When You’re Ready to Lose the Baby Weight

My baby is 9 months old, and I just recently started a diet. I hate diets. But, I’m motivated to lose that baby weight. In the past, I was motivated a little sooner than 9 months. I guess this time around it took me a little longer to get motivated because of the diet restrictions I had while I was nursing the first 5 months. Being deprived of so many foods was hard for me, so I was in no hurry to deprive myself again. But, as I stepped on the scales, and saw myself in pictures, I realized that … Continue reading

When a Chronic Condition Interrupts Your Fitness Routine

It is so frustrating to have a good fitness routine going, only to see it crumble because of sickness. I have been battling a severe flair-up of costochondritis for about two weeks now. The inflammation and pain have prevented me from doing any form of exercise, let alone light housework, without exacerbating the problem. I have also had to come to the realization that I likely suffer from a chronic form of it, so this won’t be the last time my life is interrupted. I guess it helps me to somewhat understand what others go through who have conditions like … Continue reading

When Sickness Prevents You from Exercising

The past week and a half has been a bit frustrating for me. For the second time in a year, I have costochondritis, which is inflammation in the area surrounding the upper ribs/breastbone. It feels like you are having heart attack symptoms. I am apparently one of those cases with an “unknown” cause, since I haven’t been sick and I haven’t experienced any trauma to my chest. Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medication and rest….sigh. It’s really frustrating when you have been on a regular schedule with exercise, or if you had fallen off the routine but were finally back on … Continue reading

Do You Live in a Fit and Healthy City?

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) ranks the 50 fittest and healthiest metropolitan cities in the United States every year. They base it on a number of factors including smoking habits, exercise, obesity rates, and numbers of chronic health problems (diabetes, heart disease, asthma, etc.). So where does your metro city rank? Here is the list starting with the number one fittest and healthiest city, going down to the least: 1. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. 2. Washington, D.C. 3. Boston, Mass. 4. Portland, Ore. 5. Denver, Colo. 6. San Francisco, Calif. 7. Hartford, Conn. 8. Seattle, Wash. 9. Virginia Beach, … Continue reading

Exercise in the First Trimester

Exercise is hard regardless if you are pregnant or not. It just is. It takes commitment, will-power, and education. For pregnant women exercise is absolutely imperative. Exercise along with diet can almost guarantee a pregnancy free of major complications, manageable labor, and natural delivery. Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to engage in some form of exercise daily during pregnancy. As to the intensity and type of exercise: this depends entirely on the individual pregnant woman. If she is active and has been exercising regularly before pregnancy, she can continue her regular exercise routine until it becomes uncomfortable at which point … Continue reading

Go with Your Gut

If there is even the teeny-tiniest, itty-bittiest chance that strep throat or ear infections are going around my daughter’s school, there is a 96 percent chance that she will be leveled with one or both. It has happened. More than once. In fact, last year my daughter stunned not one, not two, but three pediatricians at our local clinic by contracting strep throat and hand-foot-and-mouth disease–at the same time. The days of having the doctor on speed dial and calling the second my daughter’s temperature inched above 100 are long gone. I now embrace a more reasonable and measured approach … Continue reading

Should You Exercise When Sick?

I think more than anything I was looking for a good excuse this morning to not exercise. I did a Google search on exercising while you are sick. I shouldn’t have been surprised but there were several articles about this. I have been feeling under the weather the past few days. My body is run down, my throat hurts and I am sure that bronchitis is making its way into my body. It’s hard enough to get up and take care of the family, home and still do my job. But exercise? I don’t even want to think about it. … Continue reading

Can You Tell When Your Child is Faking It?

Does your son typically complain of a stomachache on spelling test Fridays? Or do notice that your daughter usually begins hacking up a lung on the Monday following a long weekend spent partying with friends? Unless a child has the obvious symptoms of a bad flu-—high temp, chills, projectile vomiting—-then parents are often left to use their own instincts to weed out the fakers from the truly feverish. In some cases it can be a tricky task. My own daughter has been sick with a bad cold for nearly two weeks. However, this is a child who is so deathly … Continue reading

Why Too Much Exercise is a Bad Thing

Believe it or not there is such a thing as getting too much exercise. People who are obsessed with physical activity are often diagnosed with a condition known as obligatory exercise and anorexia athletica. The results of such behavior can cause physical and psychological harm in a number of ways, including: INJURY Studies show excessive exercise can damage tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage, and joints. In addition, when minor injuries aren’t allowed to heal, they often result in long-term damage. Too much exercise actually destroys muscle mass, instead of building it up, especially if the body isn’t getting enough nutrition and … Continue reading

Six Reasons Why You’ll Never Regret Adopting a Dog

Photo by Bethan Hazell I happen to love my pound hound with my entire heart and soul. I know others, such as Aimee who rescued her Lally and Moose from shelters, also feel the same. Since October is Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month, I thought I’d honor it by listing some reasons why adopting a dog will be the best decision you ever make. Reason #1: You’re Saving a Life Some shelters are no-kill, meaning the animals will stay there until the right home is found for them. But most shelters only have limited resources –space, food, and money. That forces them … Continue reading