliminate toxins - a sluggish digestion leads to limp, dull or oily hair

Cut down on:

* Dairy (cow’s milk) products
* Caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, and soda drinks)
* Sugar and salt

If you can alter your diet to include more healthy hair foods - you will be rewarded not only with great looking hair, but loads of energy and glowing skin.

I like the idea that if I eat healthy my hair may stay healthy. And since eating healthy is something I am now trying to do more of, this is just another incentive. So, do you have a story about hair loss? Is it something you worry about? Would you want to know today, if you were going to lose your hair in the future? Let me know in comments.

—-

Also See:

Alopecia World –Alopecia World is a new social networking site for people living with hair loss, their loved ones and friends. Join today for support, to encourage others, make new friends, or perhaps meet the love of your life. It’s 100% free!

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Is It Possible To Eat Healthy on a Budget? - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

With the value of a dollar going down, and gas prices going up, the ability to make healthy food choices is getting more and more costly. Now that we are spending more money at the pump, we have less to spend at the grocery store, and many are resorting to just buying the cheapest food they can get their hands on. The trouble with that is…The cheapest food is most likely also going to be the least healthy food. And this isn’t just about the money, or the food. It’s about your life, and the life of your family.

It’s not just speculation anymore, we now know that poor eating habits and obesity, are directly related to serious health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Even more troubling is the rate at witch our children are becoming obese, and developing adult medical conditions in childhood. But, what can we do? Is it possible to eat healthy on a budget?

The answer is…Yes. It’s not always easy, but it is possible. Here are some links to women who are blogging about eating healthy on a budget.

Student Mum has a post on How To Feed Your Family For Less…

Feeding a family is done best by a family. Involve even the youngest members of your family in all aspects. They will feel they are appreciated and valued, and they will be learning valuable life skills at the same time. The phrase, “A family who play together stay together,” can be related to cooking and eating. Cooking a meal together can be great fun and eating together, especially in the evening, allows us all a chance to share our day, our thoughts, our ideas or our plans.

This is from MommyK at The Great Walls of Baltimore…

When a friend of mine went to her doctor in early January for her yearly physical, he had bad news for her. Her blood sugar was up, her cholesterol was in the high range, and she had gained ten pounds in the past year. He told her she needs to lose weight or face serious health risks. Frightened by the prospect of diabetes and heart disease, she immediately overhauled the way she cooks and eats. Since then, she’s lost that ten pounds she gained last year and she feels better than she has in years. In fact, there’s only one downside to the new eating plan. Buying healthy food has taken a big chunk out of her grocery budget.

Stacy from Parent Traps also has a post on Feeding Your Family For Less…

Choose generic or store brands of healthy groceries, such as whole-grain cereal and frozen vegetables. Look high and low for them—the most costly options are shelved at eye level. Buy fresh produce in season. Try local farmers’ markets for fresher, less expensive options. Frozen vegetables are healthy and even more affordable than fresh produce, and you can get out-of-season vegetables less expensively.

Amanda from Mrs. W’s Kitchen has a post on Food Budget Issues…

Build menu plans based on what’s on sale at local grocery stores. Check those sale flyers! I find it’s useful to spend that $1.50 for the Sunday newspaper (we don’t purchase regular paper delivery) for the flyers and coupons. Most big-chain grocery stores also publish sale flyers online.

A must read (and also print out)…

Alanna Kellogg wrote one of my all time favorite BlogHer CE posts - Family Finance: How To Save Money On Groceries

She also did a follow-up post - How To Save Time and Money at the Grocery Store

Also See:

Mommy Points - High Price For Healthy Food

Nina Smith — How To Eat on a Shoestring

We Are What We Eat

Menus4Moms — Frugal Meal Planning

The Coupon Mom

So, the bottom line is. It’s not easy, and it will take a little extra work…But, you can eat healthy on a budget. Do you have any tips, stories, links, or recipes? I would love for you to share them with us in comments.

BlogHer Health & Wellness Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Dooce on Nightline - Posted by Catherine Morgan

In a much better interview than had been done by Kathie Lee on the Today Show last week, tonight’s Nightline interview with Dooce was witty, clever, and informative. Here is a video clip of the full segment on Nightline…

Are you a woman blogging about politics? Join us at The Political Voices of Women.

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Mother Knows Best - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

In honor of Mother’s Day, this is my contribution to BlogHer’s Mother Knows Best series.

It seems most of us start off our life blindly believing that our mothers know best. Then sometime during adolescence we are suddenly convinced that our mother knows nothing, and of course, we know it all. But, as we get older, we slowly come back to realizing that our mothers (in many cases) did know best. Why is that? Is it some kind of genetic programing? What ever the case, we almost all experience this phenomena in one way or another.

Mother’s Day is that one time of year we are inclined to take a closer look at how our mothers have influenced us for the better. Since I am a contributing editor for health and wellness, I’m taking a look at how my mother influenced my views on wellness.

I think one of the most important aspects of wellness, is knowing when we need to slow down, and treat ourselves with kindness. And I learned how to do that from my mother. From a very early age, my mother taught me that wellness was more than just a physical thing. She understood the importance of taking care of the mind and spirit, as well as the body. She taught these lessons more from example than anything else, and because of that, there was never any need to disagree. So what were some of these lessons? They were little things; like tea time, bubble bath time, reading time, sitting in the sun time. Basically, they were wellness rituals, for quieting the mind and body.

The older I get, the more valuable these lessons become. Often times we have little control over our physical conditions, so having the capacity to find peace within can be a lifesaver. And as a mother, I realize the importance of caring for myself, in order to best care for my children. I like to think that I am teaching these same lessons (by example) to my own children.

When it comes to issues of health…My mother told me to eat plenty of vegetables, drink plenty of water, and not to eat too much sugar because it would give me a headache (and it does). She also told me not to eat a lot of watermelon when pregnant, especially if you enjoy salt on it (I don’t). Her best sore throat treatment…two baby aspirin dissolved in a teaspoon of warm water. Best cold treatment…Vicks Vapor Rub, and chicken soup. Best sore neck treatment…BenGay and a towel wrapped around your neck. Best treatment for constipation…prunes (but I hate prunes).

My mother recently wrote on her blog (Frances Ellen Speaks) about how her mother often knew best…

I remember her facing off with our family doctor. Often, when I was sick with some childhood illness, the doctor would recommend a penicillin shot. At the time, penicillin was considered a miracle drug, but my mother insisted a person might build up an immunity to it. The doctor strongly disagreed, but grudgingly honored her wishes. One day, on the way home after one of these visits, she sympathized with me saying that she knew I felt very, very sick, but on the off chance I might need penicillin to save my life someday, she preferred to nurse me back to health without it. I was young, could hardly understand what she was telling me, but I felt her anxiety. Now I realize how hard it must have been to stick to her guns when all she had in her arsenal to defend herself was sheer conjecture. All I know is, while my friends almost always got a needle at the doctor’s office, I received very few. My mother took a stand at a time when doctors and scientists denied the possibility of resistance. Now we know that–

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply causing more harm.

What advice did you get from your mother on health and wellness issues? Did she know best? Do prunes taste better if you hold your nose?

Happy Mother’s Day.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and I was honored to be asked to participate in an ACORN Mother’s Day Special. I was asked to write a post on how my mother has influenced me politically. In my family, my daughter has become the fourth generation of strong, politically savvy women…that began with my grandmother.

Because I blog about politics every single day, my 14 year-old daughter is exposed to every aspect of politics, and could probably hold her own debating the issues with someone twice her age. When her grandfather (half) jokingly told her that Hillary could never be president because she is a woman, my daughter snapped back at him, “Are you kidding me?” Then she wanted to know if he thought she could never be president, because after all, she’s a woman too? Showing his true chauvinistic side, he responded to her by saying that she could maybe be president someday, but she would have to live in a little pink house next to the While House. Needless to say, my daughter was unamused.

Since I grew-up before the onset of 24 hour cable news, my mother’s political influence on me was a bit more subtle. I remember the first political discussion I ever had with my mother. We had been in a waiting room with many magazines, and I was too young to read any of them, but I did notice covers with horribly graphic photos of men at war. It happened to be towards the end of the Vietnam War, and I asked my mother, “Why is there war?” She told me that people don’t want to be at war, the leaders of the countries make the wars. That was when I realized women were not in positions of political power. Then I said, “We should make women the leaders of all the countries in the world, and then there would never be any wars.” My mother told me that sounded like a good idea, but it probably would never happen. My response was, “Then those men leaders who want a war, should fight it themselves.” I didn’t understand then, and I still don’t understand today, how war solves any problems, neither does my mother.

Anyway, my mother always had an interest in politics, and she voted regularly. Women’s issues were always very important to her, and they still are. She also never voted with a specific party; she always voted for the person she believed was best for the job. So, the way my mother most influenced my views on politics, was by raising me to be an independent thinker, and to believe that any one of us could affect change. I’d like to think that is the way I’m raising my daughter also.

And, my mother was influenced by her mother, who was also a strong, independent woman. I came across a post that my mother recently wrote about her relationship with my grandmother. Here is an excerpt…

I didn’t know it then, but I see it clearly now in retrospect, she was a feminist before that word even existed. Back in the early 50s, she decided she wanted to learn how to drive a car. There weren’t many women drivers on the road back then. Husbands usually did all the driving, or there was public transportation. That wasn’t good enough for my mother. She hired a driving instructor, passed her driver’s test and acquired a license long before her four sisters. As a matter of fact, she became their main mode of transportation, and even though she urged them to get their own licenses, it was several years before the first one found the courage to do it. — read her full post at Frances Ellen Speaks

So, that’s my special Mother’s Day post. How did your mother influence your political views? How do you think you have influenced your daughter?

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Mommy Bloggers and Dooce on NBC Morning Show — by Catherine Morgan

Is it just me or did Kathie Lee kinda “diss” mommy bloggers? Or maybe just minimize their importance? Here is the clip. What do you think?

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Can Ibuprofen Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I guess most of us either know or have known someone with Alzheimer’s, maybe that person was even a relative. Like many other diseases, Alzheimer’s is thought to run in families. That is why when I read that there was a new study linking the long-term use of ibuprofen to a decrease in risk for Alzheimer’s, I had to learn more.

Don’t go out and buy a bottle of Motrin just yet. Although this study seems promising, there is no recommendations that anyone should take ibuprofen for the purpose of preventing Alzheimer’s. Much more needs to be studied in order to determine whether the benefits of ibuprofen outweigh the risk of long-term use.

From WebMD…

The long-term use of ibuprofen and possibly other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, but it is still not clear if the risks outweigh the potential benefits.

Use of ibuprofen pain relievers like Advil and Motrin for more than five years reduced Alzheimer’s risk by 44% in a study reported in the May issue of Neurology.

Long-term users of several other types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also had a lower than expected risk of Alzheimer’s.

Ibuprofen users seemed to derive the most protection after five years of use, but researcher Steven C. Vlad, MD, of Boston University School of Medicine, says it is far too soon to recommend the use of this or any other NSAID to lower Alzheimer’s risk.

“I would not advise patients to start taking an NSAID to prevent Alzheimer’s,” Vlad tells WebMD. “There are too many known risks associated with this class of medications, and we would need a lot more research to figure out the risk-benefit ratio.”

In researching this ibuprofen study, I came across another recent study. This study seems to link Diabetes to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s.

From A Weight Lifted: Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Linked

Did you know that people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have a 30 to 65 percent greater risk for Alzheimer’s? Until now, researchers have been mystified as to the reason behind the link, but a recent study (published in the current online issue of Neurobiology of Aging by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies) has pinpointed the molecular connection.

Here are some more Alzheimer’s related blogs…

Rust-Tex: Help End Alzheimer’s Disease

This quilt is up for auction now through May 10 to raise money for the the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI), which is an Internet-driven, grassroots, totally volunteer effort to raise awareness and fund research through art. Ami Simms founded the AAQI in January 2006 because her mother has Alzheimer’s disease. All profit is donated to Alzheimer’s research.

My quilt uses rust dyed fabric, seed beads, plastic beads, metal leaves, cotton boucle. It is machine pieced, machine quilted, couched, and free motion machine embroidered. The cat is made of ultra suede and colored with water soluble colored pencils. The entire piece is 8.875″ x 8.875″.

Mine is not the only one up for auction. You can see them all here. Your generous bid is appreciated by the artists who made these beautiful quilts and by everyone struggling to end this disease.

From ask allison: the middle-aged woman’s go to girl: Alzheimer’s and Caregiving

One of my fellow mid-life lady bloggers, Karen over at Mid-life’s a Trip, has some excellent blog posts related to caregiving and Alzheimer’s. As caregiver to her mother who has Alzheimer’s, and dear friend to a 50 something woman with the disease, she holds the subject close to her heart.

A great informational resource as Karen points out is a recent article in the NY Times. This excellent guide provides information on causes, treatments, exams and tests, and more.

I found this video on Alzheimer’s and Caregivers at Alzheimer’s Notes…

Also See:

Mondays With Mother: An Alzheimer’s Story — In 2002 my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It is a hard road, and we live it one day at a time. This is a chronicle of her disease and my Monday visits with her.

BlogHer Contributing Editor Laurie wrote - Alzheimer’s and Another Love: How Spouses Cope

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