Spring Clean Your Diet
Saturday, April 12, 2008
(Newswise) Ever thought of improving your eating habits as a spring cleaning job? Just as you give your house and garage a thorough once-over every year, you can do the same with your diet. Here's how.Clean it up. Drink more water and less soda drinks. "Drinks shouldn't be sticky," says Pam Davis, R.D., LD., dietitian and diabetes educator, Baylor Medical Center at Garland.
Clean your plate. Ms. Davis also recommends "cleaning" your plate by ditching cheesy casseroles in favor of simple, three-part meals, consisting of a meat, starch and a vegetable. For example, a pork tenderloin, brown rice, and green beans meal would fit the bill.
Toss it out. Go through your pantry and freezer and toss anything that's old or unhealthy. Don't keep frozen meat any longer than six months. Label and date any leftovers before you freeze them for later use.
Plan it. Planning your meals makes it less likely you'll grab fast-food on the fly.
Sit down with your cookbook -- or your kids, who will be more likely to eat what they have helped plan - and create a weekly menu.
Practice restaurant savvy. If you eat out, do so wisely. Most restaurant portions are bigger and usually with more sodium or fat. Split a single entree or order just a half portion if offered by the restaurant.
Davis is a diabetes educator at the Baylor Diabetes Center at Baylor Medical Center at Garland where people with diabetes can attend self-management diabetes programs, support groups and classes.
Baylor Medical Center at Garland is part of Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System. For fiscal year 2007, Baylor Health Care System will report $390 million in community benefits to the Department of State Health Services. For more information, visit http://www.baylorhealth.com.
Labels: health, parenting, parents
posted by Jennifer James @ Saturday, April 12, 2008,
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Help for Winter Skin
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
By itself, dry skin isn't a medical worry, but serious cases can result in cracks and fissures that invite infection and inflammation. This is one problem that hasn't suffered from lack of attention in the marketplace, though: there are dozens of creams and lotions for dry skin. But what ingredients should you look for in a moisturizer? Well-controlled studies are few and far between. The fact is that despite the long lists of obscure ingredients and the pseudoscientific hokum, all moisturizers help with dry skin for a pretty simple reason: they supply a little bit of water to the skin and contain a greasy substance that holds it in, reports the February 2008 issue of the "Harvard Health Letter". One reason for the proliferation of moisturizers is the continuing search for a mix of ingredients that holds in water like petrolatum -- a greasy substance known to many people as Vaseline -- but feels nicer on the skin. The good news is that despite all the unknowns, you really can't go wrong. Almost all the moisturizers on the market will help with dry skin, and in most cases, the choice comes down to simply whether you like the feel and smell.
The "Harvard Health Letter" suggests some additional tips for people with dry skin:
- Turn down the thermostat: Hot air is drier than cool air.
- Use a humidifier: It can help put moisture back in the air.
- Take warm, not hot, baths or showers: Hot water whisks away the fatty substances in the skin that help it retain water.
- Stay protected: Windy outdoor air is very drying, so bundle up.
posted by Jennifer James @ Tuesday, January 29, 2008,
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What Kind of New York City Parent Are You?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
New York City Parents:Time Out Kids just launched a new quiz called "What kind of NYC parent are you?", and we thought you might be interested in taking it to find out if you're most like a Posh Mama, a Hipster Papa, etc. What kind of NYC parent are you?
At the end of the quiz, you will be directed to a list of shops, play spaces and services that best suit your styles.
Also, don't forget New York City parent bloggers, you are invited to a free play date at the New York Kids Club. Here's your invitation!
Labels: parents
posted by Jennifer James @ Wednesday, January 16, 2008,
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