Even more interestingly, did you know that during the 15th century green was the preferred color choice for wedding gowns because green has long symbolized fertility? White wedding gowns were not always the norm, which is a pretty radical thought when you look at the wedding industry today.

There is an unspoken psychology behind colors and how they make us feel–whether we like it or not. The following infographic explores color psychology, including what specific colors have long symbolized and why, as well as what colors are best suited for the walls of a particular room in your home, which I will definitely be taking note of when I move into my new home next month.


Courtesy of Painters of Louisville

Click image to enlarge in new window

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Check out the following infographic to see what those collective holiday pounds are costing two-thirds of Americans, as well as 10 ideas to make the long, hard road of getting and staying in shape a smashing success and something to be proud of when next year’s resolutions are being made.

Click image to enlarge in new window

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The good news is that you can sit back and relax. It’s time to cut to the chase with the top three tips that you can use today to have a healthy, safe, and happy pregnancy before you welcome your bundle of joy into the world:

Consider your dental hygiene. When you’re pregnant, the last thing on your list may be making a dental appointment. But due to higher levels of progesterone and hormone changes during pregnancy, it can promote increased bacterial growth on your teeth. Basically, your gums will be much more susceptible to infection and inflammation, which leads to gingivitis. And when you add to that strange cravings for brownies, lemons, and pickles, your teeth may be pretty out of whack. Do yourself a favor and check in with your dentist several times during pregnancy to prevent any unnecessary infection that could spread to your baby.

Think before you eat. FYI, the whole “eating for two” concept is actually a myth. For many pregnant women, this may be terrible news. But when you think more about what you eat, you’ll feel better and improve your energy levels day by day. All you really need are 300 extra calories a day to compensate for your baby. According to MSNBC, your baby requires 55,000 calories from conception to birth–that’s it! And contrary to popular belief, there’s no reason to load up on calories in your first trimester. Begin to eat more healthy foods and proteins in your second and third trimester to compensate.

Have a glass of wine. Yes, you read that correctly! Drinking wine on occasion won’t pose any risk to your baby, and it may even have the opposite effect, according to research from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The study showed that pregnant women who drank one to two glasses of wine a week actually had better behaved children than women who abstained from alcohol altogether. Of course, heavy drinking poses behavioral and emotional risks to your baby, but sticking to a few drinks a week under the supervision of your doctor is perfectly fine.

Photo by Veritas Supermercados

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While I certainly have some questionable taste in trashy reality television myself (Keeping Up with the Kardashians, anyone?), I wanted nothing to do with shows like Heavy, Addicted, Celebrity Rehab, and so on. That is, until I started watching the A&E show Intervention on a whim. This particular subject matter interested me because when I was growing up, my mother was an alcoholic and drug addict. She may still be, but she has not been in my life in any capacity whatsoever since I was about 10 years old. In some feeble attempt to make sense of my entire childhood within the course of seasons upon seasons of 44-minute episodes, I started with this show. I branched out to others over time, and more focusing on other subjects as I noticed articles popping up on blogs and websites I frequently read where the authors used these shows as catalysts to share their own stories, knowing that much of their audience had seen these shows and would know the basis of the issues they were discussing.

One topic that has come up quite a bit throughout the past few years is hoarding. The shows Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive have continued to gain more popularity; because of this success it’s safe to say that while it is still technically “taboo” subject matter, these shows have instilled knowledge of what hoarding is along with how and why it happens into the people who have seen an episode or two. This has given people who hoard just a little more confidence in reaching out to others and sharing stories of their own struggles with this compulsive behavior.

Television shows on the subject of hoarding always provide the people who are the subject of an episode with a therapist to battle their obsessive compulsive behavior, which they always end up needing because with being on an episode of one of these shows comes the often traumatic cleanup process. Hoarding clean up is extremely risky to do without the help of professionals because often in spaces that are affected by hoardings, there is buildup of dust, mold, mildew, trash, expired food, rodent and animal droppings and infestations, and sometimes even live or dead animals who have also inhabited the same spaces. These spaces have become uninhabitable by the time these cleanup crews get to the house of someone who hoards, and by that time the disorder has become as unmanageable as their space for the person affected by a compulsion that they cannot cease on their own. The risk to one’s safety and health when cleaning out a space that has been inhabited by a person who hoards for in almost every instance, a prolonged period of time is quite high. Paths and exits become blocked and human interaction with expired food items, airborne contaminants that rise after moving items that haven’t been moved in years, and on a more severe level, animal dander, excrement, and in some cases, carcasses are very likely to get people sick.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is transmitted by infected rodents and their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can be passed to humans who breathe in the virus and even more frightening, it is a disease that has no specific treatment or cure. This is a major reason as to why if you are cleaning out a space where someone who hoards has lived, or if you have any cleanup job that contains biochemicals or hazardous waste of any kind, that you must contact a professional service to help. Cleaning up a serious mess on your own may save you a few bucks, but it isn’t nearly worth the risks you would be putting your health in.

Photo by Dragonarium

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What I didn’t know then was that night was the beginning of a long haul in allergy diagnostics. Two days later she woke yet again with another swollen lip, only the second time her entire body was covered in a mysterious red spotted rash.

The rash led to hives and the hives led to painful red skin. In fact at any given moment any one, or combination of these symptoms would randomly appear.

What began as a seemingly harmless swollen lip led us from Urgent Care to ER to allergist where they ran a series of tests to determine the source of her swelling and rashes. To my surprise, and that of the allergists, my daughter was allergic to EVERYTHING!

They had tested her for environmental allergies, food allergies and outdoor allergies. When everything came back positive I was shocked. You can imagine my relief when the allergist began to explain which allergens were more likely to cause her symptoms based on reaction. It was obvious that her allergies to dust, pollens and grasses had the highest reaction indicating they were likely the real cause of her symptoms.

Now that we knew the cause it was time to develop a plan for treatment!

The Simple Approach to Manage Airborne Allergens:

Each of the allergens impacting my daughter were categorized as airborne, meaning they float in the air we breathe and gain access to our bodies after being inhaled. I knew to minimize her symptoms I needed to focus on one key factor, the air!

Reducing the amount of grass and pollens she inhaled was rather simple. We paid attention to the pollen count, installed special screens that filtered these allergens out and avoided over exposure to the great outdoors.

My bigger challenge was dealing with dust mites as I knew very little about them and even less on how to control them. I began by studying up on these critters and exactly how they cause allergies. To my surprise everything revolved around the bed! This explains why she had so many late night flares.

To reduce dust mite allergens I had to purchase special mattress and pillow encasements that trapped the mites, and their waste, preventing them from floating in the air. Next I removed stuffed animals from her room, thoroughly vacuumed the carpets and finished up with an allergy quilt for that extra protection.

I have to be honest the results weren’t instant. In fact I began to question if my efforts were even worth it considering she was still having reactions weeks after implementing my new strategies. My worries were quickly put to ease when the allergist explained that it takes time for the body to fully eradicate allergens and that given some time her symptoms will subside. He was right and my daughter started sleeping peacefully again!

Photo by clearallergy

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The space was located in the same building, directly downstairs from the biggest gym in the area. This place employed several personal trainers and instructors and they held group classes dedicated to a different exercise technique on any given day. Because of this, in addition to the countless black coffees and lattes, I was also making a whole lot of protein shakes and drinks containing weight builders and muscle enhancers. Think your personal trainer got those abs and rock-hard muscles by sheer exercise alone? Probably not. They’re heading to the coffee shop downstairs twice a day requesting shakes infused with twice the normal amount of muscle enhancers.

Knowing this piece of information led me to ponder if these personal trainers are suggesting muscle gaining supplements to the people they work with. They can’t possibly in good conscience be putting the weight of their success on the shoulders of their workout routines alone, and if they are coming clean about their twice-a-day drink of choice, are they also giving these people the world of information that goes along with any supplement?

Muscle gaining supplements can be valuable in helping to achieve the healthy amount of muscle you may be looking for but can’t seem to get your body to build with your workout routine alone. If you are looking into supplements, remember to take them only as instructed and it’s important that you keep up with your regular workout schedule. Supplements and no working out isn’t a healthy way to get the results you’re looking for. These supplements are a huge industry. Not all of them will work for every body type out there, so if you’re looking for the perfect supplement for you, be sure to read the labels thoroughly, don’t take any unnecessary risks for the sake of hoping to achieve the “perfect body”, and most importantly, look for supplements with little to no ill side effects. Your body will thank you.

Photo by Todd William

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Let’s face it. It’s easy to get all worked up about nothing, whether it’s an annoying boss, a project deadline, or a fight with your spouse. Or maybe you have more serious circumstances going on in your life that are leaving you constantly anxious, stressed, and tired.

Whatever the case may be, it may be time to tap into your inner yogi…

• Corpse Pose: If you’re stressed about an upcoming event, like an important presentation or a first date, try the corpse pose for a few minutes. Many people think that this pose is used to relax after a long yoga class, but it can be used to promote relaxation any time of day. To perform the pose, lie on your back with your arms angled away from your torso. Keep your legs separated and extended in front of you. Focus on slowly breathing in and out through your nose, aiming for six counts per breath. Are you feeling Zen yet?
• Forward Bend: If you find yourself in the middle of a stressful situation, like an argument with a friend of your spouse, this is the perfect time to try the forward bend. This pose is ideal for letting go of stressful emotions in the moment. Take a moment to yourself and practice this pose in the privacy of a bathroom or your office. Stand and fold forward at the waist, lengthening your spine. Focus on extending from your hips to the crown of your head. Inhale and exhale deeply through your nose for five minutes. Suddenly, you’ll feel like your old, calm self again.
• Legs Against the Wall: If you’ve recently experienced a stressful or traumatic event, it’s important to let go of those pent-up emotions. Even if you find yourself beating yourself up over and over again for making a mistake at work, this pose will work wonders. Begin by placing your hips on top of a pillow for support next to a wall. Lie down with your legs propped up against the wall and your arms resting at your sides. Your head and shoulders should be on the floor. This yoga pose will open your chest, boost circulation, and calm your nervous system. Keeping your legs above your hips will also help to flush toxins from your lymphatic system. Hold the pose and breathe deeply through your nose for 10 minutes.

Use any of the above poses the next time that a crisis hits, whether you’ve been stuck in traffic all morning or have just received some bad news. They really work!

Photo by Blissful_Bee

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One reason a parent might choose this path is because of the exorbitant cost of daycare. By working from home, a family can save thousands of dollars a year just by not having to place their kids in daycare.

I have heard of a family who wanted to stay home with their disabled child. They couldn’t find a place to provide attentive and individualized care for their child, without having to take out a second mortgage. The mom found a way to work from home, and have help from the extended family and a hired aide for a few hours a week.

For me, it was an easy choice. I’m a freelance writer and didn’t need a traditional brick and mortar office, so I knew this was a path for our family. Attending our kid’s events and activities is an important goal for me. So, having a flexible schedule and office allows me the luxury of being able to be involved, and still help provide for the family.

The Pitfalls of Working from Home

I learned early on that working from home is not as easy as it sounds. If I hadn’t learned early on, it could have been an actual disaster, because it’s not necessarily the healthiest, both physically and mentally, to work from home.

It’s so easy to succumb to the dangers of staying home all day, even if you are working. The refrigerator is just a short distance away, as is the ‘treat drawer’. At times, it just might be the only exercise…walking back and forth to get a snack. I’m sure you see the dilemma.

Combining the ease of grabbing a snack, along with the idle position a freelancer has sitting at a desk all day, leads to a less than desirable result. However, it’s not just about your clothes feeling a little snug, or feeling mentally drained.

A sedentary lifestyle, combined with extra pounds, can lead to some serious complications. Back problems, sleep disorders, diabetes, and even heart ailments are all conditions that can be brought on, or worsened by an idle life with weight gain.

I knew that if I didn’t get this new habit of sitting and grazing under control, before it controlled me, I would have sabotaged the sole reason for wanting to work from home to begin with. I wouldn’t have the energy to spend quality time with my kids, or go to their events.

I needed to get control over it all, from the snacking to the lack of exercise. So, I did. Planning menus, exercising, and even investing in equipment such as the Bowflex 552 Dumbbells, went a long way in providing a healthy environment. But, I wanted it for my family as well.

5 Tips to Get the Family Involved and Healthy

I knew that in order to keep myself on track, I needed to integrate my entire family into the plan. Besides, a healthy lifestyle is just as good for them, as it is anyone else. So, I came up with some ideas that worked for all of us.

• Walking
  I scheduled a break in the day for my kids and me to walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, but enough to get our heart pumping a little faster. We could even incorporate a little scavenger hunt in the walk, such as looking for certain leaves, animals, or colors. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we choose another activity such as dancing.
• Cooking
  I found that my kids actually like to help with preparing a meal. So, I make it a challenge for them to find the ingredients, and to learn how to tell the difference between a healthy and fresh ingredient, over a processed one. Grocery shopping is also educational at times, if they come along.
• Water
  It’s common knowledge that drinking plenty of water is good for you. However, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to accomplish with kids. I have heard of someone who makes it a challenge, or contest. They keep track of how much water they drink on a weekly basis, and the one who drinks the most gets to choose one physical activity for the family to do on the weekend. I haven’t done this yet, but it’s on my list if drinking water becomes a problem for us.
• Charting
  Keeping a chart of all the intake for the family has been a real eye-opening experience. When marking down all the calories, carbohydrates, and fat, it makes you think twice before over indulging.
• Exercise
  Exercising is a great way to get, and stay healthy. It’s also fun to do as a family, and can be a simple game of tag in the yard, or a structured and intense workout program. I found a great one that I can do on my own, or with the family, through reviews for P90X. The best part is that I don’t have to take time away from the family to go to a gym, and it saves money.

I believe that a healthy environment is extremely important to have a successful and productive career at home. It doesn’t matter what your reason for wanting to work from home is, just that you don’t allow the pitfalls to control you. I hope I was able to provide some helpful information, and that you will prosper in work, health, and play.

Photo by rmolnar7

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Without further ado, here are the top five foods to add to your diet to burn fat and stay healthy at the same time:

• Celery: Celery is a calorie negative food that only has 19 calories per cup. And celery will help to you to effectively burn calories since it takes much more than 19 calories to prepare, chew, and fully digest a cup of this vegetable. Celery is also full of water to suppress the appetite to make it easier to lose weight.
• Oatmeal: Oatmeal is a delicious breakfast food that is rich in fiber, which will help you to stay full for longer. Oatmeal will also keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day so that your body can efficiently digest and burn fat while at rest. As a warning, stay away from sugary oatmeal in a variety of flavors; these seemingly healthy breakfast treats will pack in unnecessary calories and sugar.
• Salmon: Salmon is a healthy fish that contains omega-3 fatty acids. And your body needs omega-3 fatty acids to control a hormone called leptin, which regulates metabolism. Since salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, it will help to boost your body’s natural ability to burn fat by regulating leptin.
• Grapefruit: Grapefruit isn’t necessarily a calorie negative food, but it is very low in calories at only 74 calories per cup. Grapefruit also contains a powerful antioxidant called naringenin, which communicates with the liver to burn fat. No wonder the Grapefruit Diet is so popular! Of course, it’s best to enjoy grapefruit as part of an already healthy diet instead of restricting yourself to just one food group to lose weight.
• Green Tea: There are a number of fat burning supplements that contain green tea as a leading ingredient. And as a natural beverage, green tea can help to boost metabolism due to its EGCG content. Green tea will also protect your overall health by reducing the risk of cancer with a generous dose of antioxidants.

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Prenatal massage is an excellent way for a pregnant woman to relax, unwind, and relieve stress safely and naturally.

Here are some of the top reasons to enjoy a prenatal massage today:

• Reduce Anxiety: Studies have confirmed that regular massage treatments throughout pregnancy can help to reduce anxiety and even alleviate depression. Most prenatal massage is done through the lighter therapy of Swedish massage, which helps to relax tension in the muscles and improve circulation using mild pressure applied to the muscles. Swedish massage is the recommended form of prenatal massage since it will help to alleviate discomfort without causing any harm to the baby.
• Relieve Muscle Cramps: For any pregnant women suffering from muscle cramps, spasms, and lower back pain as a result of carrying around extra weight, prenatal massage may be the answer. Prenatal massage is safer and much more effective than taking over-the-counter pain medication to manage pain. This will help a pregnant mom to feel more balanced and serene to improve her overall health. The act of relieving physical stress during pregnancy is a powerful tool to relieve emotional stress at the same time. This pain relief can work hand-in-hand to reduce even more stress and anxiety that a pregnant mom may be carrying around without knowing it.
• Reduce Swelling: If a pregnant mom is struggling with swelling of her joints later on in pregnancy, this is often a result of reduced circulation that occurs when the uterus places pressure on major blood vessels. Regular prenatal massage will help to stimulate soft tissue and reduce accumulated fluid to ease swelling. This will help to flush toxic waste from the body and aid in hydration.

Women who enjoy prenatal massage can greatly improve their circulation to relieve minor aches and pains, like headaches. If a woman is having difficulty sleeping at night, a prenatal massage can often help to put her body back into balance so that she sleeps more deeply to get the rest that she and her baby need.

Prior to considering prenatal massage, make sure that you work with a licensed prenatal massage therapist. It’s also important to discuss with your doctor beforehand to ensure that you are a candidate for prenatal massage.

Photo by vincentmeloche1

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A Celebration of Chocolate

Chocolate is the world’s number one flavour. This tasty substance was first discovered by the ancient Mayans, who used the extract of the cacao plant as a beverage in ancient rituals. Later, after it had been discovered and brought to Europe by the Spanish, chocolate became a symbol of royalty, available only to those rich or powerful enough to obtain it. In Renaissance-era France, chocolate was officially reserved specifically for members of the French Royal Court.

Today chocolate is the favourite dessert of the masses. Whether on its own or blended as a subtle flavour it’s used in countless foods and drinks worldwide. I think it’s about time we gave chocolate it’s due.

Chocolate is revered throughout the world and many countries have their own chocolate celebrations. In the country of Ghana, for instance, which is a major producer and exporter of chocolate, the government decreed that February 14 would henceforth become National Chocolate Day.

The thinking behind this was that the associated Valentine’s Day celebrations were corrupting the youth of the country and that a focus on chocolate for that day would reduce the “wanton immorality” on the part of young people on this day. Personally, I’m not so sure that was a good idea. After all, chocolate has been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries. The Ghanaian government may have more to deal with than they bargained for!

Chocolate comes with a surprising array of health benefits, various studies have shown that the chemicals in chocolate can boost your mood, lower your blood pressure and even improve your cardiovascular health. Technically, chocolate is actually a vegetable, it comes from the cacao tree found in Central America and Western Africa. Of course, we all know how important it is to eat our vegetables, right?

Despite all this, chocolate does have its detractors (clearly these people are no fun at all.) The two main criticisms are that it contributes to obesity and to the development of acne. The fact of the matter is that any food eaten in excess will cause obesity, not just chocolate. It’s a matter of maintaining moderation; everything in your diet has its place, including chocolate.

As for the acne, the actual causes of acne are related to diet, hormones and genetics. Some believe excess sugar contributes to the problem and thus label chocolate as a culprit. The evidence however, points to the fact that getting rid of acne is more a matter of eating a healthy diet overall, maintaining proper hygiene and avoiding food allergies. Paying attention to these factors is what’s really needed as a treatment for pimples.

Personally, I think the most important benefit of chocolate is that it simply tastes good. Don’t we all deserve to enjoy a break once in a while with the world’s greatest dessert? Even if chocolate were completely unhealthy, I’d argue the taste and psychological benefits would make it all worthwhile.

So remember, on October 28, feel free to celebrate National Chocolate Day without guilt and in whatever manner you see fit. Chocolate mousse, chocolate sauce, dark chocolate, white chocolate, the possibilities are endless!

Photo by David G-H

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Stop Wasting Time!

Okay, now it’s time to be honest. What areas of your life are sucking time from your schedule? These time sucks may come in the form of TV, Internet, and mundane household tasks that you do each day. If you cut out just one hour of television a day, you could spend time going on a jog with your spouse or helping your daughter with her homework.

If you are at work, set aside specific time blocks to respond to e-mails. If you respond to an e-mail each time that it pops up on your desktop, you’ll likely stay distracted and off task all day long. Tackling all of your e-mails at once will save you precious hours on a weekly basis.

Where Can You Juggle?

The good news is that women are masters at multitasking. So try to think of creative ways that you can juggle activities and kill two birds with one stone. Maybe you can exercise with a friend to catch up on social time and burn calories at the same time. Or perhaps you can walk your children to school to spend time with them and squeeze in a little bit of daily exercise.

You could also watch television while cooking dinner, listen to a book on tape during your commute, or work on your cross-stitch while watching TV.

Stop Waiting

If you think about it, a large majority of your day is spent waiting on other people. Try to minimize the time that you spend waiting by leaving for work earlier or later, if possible. Schedule appointments at off-peak hours, or take a book or your laptop with you to catch up on work while you’re waiting.

Another great tip is to try to squeeze in as much as cleaning as possible during television commercial breaks. This will make housecleaning seem like less of a chore since it will be broken up into small increments, and you’ll be done cleaning up your kitchen by the time that Grey’s Anatomy is over!

Photo by tisner

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Starting today and throughout the month of October, Breeze Comfort will donate 10% of their proceeds to My Hope Chest, an organization that funds breast reconstruction for breast cancer survivors. The organization was founded in 2003 by Alisa Savoretti who is a Las Vegas showgirl and breast cancer survivor herself. Not having insurance at the time of her diagnosis, Savoretti underwent a mastectomy and returned to Las Vegas just five months after chemotherapy, taking the stage as the “Lop-Sided Showgirl.”

Through her own life experience, Alisa Savoretti founded My Hope Chest after realizing the significant gap in treatment and quality of treatment that exists for uninsured women who undergo mastectomies. My Hope Chest is the only national breast reconstruction organization that is working to help uninsured women receive the breast reconstruction surgery that, in many cases, their self-esteem and confidence relies on.

In addition to donating 10% of their proceeds throughout the month to My Hope Chest, Breeze Comfort has also taken 30% off all of their pink bras. Use coupon code 30OFF at checkout to receive the discount.

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Yesterday we talked about the new at-home teeth whitening product Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips that promise a whiter, brighter smile in just two hours. So, do they actually work? Take a look at the picture above to see my partner’s smile before using the new whitestrips and after.

As you can tell from the picture, there is a subtle difference in his smile after using the new whitestrips. For the most part, the changes are subtle; the areas of mild yellowing he had going on near his gums have been lightened, but is still there nonetheless. The most drastic change is in his front teeth, which I expected regardless of the fact that the whitestrips do reach to the side teeth.

The process of using the strips is quite easy. Each package of Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips comes with four treatments and each treatment includes a strip for the top teeth and another for the bottom teeth. All you have to do is peel each strip away from the packaging and they attach easily to your teeth, able to bend and contour to your mouth and each tooth’s unique shape.

While in use and doing their teeth-whitening thing, they can be a little tough to get used to. Who is really used to having their teeth wrapped in plastic strips, anyway? My partner had a slight sensitivity issue a few minutes after he had placed the strips onto his teeth, saying that it felt like he had a cavity. Luckily, that not-so-great feeling subsided as he became used to having the strips on. Removing them is even easier than putting them on; just peel them off your teeth, rinse your mouth with water to remove any excess gel that may have been left on your teeth from the strips and look at your moderately brighter smile!

What was really surprising was that immediately after he removed the whitestrips from his teeth, we noticed the subtle changes in his front teeth and along his gum line. The outcome was just that–subtle. However, a day after the treatment, his teeth have gotten even brighter, which is pretty awesome! Also, the information that comes with this product warns that people may experience teeth sensitivity for up to two to three days after a treatment. This has not applied to us as my partner said his teeth do not feel any more sensitive than normal, but if you already have sensitive teeth, this is something you want to keep in mind.

Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips aren’t going to give you the super white smile we have all lusted after while browsing through magazines (those pictures are photoshopped anyway), but they will give your teeth a substantial pick-me-up.

Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips are currently available at drugstores and mass retailers nationwide. Each package is $54.99 and contains four whitening doses. This may not seem like a lot, but one box will last you an entire year as each treatment lasts for three months! To try them out for yourself, be sure to advantage of this $7-off coupon!

Giveaway

Now that we have had the opportunity to try out the new Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips, now it’s your turn and thanks to One2One Network and Crest, we are able to give one lucky Woman Tribune reader a package of the new whitening strips to try for themselves.

Required Entry

Leave a comment telling us what life event you would whiten for in just two hours with Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips.

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Leave a separate comment for each additional entry and be sure to include your username for Twitter and Facebook entries if applicable.

• “Like” Crest Whitestrips on Facebook
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• Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post and details about Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips. (This entry is worth 2 entries so leave 2 separate comments with the link to your blog post.)
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  What would you whiten for in 2hrs? Win new Crest 3D White Express Whitestrips from @WomanTribune shar.es/b1rgx ends 10/6

This giveaway ends Thursday, October 6th at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

This giveaway is now closed and the winner is…

Congratulations!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips campaign hosted by One2One Network. This is a sponsored post and all opinions are 100% mine.

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For most of my life, my teeth have been an almost constant source of aggravation, medical problems and at times, severely low self-esteem. My genes have not been very kind to me in the dental department and as a result I have always had crooked and crowded teeth and I was diagnosed with Periodontal Disease at a young age. This one ailment has since led to a whole host of medical problems. The point is that those feelings of insecurity is something I totally understand. One of the most common issues people have with their teeth is that they lose their sparkle over time and their smiles aren’t as white and radiant as they should be.

At-home teeth whitening is not a new, untapped market; there have been numerous specialty products as well as toothpastes and mouthwashes all advertising the message that they can make your smile whiter. Most of them do very little or nothing, making those who try these products turn their backs on at-home teeth whitening all together and if possible, they will opt to make an appointment with their dentist to achieve the white smile of their dreams.

Crest is looking to change those negative thoughts about at-home teeth whitening with new Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips ($54.99, 4 treatments). My partner was extremely interested in trying these new whitestrips out and because of my teeth-related issues, I let him. He is a musician and guitar instructor who often needs to be on-camera with students, teaching group lessons and he also goes out to the studio of the company he works for to record video lessons. Having a bright, white smile is important and the possibility to having a whiter smile in just two hours is extremely convenient for the kind of work he does.

Here is a picture of his big, teeth-showing not-smile before-whitestrips. Tomorrow I will be posting about our experience with using Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips (along with a special giveaway for you!) and of course, we’ll see how well they worked from the after picture evidence.

What life event would you whiten for in just two hours with Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips?

Disclosure: I am participating in the Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips campaign hosted by One2One Network. This is a sponsored post and all opinions are 100% mine.

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The best way to de-stress is to engage my brain and my body in something that I enjoy; and something that doesn’t involve deadlines or meeting someone else’s standards. In other words, I need a hobby.

Narrowing the List of Hobbies

Of course, with thousands of hobby ideas floating around the internet and my own social circle, I first needed to make a list of hobbies that would meet my priorities. For instance;

• I’m looking for an activity I could set aside as a moment’s notice and then leave for a day or two. Obviously, painting or sculpting is out.

• Benjamin Franklin offered a good piece of advice when he said, “Beware the hobby that eats.” A pet is not a hobby; it’s another responsibility, so I guess I won’t be breeding llamas anytime soon, either.

• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, my new hobby will need to be affordable. If it isn’t, I promise you that hobby will cause me much more stress than it could ever get rid of.

Having looked at these self-imposed guidelines, and shuffled through a few dozen options, I have narrowed my hobby ideas down to three; gardening, scrapbooking and playing the piano. Now I just need to consider the pros and cons of each of these pastimes.

Three Hobby Ideas; The Evaluation Process

Well, now I have three hobbies that I am interested in, that will be affordable, and that don’t eat. Each of these hobbies can also be ignored for a week at a time without anything spoiling or dying. Now I need to really consider the stress-busting properties of each and balance them against the time and expense involved.

Gardening; Flowers Are (Nearly) Free

I’ve never had a flower garden, but I’ve done plenty of yard work, so I am used to the weekly pattern of watering and weeding. Flowers, of course, look much prettier than a plain lawn, and they don’t represent much extra work.

Seed packets are remarkably cheap, and because of the long growing season and good soil in my region of central Texas, I won’t have to work too hard to coax the flowers out of the ground, particularly if I choose plans that already thrive in our area.

Even live plants aren’t too expensive if you buy them small, and they require even less time before they produce blooms or vegetables. Another advantage to buying live plants is that I get an excuse to go on a fun and affordable shopping trip.

Scrapbooking; The Art of Story-Keeping

I’ve had some experience with scrapbooking, and I even have a few family books that I’ve managed to put together, so picking this hobby up again won’t be a challenge. I already know that it will allow me to be creative, which is important, and it will also fill a practical need.

You see, since I’ve quit scrapbooking, I’ve managed to amass a large box of unorganized photos in my closet. A set of scrapbooks would be just the thing to organize these photos, and maybe even bring them out of the closet so my family can enjoy looking at them occasionally.

Scrapbooking also has the advantage of being very inexpensive. Yes, I could spend an insane amount of money on fancy papers and embellishments. However, I know from experience that I can be pretty creative on a shoestring, particularly when shoestrings are all I have to work with.

Playing the Piano; A Party at My Fingertips

I played the piano for just a little while in high school. I remember that it was fun, being able to make music with my own hands. Unfortunately, I also remember why I quit playing after a while. The lessons were time consuming, and always seemed to be scheduled at a time when I wanted to do something else. My teacher was a very patient person, but still kept pushing me to be ready for the next recital, which was also scheduled at an inconvenient time.

With this kind of baggage, one must wonder why I would want to learn the piano all over again. Well, if you’re wondering, that baggage happens to be gone now. After several years spent mining the internet for nuggets of wisdom, I have stumbled upon the fact that I can now learn piano music online.

Of course, I could also just learn piano chords this time, and learn to use “fills” and “runs” which will basically allow me to play by ear. It’s not necessarily a better way to learn piano than the traditional system of drills and memorization, but I’ll be also be play a song much quicker that way.

Most importantly, though, any course I choose can be studied at the pace that works for me, not my instructor. Maybe if I had this option in high school, I could be an accomplished piano player already!

The Decision

Having analyzed my three hobby ideas, I am now in an uncomfortable spot. I want to do them all.

Okay, that’s not as ridiculous as it sounds. I mean, there will be days in midwinter when gardening just isn’t an option, and there will be beautiful summer days when I won’t want to be stuck inside scrapbooking. Once I actually learn to play the piano, I probably won’t be doing it every day, or even every week. I’ll just whip out my new skill whenever I want some music in the house or I have some people to entertain.

There’s plenty of room in my life for all three hobbies.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have a hobby you’d like to share with our readers, or an interesting way you came across your current hobby? I’d love to hear your story.

Photo by gardeningguides

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I recently had the opportunity to try a box of Fiber One 80 Calories cereal, thanks to MyBlogSpark, and I inadvertently reenacted the role of one of those seemingly random people at the fictional supermarket with the Fiber One sample booth. And that newer commercial where a mom and a dad are sitting at the kitchen table in the morning eating a bowl of Fiber One cereal and their kid wakes up, asks where his cereal is and they have him try “Number One” cereal hoping that it can pass off as something kid-friendly that he will eat up and it totally works? Yeah, that scenario is now believable.

Obviously, I was pretty surprised by what I was tasting when I had my first bowl of Fiber One 80 Calories cereal. Lightly coated in honey to give the cereal a sweet taste, it is really delicious and not one of those “healthy” cereals you have to will yourself to finish a bowl of. I know, I’ve been down that route a few times now. My one, tiny problem with Fiber One 80 Calories cereal is that at times, when you’re munching along through the honey-coated squares, the texture can sometimes seem a little thicker than most other cereals I’ve eaten. However, the benefits and taste far outweigh the very slight texture issue.

Ever since finding out that I have low blood sugar that needs to be checked and maintained daily, I have been trying all sorts of different cereals that provide healthier solutions at breakfast time. Given the fact that this cereal is only 80 calories while also providing 40% of the daily value of fiber needed daily, as well as the fact that it keeps you full until lunch time, it’s a great choice.

To stay up-to-date with everything up Fiber One’s sleeve, “like” them on Facebook. Also be sure to check out their website for a $1.75-off coupon that can be used on any Fiber One products!

Giveaway

We had the opportunity to not only review Fiber One 80 Calories cereal, but to also give away a prize pack to one Lucky Woman Tribune reader!

The Fiber One 80 Calories cereal prize pack includes one box of Fiber One 80 Calories cereal, a sensor pedometer with USB connector to chart walking progress and a neoprene iPod/smartphone holder with armstrap to take along with you on your workouts.

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  Win a Fiber One 80 Calories cereal prize pack from @WomanTribune & #MyBlogSpark http://ow.ly/6dW1w ends 9/2

This giveaway ends Friday, September 2nd at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

This giveaway is now closed and the winner is…

Congratulations!

Disclosure: Fiber One 80 Calories cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

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Jogging is a recreational past time that many of us take up because it is quite simply one of the best ways of keeping fit. It doesn’t cost you a dime and you can do it any time of the day or night. If you have never thought about city running, then you may want to think again. It can be a great way of exploring new cities and landmarks and you might even experience new sights and sounds of a city that you are already familiar with. Either way, based on my own personal travel and running experiences, here is my choice of some of the best cities in the world to run in.

New York

They say that New York is the city that never sleeps and no doubt that this is true, but is the hustle and bustle of such a busy city really good for jogging? Well my advice would be to forget about trying to tackle the crowded streets, and head to downtown Manhattan and Central Park. It is an oasis amongst the chaos that New York offers and is great for jogging.

There are plenty of routes that you can find that are drawn in map form at the many entrances to the park. The routes range from 6.1 miles, if you are feeling like you are in need of a more challenging route, through to the more genteel 1.5 mile route around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir.

The month of November hosts the world famous New York marathon which, for the first six years, took place around the 843 acres of Central Park. This is a true testament to the beauty of the part itself. Nowadays sheer volumes of participants make this an impossible task and as a result it has now taken to the street where it takes in all five boroughs of the city.

London UK

London also has its fair share of parks dotted all around the city and two of these, Hyde Park and Richmond Park, make up only two of the eight ‘Royal’ parks.

Hyde Park is quite simply a jogger’s delight with its pathways that are surrounded by greenery and flowers. It is, in fact, a horticulturist’s paradise as well. Jogging through the park is a great way to escape from the bustling underground stations and high rise buildings that you associate with the city, while still actually being at the heart of it. As you jog around the perimeter you will see plenty of recognizable landmarks and if you time it right, you can witness the changing of the guard, just to remind you that you truly are in London.

Richmond Park is the largest of the royal parks and at 2500 acres is over 3 times as large as Central Park in New York. It is home to a wide range of birds and wildlife and is also home to hers of famous ‘Fallow’ and ‘Red’ deer. The ‘Tamsin’ trail is a cinder pathway that stretches the 7.5 miles round the perimeter and as you jog around, you may catch fleeting glimpses of the deer as they are nestling in the ferns.

Washington DC

Washington DC is a very clean city and has a selection of tree-lined sprawling avenues with expansive pathways. A lot of the roads are lined with museums and galleries which attract lovers of architecture. For a great jogging experience then, get on your For a great jogging experience then, get on your best running socks and running shoes and try running along the 2.5 mile stretch of the ‘National Mall’. It is very popular with runners and takes in some of the most recognizable landmarks that Washington has to offer. The route is reasonably flat, so you can easily pace yourself.

So there you have it, my 3 favourite cities to run in. Even if city jogging is something that you have never comprehended before, I definitely recommend it. I travel often so it’s important that I keep my run routine, even when visiting other cities. It’s a great way to get to know a city in a relatively short space of time and even if you are familiar with the city, it can still open your eyes to different sights, sounds and smells that you may not have experienced.

Photos by sanfrancisco2005 | dannijak | thisisbossi

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If yoga helps anyone the most, it certainly is women. In reality, yoga is not gender specific. Yoga is for men, women and children, the sick as well as the healthy. Certain poses and postures are known to relieve stress, especially brought about due to hormonal changes in women, adolescence, young women, pregnant women, lactating mothers, women undergoing menopause, older women and so on.

Today, health- and figure-conscious women all over the world practice yoga. Madonna is a classic example. She has proudly declared the benefits she has accrued through yoga.

Women resort to yoga not only for health reasons or to maintain a proportionate body weight, but also for cosmetic reasons. It is a proven fact that women who practice yoga regularly have a better complexion, shiny hair and sparkling eyes. Yoga is a beneficial for one’s body as it is beneficial for one’s spirit. Practicing yoga and meditation regularly facilitates integration of mind and body. Women who practice yoga are reportedly self-contained, poised, have a high tolerance level, are better focused and are flexible physically and mentally.

Physical Benefits of Yoga

As mentioned, yoga is useful to women of all ages. With a rich diet having replaced a well-balanced one and obesity being the norm even at an early age, yoga is the panacea for all ills. Even young girls as young as five can be trained in some basic yogic postures. Another malady that affects young children is hyperactivity, although it is more common among boys. With no outlet to expend their energies, young children become restless too soon. Here yoga training assists their bodies to expend extra energy and enables them to focus. It also enables flexibility, making young girls nimble and their minds agile. Such girls grow to be more confident and self-reliant.

Preadolescence and adolescence comes along with its own challenges. Yoga at this stage definitely lends grace to the body, erasing the awkwardness in gait. Correct posture is also an important aspect to yoga. Different postures facilitate blood circulation, rendering a luster to the skin and hair.

Yoga undoubtedly is known to help women with an irregular menstrual cycle and those experiencing a heavy flow. Yoga is also known to relieve lower back pain that occurs during or before a menstrual cycle begins. Some yogic postures are meant to prevent muscle cramps and abdominal cramps and women prone to experiencing PMS have also reported to be calmer.

The following yogasana is known to alleviate cramps: Trikonasana (the “Triangle Pose”)

Stand with your feet at least three feet apart. One can also sit and practice this. Rotate only the feet at a 90-degree angle both towards the outside as well as the inside. Now inhale and stretch both hands with palms facing upwards. Reach out with your right arm and bend to touch your right foot. Your left hand will automatically be raised towards the ceiling. Then, stretch your left arm to touch your left leg, automatically raising your right hand upwards. Hold still.

This tones the muscles of the arms and legs, improves flexibility and promotes slow breathing.

Paschimottanasana or “Two Legged Forward Bend”:

Sit down with both legs stretched and flex toes towards you. Inhale and raise your hands upwards. Exhale and move your hips to touch the feet. Try to hold your toes with your hands. If this is not possible, just stretch your arms to where they reach. Bend your head and breathe for a minute. Look up, inhale and return to the normal position.

Women in a relationship cope with different kinds of stress levels and hormonal imbalances. Women on birth control pills have to face a few challenges. Here, yoga comes to the rescue. During middle-age, women experience a lot of upheaval including the demands of a job, juggling career and family, as well as pregnancy. Many women also experience inadequacies of sorts. Regular practice of yoga helps a woman focus and aids in rhythmic breathing.

Yoga masters advocate the Asthanga yoga for pregnant women. This again regulates digestion and prevents heart burn that is common during pregnancy. Practicing yoga regularly, of course under the supervision of an experienced guru, eases delivery, thereby easing pain. Some asanas (postures) are known to open the cervis, thus facilitating quick delivery.

Postnatal yoga is also quite popular among women who want to lose weight and shed extra weight from their bellies. It is especially advantageous to women who experience arthritis and hormonal imbalance during menopause.

Photo by Go Interactive Wellness

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For the second consecutive year, Nine West has released a mini collection under their Runway Relief Program which aims to combine the forces of the fashion and modeling industries in order to raise funds to aid in breast cancer awareness and prevention.

Three items make up the collection–a military-inspired boot containing a Runway Relief dog tag, a rockin’ black tank top and an amazing, road warrior-inspired messenger bag–with 100% of the proceeds being donated to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s charitable organization.

All of the items in the mini collection are available for pre-order now. The tank and military-inspired boot will ship on August 9 and the messenger bag will ship on September 6 just in time for fall collections.

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This week has brought on the official beginning of summer, but you would swear summer came early this year by the amount of humidity in the air; the kind of humidity that makes you feel sticky within ten minutes of walking outside. As we all know, different seasons bring on cravings for different flavors and in the summer, I cannot get enough fruit. It just so happens that summer is also peak season for Sunkist Valencia oranges, which is why they are also commonly called summer oranges.

So when you’re at your local market or grocery store and you’re picking through the bin of oranges, it’s likely that when you come across an orange with a bit of green around it, you think that it isn’t ripe and you continue your search for the “perfect” oranges to bring home. Here’s something you may not know, when it comes to Sunkist Valencia oranges, green is good! These particular oranges grow and develop into their bright orange color on the tree, but when warm temperatures come around, their skin reabsorbs chlorophyll which is what makes them look partly green. Although the outside has some green color to it, rest assured that the inside of the orange remains ripe, juicy and delicious! Check out the Sunkist Valencia Oranges Re-greening Video from Chef Robert Danhi to learn more.

While the most straightforward thing you can do with a good, ripe orange is to peel it and indulge, oranges make fabulous ingredients for a wide variety of different meals and snacks. Here is a great recipe from Sunkist for a simple, light, and tasty mixture full of summer flavors that can be used to top crackers to make a great appetizer or mid-day snack.

You will need:

• 3 Sunkist Valencia oranges, segmented and zested
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb. tub Bocconcini mozzarella
• 1/4 cup Opal (purple) basil, shredded into small pieces
• 20 whole wheat crackers
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme
• 1/8 cup fresh oregano
• 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. black pepper

Directions:

• Cut the Bocconcini into halves.

• Zest the Valencia oranges using a micro plane or fine grater and set aside. To segment the oranges, cut off the top and bottom.

• Lay the orange on a flat surface, using a pairing knife, remove the skin and white pith. Carefully cut and release each segment from between the membranes and set aside.

• In a blender, add the olive oil, orange zest and fresh herbs. Pulse until blended, continue to blend on medium speed until the herbs and zest are finely chopped; add the pepper and pulse quickly. Pour into a jar or plastic container. Leftover oil can be kept refrigerated for up to one month and used as a marinade for fish, poultry or vegetables.

• Toss the orange segments, cherry tomatoes, Bocconcini and basil lightly with 3/4 cup of orange scented herb oil and season with salt.

• To serve: Top each cracker with the mixture and serve.

This is just one of many recipes you can try out this summer. Be sure to check out their website for additional Sunkist citrus recipes.

Are you one of the many women out there looking to get more active this summer? I’ve been easing into doing just that due to the recent medical problems I have been experiencing, and one super simple thing that has made a ton of difference in my life is making my own juice with fresh ingredients.

Fresh juice is loaded with nutritional power that your body will notice and contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a high-powered juicer to make it, so don’t be discouraged if all you have in your kitchen is a blender. Chop up some fresh fruit, add a handful of kale and you have yourself some amazing juice that will keep you energized throughout the day. I always make way too much juice to fit into a large glass, so if you do the same, you can keep it refrigerated overnight, just make sure that it is tightly covered and immediately chilled or else you can risk your juice losing flavor and vitamin C.

If juice isn’t your thing but you want to treat yourself to a nice smoothie, start with a 1/2 cup of juice and 1/2 cup of diced oranges in a blender. Add a peeled banana, some frozen berries and a 1/2 cup of yogurt and blend.

What are some of your favorite things to do with fresh fruit in the summer?

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Here is how last Thursday night was supposed to go: Attend the Sound for Scoliosis kick off party that was organized by a friend of mine. Have a fun night hanging out with friends, enjoy a few drinks, see my partner’s new band play later that night, and come home.

Here is what happened instead: I don’t go out very often, but for the first time in a while I was out and having a great time. I got to hang out with a few friends I haven’t seen in a while and I saw a couple of bands. Good times. Until suddenly, I wasn’t having such a good time anymore. Out of nowhere, the band that was playing got so loud it was nearly deafening and I had tunnel vision. I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks, which is the reason why I don’t go out very often. Logic told me that I was having a panic attack. No big deal, at least not to me because I have such a history with them and have learned over time how to talk myself down out of a panic. Except for the small detail that I did not feel anxious in the least before these symptoms washed over me, this was a fabulous plan. It didn’t work.

The last thing I remember from inside the bar was sitting in a bathroom stall telling myself that I was totally fine. Unbeknownst to my conscious brain, I had walked out of the bathroom. When I made it to my partner who was waiting outside for me, I collapsed into him. I had passed out, woke up on the floor, and passed out again, this time my head falling back into a brick wall. Somehow I had made it outside through the back of the bar and an ambulance had been called. After sitting in the bathroom stall, the next thing I remember is talking to paramedics who were telling me that I was probably fine (because I had mentioned my history of panic attacks) and that they just had to check my vitals before letting me go on my way.

If there is one attribute I embody when I am terrified, it is annoyance. I talk a lot, I ask a lot of questions, and I pursue every task as if it is a test–and I desperately need to know if I passed. Did I pass this vitals test the paramedics spoke of? They didn’t tell me because as soon as they checked my blood sugar, I was informed that a trip to the hospital was in my best interest because it was dangerously low. I had failed the blood sugar test!

I spent six hours at a hospital that I’m just going to go out on a limb and say could totally make a top 10 list of the most unproductive hospitals in the country. Seriously, if you either work or hope to work in the medical field and want a job where all is expected of you is to gossip with your coworkers, do nothing to actually treat your patients, and just stare at them while they repeatedly set off the heart rate monitor alarm while sitting on your ass, then you need to apply for a job there.

I endured six hours of tests followed by waiting and then more waiting. Six hours of being poked, prodded, and then ignored. Six hours of being left in a room to twiddle my thumbs and wonder what the hell is going on with no updates. Six hours of having seemingly random people mosey on into the room, ask what happened to me, write it down, ask if anyone has given me anything to raise my blood sugar, and then leave, never to be seen or heard from again. Six hours of sporadic vomiting, regardless of the fact that I’m pretty sure nothing could have been in my system after this much waiting, and waiting, and waiting. After all of this, I was finally told that I have low blood sugar that would need to be kept in mind when making my daily nutrition choices, a rapid heart rate (hence the repeatedly setting off the heart rate monitor alarm even while completely relaxed), and an extremely high white blood cell count.

Now here is a funny story about one of the most unproductive hospitals in the country. Usually, and I could be wrong here but I think this is how medicine is usually practiced, you have blood taken, that blood gets tested and then when the doctor finds something wrong with that blood, they then move on to diagnosing the problem and then treating it. This hospital did not work that way. In this hospital, you apparently get your blood taken, they test it, find something wrong with it, and then want to perform all of the tests again because they didn’t like what they found. This is a problem because I have always had an extreme fear of needles. It is a bad, bad fear. I am actually over the moon about not freaking out like a total four-year-old child over getting a whole lot of blood drawn and letting the paramedic attempt to put in an IV on the way to the hospital. I am extremely proud of myself for that. You have no idea how major that is.

Needless to say, I did not let them continue with their Let Us Do the Least Amount of Work Possible by Repeatedly Running the Same Tests charade. I went home. For fear of a concussion, I wasn’t allowed to doze off while laying around the hospital for six hours, so I went home and I got some much-needed, much-appreciated sleep.

The three symptoms that I have going on, the low blood sugar, the rapid heart rate (or Tachycardia, if you want to get all fancy with your medical speak), and the extremely high white blood cell count are all of the effects of my Periodontal Disease, which I have had for the past seven years. Periodontal Disease is an inflammatory disease that affects the teeth, the tissues that surround and support the teeth, and when it is extremely advanced, to the gums. It has run rampant throughout my family and just like the family members who have had it, regardless of how well I have taken care of my teeth throughout my life, they continue to break down and eventually rot. If you have never had problems like this with your teeth then you may be surprised to find out that when there is a problem in your mouth, it is only a matter of time before you start having problems with the rest of your body. Your teeth really do affect your entire body and in my case, it has lead to an extreme bacterial infection that even high doses of antibiotics seem to be immune to. A high white blood cell count in itself signifies rapid infection, as does a rapid heart rate. Low blood sugar seems to be the only thing I can at least treat and control.

Fun, right? So that is what has been going on with me and over the past week, I have focused on getting my energy back up and adjusting to making eating a new part time job of mine in order to control the low blood sugar factor that has become my new reality.

Woman Tribune will be back in full swing over the next few days as I get all of its affairs in order and finally get caught up.

Photo by Michael Coté

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In the United States today, the cost of in vitro fertilization starts at around $12,400 per cycle. Most often, it takes multiple cycles of IVF in order for it to prove to be effective and still, at the end of your treatment, there is no guarantee that you will come out with the success you had hoped for.

Infertility is recognized by the World Health Organization as a legitimate disease and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has publicly stated that infertility is an “emerging public health priority.” Regardless, it is extremely rare to find IVF, as well as any other assisted reproductive technology services, listed on insurance policies. In fact, only 15 states have passed laws to date that require insurance companies to offer some level of treatment for infertility. That isn’t to say that you will find IVF listed as a covered course of treatment within all 15 of these states, but you will find some form of treatment that will be made available to infertile couples.

Considering that an extremely limited group of people are likely to ever find in vitro fertilization, or most other services like it, listed as a covered course of treatment on their insurance policies, the only other option those seeking this procedure is to pay for it out of pocket. This does not look too great for, well, most people who are diagnosed with infertility. This is especially true since while we have seen a subtle rise in our national economy, we are still very much dealing with the aftermath of a historic financial crisis.

There are obvious considerable cost barriers that infertile couples are faced with. This bill would help to alleviate some of this well-known struggle by making tax credits available to taxpayers who earn an adjusted gross income of less than $182,500. This bill would also make these tax credits unavailable for those who earn $222,520 or more per year.

While the introduction of this bill is light at the end of the tunnel for many who hope to undergo fertility treatments but cannot afford to do so, spreading the word about this bill also raises awareness about the importance of egg donation.

We don’t hear about the option for healthy women to donate their eggs very often. The term “in vitro fertilization” has quickly become quite common and has reached the point where most everyone knows what it is and how it is done, but we usually have a very one-sided thought process when it comes to the procedure. We think about the women undergoing IVF, but not about if she will use donor eggs or who they come from.

In most cases, there is a six to nine month matching wait associated with IVF when a woman is using eggs that are donated. This is merely more time that women undergoing IVF must wait in order to attempt to conceive, not even counting the amount of time one cycle takes to complete. This can become an understandably hard time. The key to more women wanting to donate their eggs is letting them know that it is an option and what qualifies them in order to start the process.

Photo by jeo0072002

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I am a reality/documentary television series junkie. I started small by watching an episode of A&E’s Intervention here and there, then that turned in to watching mini-marathons when A&E added new episodes that you could watch in full on their website, then I started watching entire seasons on a loop when I saw that they were on Netflix Watch Instantly. I then went on to Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew on VH1, and then the six episodes of TLC’s Addicted and I’m still making my way through Obsessed and Hoarders, both also products of A&E. It seems I have turned into a person completely and totally fascinated by the human psyche.

I was not always so fascinated by the way in which our minds work, either from birth or after times of trauma or distress. I first started watching these reality/documentary television series, predominantly the series devoted to substance abuse, addiction and getting sober, because I was raised by a drug-addicted, alcoholic mother until I was about 11 years old. Her addiction and substance abuse problems led her to be an incredibly unfit, neglectful, wildly abusive and just downright scary person. As a result of this upbringing, I am a 24-year-old woman who must work from home due to being diagnosed with severe clinical depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is these shows that give me a different perspective into the world of substance abuse and addiction, and in some small way, they allow me to understand that frame of mind in the only way I can.

As for the other shows that spotlight the interesting and sometimes bizarre ways in which our minds are capable of working, well, that’s just my inquiring mind at work. So imagine my excitement when I found out that this week is Psych Week on Discovery Fit & Health. Starting last night and airing until Friday night, Discovery Fit & Health will have mini-marathons of an assortment of stimulating reality/documentary television.

Monday, May 23:
My Strange Addiction will air at 8 p.m. ET. This show tells the compelling stories of people who are battling obsessive behaviors on the verge of taking over their lives.

The premiere of World’s Worst Teens, a show that features behavioral expert Lorrine Marer as she helps tackle issues like alcohol and drug abuse and sexually transmitted diseases in teens with a direct, no-nonsense approach, will air at 10 p.m. ET.

Tuesday, May 24:
Get ready for heavier subjects as you meet one of the youngest people ever diagnosed with schizophrenia on Born Schizophrenic at 9 p.m. ET.

Wednesday, May 25:
At 9 p.m. until 11 p.m. ET you will have the delight of dining with Freaky Eaters, a series that documents the struggles of those with a bizarre compulsion toward a particular food.

Thursday, May 26:
Thursday is the day to explore hoarding. At 7 p.m. ET, Hoarding: Buried Alive will air and at 9 p.m. until 11 p.m., Confessions: Animal Hoarding will take the channel. This series takes an unflinchingly honest look at animal hoarding, the people and pets affected, and the challenges of confronting this psychological condition.

Friday, May 27:
Psych Week wraps up with My Strange Phobia, where you will enter the minds of four individuals with a strange and debilitating phobia.

Learn more about the episodes airing during Psych Week on the Discovery Fit & Health website.

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Two separate medical studies have emerged that credit the biological effects of coffee as playing a role in lowering the risk of a certain aggressive type of breast cancer, as well as fatal prostate cancer.

The Karolinksa Institutet study in Stockholm found that amongst nearly 6,000 women–2,818 patients with breast cancer and 3,111 participants who did not have breast cancer–who drank five cups of coffee a day had a 20% decrease in overall breast cancer risk. When studying a very aggressive type of breast cancer called estrogen-receptive negative cancer, this amount of coffee showed to aid in a 57% reduction of risk in women ages 50 to 74. It is important to note that such a significant decrease in risk had a lot to do with the age of the women who were studied.

The prostate cancer study conducted by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute involved the participation of 48,000 men, making it the largest study of its kind. The study showed that men who drank over six cups of coffee or more per day lowered a man’s risk of fatal prostate cancer by up to 60%.

The many different biological effects of coffee is said to be the reason why it is reducing the risk for these types of cancers. Coffee is a source of antioxidants and it also has positive effects on glucose metabolism and insulin levels and it is believed that insulin plays a role in the progression of prostate cancer, as stated by Kathryn Wilson, a research fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

This seems to be a bigger triumph for men who are at risk of developing prostate cancer, but the study of coffee has a long way to go before researchers will give up on it. Previously, coffee has been said to lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and liver cancer as well.

Researchers are not instructing people to start incorporating large amounts of coffee into their daily diets, but it is safe to say that if you are already a coffee-lover, you may be helping keep yourself free of certain cancers and disease.

Photo by Ballistik Coffee Boy

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