Cascia Talbert's Blog, page 80

Defusing Stressful Parenting Situations: 4 Tips for Busy Moms

by Guest Author

When you’re trying to balance a career, social responsibilities, and motherhood all at once, it can be extremely difficult to prepare for stressful parenting situations. Indeed, busy moms hardly have time to breathe –– let alone days to get ready for potentially stressful outings with their children. As such, certain high-tension situations can cause moms of every experience level trouble. The good news is, we’re here to offer a few helpful hints to help you deal with these four fraught parenting issues. This way, you can avoid a few headaches and move on to your next hurdle in good spirits:

[image error]

Weddings/Formal Events

The last thing a new mother wants to deal with is an unruly child at a formal event like a wedding, baptism, or funeral. Plain and simple, no one wants to make a scene during a sophisticated formal gathering. With that in mind, you should do everything in your power to ensure your little one is well-fed and well-rested before any ceremony starts. Furthermore, it’s a wise play to sit near an exit –– just in case you and your child need to make a quick run to the bathroom.

Visiting the Doctor’s Office

Getting regular medical checkups is a natural part of growing up. Still, many kids feel nervous going to the doctor’s. In order to combat these anxieties, you should develop a good relationship with your child’s pediatrician. In addition, showing your child how certain instruments like stethoscopes, needles, and pediatric tubes operate can help reduce some of the mystery –– and stigma –– associated with a visit to the doctor. Plus, it’s never a bad move to promise a reward for good behavior!

Games and Outdoor Activities

Ideally, children’s sporting events should be laid-back and enjoyable. However, that’s unfortunately not always the case. The good news is, you can teach your child good sportsmanship and prep them for playing with children their age early on at day cares and through play-dates. That way, they won’t be flustered, nervous, or over-excitable when organized sports begin at school.

Sleepovers

Sleepovers can be quite the hassle for parents strapped for time. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead as much as possible when your little one starts making friends and inviting them over to your house. Having some healthy, pre-prepared snacks and setting a hard bedtime early on for your kids can help alleviate some of the strain of hosting multiple youngsters at once. Just remember though, sleepovers are supposed to be fun and relaxed. So resist the urge to monitor your kids’ every move; they’ll appreciate the respect you show them.

The article Defusing Stressful Parenting Situations: 4 Tips for Busy Moms by Guest Author appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

The Significance of Having a Good Night Sleep

by Guest Author

Sleep is an ample time for your body to rest and regain strength after the tiring day. Many people think that sleep is all the same, when, in fact, it is not true. Sleep is categorized into two: high quality and poor quality sleep. The truth of the matter is that some have good sleep while others have poor sleep, which is the reason why some people wake up in the morning feeling refreshed while others still feel tired.

[image error]

A poor quality sleep can be noticed by the brain wave pattern when a person sleeps. The waves are fragmented and are different from each other. A person with a poor quality sleep feels tired and sluggish. On the other hand, a good quality sleep will leave you feeling energized and revitalized. It strengthens your immune system and decreases the possibility of having cardiovascular-related diseases.

What happens during sleep?

If you are sleeping your body goes through some changes. Your heart rate and blood pressure decrease. There is a slight decrease in your body temperature and your breathing pattern somehow decreases. It is also during sleep that the growth hormone is released. This is the reason why when you were younger your parents told you to sleep a lot. Another important thing to note is that cortisol is released during sleep.

Sleep is not just closing your eyes and go to sleep for several hours. What happens during sleep is that the body undergoes four to five cycles of about one and a half hour every night. The cycle consists of two stages of light sleep, a stage of REM/sleep/dream, and two stages of deep sleep. These stages can be monitored through the brain waves as seen on the frequency and amplitude of the waves as you sleep.

The stages of sleep

·         First and second stage – light sleep that comes after you fall asleep. The brain waves are quite rapid but slow down as you enter the next stage.

·         Third and fourth stage – It is the stage of the deep sleep.

·         REM/dream stage – This is the stage where you are nearly awake and the brain waves are at the rapid speed. The dream stage could last for a few minutes to twenty minutes or even more. The cycle will then be again repeated for about four to five times each night.

People who sleep soundly at night do not have a problem with these stages. They can go on with their sleep smoothly and do not wake up in the middle of the night. The brain waves are uniform and the transition from one stage to another is smooth. On the other hand, people with poor sleep have an irregular section of brain waves. The waves are fragmented changing from slow regular waves to rapid waves. Some people wake up in the middle of the night while others feel tired and restless upon waking up.

For your body to feel recharged and energized, you need to have a good quality sleep. There are now many different ways to achieve a good night sleep and help your body cope with stress. There are now many different ways to achieve a good night sleep and help your body cope with stress. To find out more about having a good quality sleep, feel free to click this website

Sponsored Advertisement

The article The Significance of Having a Good Night Sleep by Guest Author appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

This Summer, Make Your Barbecue Sizzle: Healthy Ways to Grill Up Your Summer Meals

by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training, Herbalife Nutrition

Summer is here and it’s time to take advantage of the warm weather. So, go outside, remove the cover off the grill  because the heat isn’t the only thing sizzling in the summer heat. Get ready for your next summer barbecue.  It’s a time when family and friends gather to enjoy delicious, mouthwatering favorites straight from the grill, with all the trimmings. For those who have adopted a healthier lifestyle, the fear of straying from their newfound habits can come to a fizzle. Registered dietitian Susan Bowerman reminds us how we can stick with our wellness goals while still enjoying the things we love.

[image error]

Tips for a Healthy Summer Barbeque

One way to stay on track is to plan ahead. For example, if you’re hosting a summer barbeque, plan on having a meal replacement shake for breakfast and lunch like the Formula 1 Vanilla flavor by Herbalife Nutrition, which will free up a few extra calories for dinner when used as a meal replacement. Also, offer smart choices for your friends and family such as salads, fruits, and beverages like Herbal Aloe Concentrate Mango, which can be added to water or other beverages. It’s delicious, refreshing and a great alternative to soda and juices. As the host, you can have fun with the following healthy summertime grilling tips.

Meat and poultry can taste great after the barbecue treatment. The trick is to keep the grill temperature moderate. When the heat is too high, you run the risk of charring the outside of your meat, while leaving it uncooked in the middle. And, if you leave meats over high heat for too long, they can end up tough and dry.

One technique that works well with chicken is to precook it in the microwave. Remove the skin, and then rub the chicken pieces with a bit of olive oil and your favorite seasoning. While your coals are heating up, microwave 4 to 6 pieces at a time on high for about 15 minutes. Then, transfer the chicken to your heated grill to finish cooking, and turn the pieces frequently. You’ll reduce your cooking time by about half, and your chicken will end up tender and juicy.

Keep your fish from flaking. What works best is to make kabobs with pieces of firm fish like swordfish or tuna, or whole peeled shrimp. You can also grill whole fish or fish filets on a piece of foil or in special fish grilling baskets.  No need to pre-cook, though, since most fish tends to cook quickly.

Grill multi-tasking your sides and desserts. While the grill is hot, why not take advantage of the heat to cook your side dishes, too? You can grill almost any veggie, but thick slices of eggplant, summer squash, and onions are especially good – so are bell pepper wedges and asparagus spears. Thickly sliced potatoes are great grilled as a side dish on their own, or in a grilled potato salad. Brush veggies and potatoes with a little Italian dressing and place them along the sides of the grate where there’s less heat, and flip them over frequently until they’re tender.

If you’ve never grilled fresh corn, you’re in for a treat. Simply pull back the husk and remove the silk, then brush the cobs lightly with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the ears back in the husk and put directly on the grill. Turn them frequently, and they’ll be done in about 15 minutes or so.

You can even grill up some dessert! Pineapple, apples, peaches, nectarines, and bananas all take well to a little time over the flame, and they’re easy to prepare. Just core the pineapple and cut into rings or use canned juice-pack pineapple rings, and for the apples, peaches, or nectarines, merely remove the core and leave the skin on. Then grill along the outside edges until the sugars start to caramelize and the fruit is tender. Grilled fruit is delicious on its own, but you can dress it up with a drizzle of citrus juice or cinnamon and then enjoy it on top of frozen yogurt.

For more healthy summer tips and recipes from Susan, visit www.DiscoverGoodNutrition.com.

The article This Summer, Make Your Barbecue Sizzle: Healthy Ways to Grill Up Your Summer Meals by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training, Herbalife Nutrition appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Homemade Pear Butter

by Hannah Kaminsky

Homemade pear butter is a perfect solution for using up bulk dried pears. When you get this fruity spread going, the hardest part of the whole process is waiting for it to cook!

[image error]

I kept the flavors bright and simple with just a touch of lemon juice, plus one whole vanilla bean. Instead of struggling to scrape out the seeds from this pod, I simply popped the whole thing into the pot, let it rehydrate, and blended it all up. This recipe would be so easy to dress up with any different spices or fruit juices. Have fun, play around with it, make it yours- I can see plenty of gifting opportunities with this sweet spread!

Homemade Pear Butter





CourseAppetizers











Ingredients








2

Cups Unsweetened Apple Juice

1

Vanilla Bean



Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/3

Cup Maple Syrup

The article Homemade Pear Butter by Hannah Kaminsky appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Spinach Basil Pesto

by Kerri Haack

When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, I wanted to prep some of those “freezer meals” to have ready to eat during the early hectic months of having a new baby.  I learned as a breastfeeding momma with my first child that tomatoes I eat can cause gas in the baby I breastfeed.  So many of freezer meals are tomato based!

I was also leaning further away from “boxed foods”. I wanted to increase the nutritional value of the food my family and I eat.  I’ve found it to be cheaper and it just tastes better!

Added to that, I started putting spinach in everything, because we all know what a superfood spinach is.  When I increased my spinach consumption between my first and second child, my blood pressure went down.  I started insisting my family consume a lb a week.

Voila, Spinach Basil Pesto

It’s a versatile recipe, really counting on you tasting and adding as you feel appropriate.  This ingredient list is perfect for my family’s taste buds, but be prepared to taste while you make and adjust accordingly.  I also use a large food processor to make it, so you’ll need to tailor your ingredients based to the size of your food processor.  You’ll see I’ve made a couple of substitutions from a typical pesto.  First, obviously by adding spinach, second by changing pine nuts to walnuts.  I love the taste of walnuts and find them much more affordable.

[image error]Once made, I love to freeze this recipe in 1/4 cup pucks.  I’ll line a cookie sheet with wax paper, drop some pucks on the wax paper, then freeze for an hour or two.  At that point, the pucks are generally solid enough to store in a freezer bag (a scrap of wax paper between them doesn’t hurt).  The pucks melt easily in a pound of warm pasta (start with 1 puck per pound, maybe add an extra swirl of olive oil when serving).  I’ve also defrosted, warmed then served over grilled chicken, sometimes with an extra slice of cheese melted on top.

This recipe got me through many impromptu last minute party hosting opportunities while managing life with a two year old and a newborn.  I also used it as a base for warm pasta salads, and added in some mozzarella chunks and chopped tomatoes.  It’s easy to dress up for short notice bbqs or keep simple for family dinners.  It’s great for a spread on bread, or mixed in with hardboiled eggs as a pesto egg salad.  You’ll love the amount of spinach in it.  They’ll love the flavor.

Spinach Basil Pesto

A perfect sauce for dressing up potluck meals or throwing together simple family dinners. Freeze what you aren't using in 1/4 cup pucks.


CourseMain Dish




Servings12 servings

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time0 minutes







Ingredients







2cups

fresh spinach

1cup

fresh basil

1/2cup

walnuts

1/4cup

grated parmesan

2cloves

fresh garlic

1lemon

squeezed

1/2tsp

salt

1/4tsp

fresh ground pepper

3/4cup

olive oil









Instructions








Pack the food processor with everything but the olive oil.



Start running the food processor and add the olive oil slowly, until it gets to the consistency you are looking for (spreadable, not too loose). You may not use the full 3/4 cup.



Stop the food processor to taste it, add in anything to achieve the taste you want, then process until mixed.

The article Spinach Basil Pesto by Kerri Haack appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Could You Be Experiencing Parenting Burnout?

by Dr. Tenisha White

[image error]

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably at some point experienced parenting burnout. Your weekends away from work may be filled with activities for your kids from sports games, to play dates, and even Sunday school. Between all that there can be standoffs you have with a 2 year old throwing a temper tantrum, and negotiations on how to get your kids to bed.

If you work throughout the week, it may seem like you’re never getting a moment to switch your brain off from work, and if you’re a stay at home mom, it could feel as if you’re working on call 24/7. At some point, the buildup of parenting responsibilities can make us hit a wall. Many parents now have this internal pressure to be a superhero and to do it all. Be a boss and a parent at the same time while cooking every meal throughout the week and staying social in the evenings. All of this pressure and responsibilities can make you feel like you’re losing your mind.

Parenting burnout is real, but so are the solutions to help you find your balance. To help you cope with the stress that comes from parenting, I’ve outline the signs that you could be experiencing burnout, and how to fix them.

Losing your ability to concentrate: Specifically on work tasks like you used to.  When you’re experiencing burnout – this can turn into chronic stress which can lead to a lack of mental clarity and other cognitive issues.
Losing control: Feeling as if you have zero control of any outcome, and almost as if you never have a say in what is happening in your day to day life.
Feeling as if you’re never doing enough: Between your own parenting instincts and everything you read in articles, you may feel like there’s always some new form of parenting that you aren’t quite getting right.
Lack of feeling accomplished: Feeling as if you aren’t making any progress with your own life’s goals outside of being a parent.
A loss of energy: Feeling as if you never have any energy to socialize, or rarely experiencing energy at all. Constant exhaustion is an extremely clear sign of burnout- and it can be a blend of physical, mental and emotional fatigue.
Never feeling rewarded: Parenting can be a thankless job. This could leave you feeling like you’re being taken for granted or that all of your efforts are not recognized.
No room for self-care: Not making self-care or “me” time a priority.
Irritability and frustration: Feeling extra irritable and experiencing a short temper with your kids and spouse.

Steps you can take to reverse your burnout:

Don’t strive for perfection: Trying to be perfect at everything is self-destructive and sets yourself up for failure. You may always feel like you’re never doing things the right way, and that’s OK. A lot of us put such a focus on being perfect because we are afraid to fail as parents. Instead, focus on doing your best
Prioritize your mental and physical wellbeing:  Make sure you create non-negotiables throughout the day such as making time to work out, eat nutrient dense meals, and get enough sleep. Also taking breaks throughout the work day to take walks around the block, or standing up to stretch your legs.
Take a break: Typically when you are experiencing burnout – you are overworked, overstimulated, and reaching your mental capacity. It might sound scary to take a break when there seems to be never ending parental duties, but the results can make a significant impact on reversing your feelings of burnout. Taking time for yourself for a quick yoga class to reset your mind, detach from responsibilities can help you come back to your parenting mindset with more confidence and clarity. This could also be the ideal time to rediscover your passions and creativity. Have your partner watch the kids while you break free for a class or even hire a babysitter if you want to connect with your spouse on a date night.
Listen to your body: When you are feeling mentally or physically fatigued, take a break. Don’t try to power through and work through these signals your body is giving you. If you are experiencing frequent headaches or stomachaches, these could be manifestations from stress.
Get organized: By putting some time management and project management systems in place, your day can become more structured which can lead to less feelings of constant stress. I know it can be hard to follow routines when kids have consistent needs throughout the day that can change suddenly, but having some sort of guidance can help you feel more put together.

With these tips you can better understand how to recognize when you’re experiencing parenting burnout, and how to reverse it! What can you do today to reset your mind and bring more balance to your life?

About the author: Dr. Tenisha White

Dr. Tenisha White is a Clinical Psychologist at ClarityChi.com. In 2005 she earned her first Master’s degree in mental health counseling at Loyola University New Orleans. In 2010 Dr. White returned back home to Chicago to pursue her doctorate degree at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she obtained a second Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology in 2016.

Dr. White has experience in providing individual, family, couples and group therapy for a wide range of individuals with diverse backgrounds. Dr. White’s areas of clinical focus include adjustment issues, mood and anxiety disorders, academic issues, family issues, relationship issues and behavior issues. She has a dedication to being involved in the community and has provided workshops for community programs and employers, which include stress management, conflict resolution, improving communication skills, understanding depression and developing effective coping skills.

The article Could You Be Experiencing Parenting Burnout? by Dr. Tenisha White appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

How to Maintain Top-Quality Blog Content

by Guest Author

How to Create and Maintain Top Quality Blog Content

Did you know that consistent brands are valued at about 20% more than their less quality-oriented competitors? It’s consistency that drives customer loyalty and helps strengthen your brand most. As blogging is the industry with fierce competition, maintaining the quality of your content at its highest at all times might be the secret to your success. However, doing so is a huge challenge, especially when you are the only one working on said content. What you need to achieve this is good planning, creative brainstorming sessions, and a well-defined content strategy that will guide your mind and inspiration.

[image error]

As blogs with 11+ posts a month generate three times more traffic (HubSpot), you also need to consider the frequency of your updates. As you have to post high-quality content not only regularly but often, you should consider using specialized services and tools like guest posting to keep your blog at the top.

5 Ideas on How to Produce High-Quality Content Consistently
1.      Develop a strategy and a calendar

When you consider starting a business you have to develop a business plan that will outline what the enterprise will do for at least a year. Blogging is the same. Even if you are still looking for your own ‘voice’, which is normal when establishing a personal brand, you should have a clear strategy of content topics that you will cover. You can add new ones or alter your strategy as necessary, but having one in advance will ensure that you don’t wake up one day to realize you don’t know what to write about.

Once you’ve determined the general topic of the blog and outlined a few key points you’ll be able to cover in many posts to come, use an editorial calendar. Tools like CoSchedule or Editorial Calendar (WordPress plugin) will help you keep blogging consistently and make sure you don’t miss any regular updates. With that done and armed with content you can start blogging quickly. Setting up a website of your own today might take no more than 15 minutes.

2.      Use specialized tools for bloggers

Having natural talent is great and will definitely help you become a successful blogger. But no amount of talent with words will have you producing 3-5 top-quality search engine optimized posts per week, every week for years in the future.

Luckily, there are tools that will help you generate topics and provide with prompts, ideas, and inspiration, such as:

·         BuzzSumo

·         HubSpot Topic Generator

·         Piktochart (use for making visual content)

·         Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer

·         Google Analytics (use to identify the pieces of content that perform best)

·         Readability Test Tool (use to evaluate the quality of your posts)

3.      Schedule brainstorming sessions

Dedicate specific time every day for brainstorming blog ideas. Don’t rely on inspiration alone, instead focus on thinking how you can expand the topics you’ve already covered to offer more value to your readers.

You can use specialized brainstorming strategies, like cubing or mind mapping. If you are a blogger with a focus on textual content, try freewriting. This method boils down to simply writing the first thing that comes to your mind to meet your daily quota of words. It works very well for combatting ‘writer’s block’ and generally improving your skills through constant practice. The renowned NaNoWriMo is based on this principle.

4.      Allow guest posts

Inviting guest writers can not only help maintain high-quality blog content consistently but also boost your SEO (backlinks) and strengthen your brand. By attracting popular influencers you’ll get a chance to boost your traffic through their own reader base.

The problem with guest posts is that not all of them are of high quality. This means you should develop a plan for evaluating the contributions. Create a checklist with the qualities that content published on your blog must meet and ensure all guest writers get a copy.

5.      Recycle your content

According to HubSpot, 1 in 10 blog posts is compounding and it’s these posts that bring over 35% of traffic to your website. You can identify them using analytics tools that monitor the blog.

Make them work even better by ‘recycling’ this content. Note that this doesn’t mean rewriting and posting them under a new ‘guise’. Instead try expanding some topics covered in those posts and add links with suggestions of the new content under them. You can also try developing other types of content based on your best-performing posts, like a whitepaper or an infographic.

 

Above all else, remember that if you want to maintain high-quality of content consistently, you’ll need to use all these methods and any other you can think of. Posting regularly is your main goal, so try every idea to see which work best for you personally.

The article How to Maintain Top-Quality Blog Content by Guest Author appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Supporting Your Loved One With Breast Cancer

by Kerri Haack

When I found out, as an adult, my first loved one was diagnosed with breast cancer, I handled it badly.  I stress ate McDonalds. It was my younger cousin and I was on a road trip to be with her and the rest of my family for my Grandmother’s funeral.  

At my Grandmother’s funeral, she was as serene about it as an angel.  It was early stages of her diagnosis. Perhaps it hadn’t sunk in to her, perhaps she was putting on a brave face.  She had meetings already set up with her patient advocates and would be soon finding out her treatment plan.

The next time I had a loved one diagnosed with breast cancer, I didn’t do much better.  A month prior, I had been in communication with one of my closest girlfriends, that she had to go in for a secondary mammogram because something “popped” on the first one.  We reassuringly discussed how frequently that happens. She had the secondary mammogram and I kept checking in on her next appointment.

When she called me that night to tell me what had happened at her appointment, luckily I had two good girlfriends over.  They refilled my champagne glass while my expected future nursing home roommate gave me her diagnosis. After we got off the phone, I hoped that I gave reassurance and love, but my pillow and my husband’s arms took the brunt of my worries and fears that night.

I would hope, if you ask either my cousin Clare or my friend Michele how I responded, they would tell you I was supportive.  While I can’t even imagine the emotional mind game that a breast cancer diagnosis gives, having to deal with the well-intentioned but crippling comments and behavior of the people who love you can add its own level of hell to an already tough path.

The Diagnosis

What do you say?  Your loved one has just told you their soul crushing news and you want to tell them everything that’s in your heart about how much you love them.  So you say, “I’m sorry” almost automatically. According to Michele, perhaps rethink that automatic response. “I’ll tell you it’s very hard for someone to not say “I’m sorry” when you hear someone has a sickness/disease/family issue or anything.  It’s a person’s natural response. Does a person ever really want you to feel sorry for them? No, but we say it anyway because it comes naturally. I’m guilty of this. Since I’ve been diagnosed, I do my best to not say “I’m sorry” when I hear not so good news.  I try to be a good listener and supportive.”

“The best thing came from a friend who hugged me and told me she would be here for me every step of the way..” Michele told me.  And, if you are receiving the news over a channel that doesn’t allow for physical touch, Michele suggested, “letting the person know you are here for me to vent and support me and my family is helpful.”

And stop trying to find the “bright side”.  “It’s very hard to hear “there’s a gift” or “silver lining” in the darkness of early acceptance,” Clare told me. “I would say, it’s nice if people can say, “I’m here to listen if you are up to talking about the diagnosis, and options, but I understand if that’s hard”. Listening, hugging and sitting in the pain with them are some of the best ways to support a loved one as he or she tells you of their diagnosis.

Support Through Treatment

In some cases, breast cancer treatment can be a grueling battle.  When my friend Michele started her chemo, I emailed our friends (at her request) and said, “Getting chemo means she sits in a chair for 3-4 hours while they pump her full of chemicals.  She doesn’t know how her body will respond to it, so she’s obviously nervous. They do expect hair loss and further damaging effects, but not until the second session, about three weeks later.”  And this after having had surgery to remove the cancer!

While your loved one goes through this battle, how can you show them you care? Clare told me, “I think, while it’s great when people ask how they can help, it’s most awesome when people who know a person diagnosed well enough Just Do things, like “I’m making you and your family dinner, any diet restrictions?” Michele suggested Meal Train as a source for organizing friends for food. “Meal Train is wonderful to have while going through chemo or after you’ve had surgery.  Having it every other day during the week was very helpful to my husband and I. I could rest and he could work without having to wonder what to fix for dinner.”

Gifts and tokens of love help. Michele said, “one of my top gifts that I loved was from friends from college. They had individually wrapped gifts which had notes on each of them telling when to open.  This was awesome. For example, one note said, “when you want to stick it to cancer, open me”. Inside were heart shaped stickers.” Some other gift idea suggestions from Michele, “If you know they are going to lose their hair, send a pretty scarf, turban or beanie.  They will always think of you when he or she wears it.” In general, both Michele and Clare appreciated spontaneous cards, personal notes, and reminders of being loved.

Communication Helps

Never underestimate the power of reaching out to talk.  Michele said, “Receiving personal phone calls from family and friends are the best.  A lot of times when a person is going through chemo, we are alone at home. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”  But, also understanding if communication is limited, it isn’t about you, it is about what your loved one is going through.  

Clare told me, “I realized I needed to slow down and do less, which felt like withdrawing to some people I knew.  The people who mattered accepted that I wasn’t up for as much electronic or phone communication and they sent book recommendations and candy and just let me know they cared.”  However, Clare noted, “The only time I would recommend pushing is if someone is really slipping into week after week of anxiety – then a loved one or friend can be a big support in really saying, let’s find more help, because this seems so so hard right now.  Maybe we can make it just a LITTLE easier and that would be worth anything. Asking how your loved one is sleeping can be the best way to see how it’s going, because when I slept well, everything was better.”

Offering to step in to help, can come in a myriad of ways, but knowing they might say no should always be an option. Clare said, “I was grateful to have a friend offer to set up a web fundraising site for me, but the best people will offer and also graciously accept when someone says “no thanks” without really pressing about why.  Maybe just say, “Let me know if you change your mind.” Another big thing is to offer to go to appointments, but again don’t push too much if they say no.”

When You Feel Helpless

This was a struggle for me, wishing to take this burden away from my loved ones.  Living away from both of them, wanting to offer support, but feeling unable to do much.  For Michele, I set up a Facebook group which she hand selected the people that would join it.  Before each treatment day, I would post a reminder and her friends and family would fill the page with funny memes, jokes and videos to help entertain her during her treatment.  She said it helped her receive support, “especially for someone who isn’t ready to share their story yet with the rest of the world.” As Clare noted to me, “It’s very hard to go into detail about prognosis and treatment with everyone.”

If your loved one hasn’t found any resources, you can help them find some, even from across the country. Clare found true friends through myBCteam – the social network for women facing breast cancer.  She also recommended Gilda’s Club for the person diagnosed and their partner/family. Michele recommended finding a local breast cancer support group.

And, if you are wondering about what happened after treatment with Clare and Michele, I have good news to share.  Clare just had her first child! Yes! After fighting breast cancer! Michele has recently completed her chemo and is seeing her peach fuzz grow in.  She’s joined a mentoring program, ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis to help other women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I can see in both women something beautiful Clare told me about, “the skills you develop to cope with the diagnosis and treatment actually change priorities, and might mean there is personal growth that starts in unexpected ways.”

The article Supporting Your Loved One With Breast Cancer by Kerri Haack appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

3 Ways to Handle a Family Crisis

by Guest Author

[image error]

3 Ways to Handle a Family Crisis

Make no doubt about it. There will be difficult situations that will disrupt the happiness in your family. But simply just accepting family crises as a fact of life is not the only thing you can do. It is also important to learn how to move past these crises. Happiness is, after all, crucial to maintaining a healthy family, and it is our job as parents to make sure we can recover from whatever it is that disrupts our families’ health and happiness.

Let It All Sink In

A difficult situation can be burdensome, especially if it is something that affects everybody emotionally. We can get angry and sad, which are natural parts of being emotional creatures. However, wallowing in these emotions for too long won’t help us in the long run.

When faced with a family crisis, we should ideally take some time off of our usual schedule and routine to reflect and navigate our way through. Rather than play the blame game, determine a healthy way to move forward. A sibling or a parent diagnosed with a terminal disease is a difficult thing to accept, but it is important to realize that we can’t resolve the crisis unless we respond to such a crisis in the right way. Give yourself time and space to process and think. This can make it easier for you to respond to the situation and make better decisions.

Understand That There’s a Way Out

It’s easy to lose hope when confronted with a crisis. It’s normal to feel this way, but remind yourself that not all is lost. Tackle the problem head-on. The first step to address a family crisis is to look for workable solutions. It may look like you are powerless in dealing with a crisis like your pregnant teen, but there is  way to handle it. Keep an open mind and allow your child to take part in handling the challenge. You can also ask for advice from close relatives or parents who were able to overcome similar experiences in the past.

Remember that whatever the world throws at you, there is always a solution.

Provide Support

A family member who is undergoing a crisis should always find solace in the words of siblings, parents and other relatives. After all, they also act as emotional pillars to lean on when things get tough. Instead of blaming others for an unwarranted crisis, provide advice and emotional support for a family member who is on the receiving end of a difficult problem. The same can also be said for a loved one who is coming to grips with having an STD. In the latter case, keep an open mind and avoid making assumptions. You can assist your child or partner in a diagnosis by visiting testing centers across the country, including treatment and STD testing centers in San Diego or Los Angeles. Visiting one of these centers can help provide you with the information you need to make healthy decisions for your family as you move forward.

The article 3 Ways to Handle a Family Crisis by Guest Author appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Stay Happy And Healthy With These Supplements

by Guest Author

[image error]

Stay Happy And Healthy With These Supplements

Dietary supplements have grown from a niche habit to a daily routine in many people’s lives. While there are some common vitamin and mineral needs, people also have personalized nutritional requirements to achieve optimal health. For example, a nursing mother may invest in high quality probiotics for her infant, while middle age men may take something like Prostagenix to support their general prostate health. But what about the mother whose children may be older than 2 or 3 years but still require general care? Specific supplements can help an individual achieve optimal health at any age.

Peace of Body

To put things in perspective, even if you aren’t dealing with a blatant health issue, there’s a very good chance you may still need some form of dietary supplement in order to be at your best. Thirty percent of all women are deficient in one or more important vitamins and minerals. If there was no such thing as multivitamins, that number could actually be closer to 75 percent.

Antioxidants: There is a wide array of antioxidant vitamins that are beneficial for good health, but the most popular ones are vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E. The role of antioxidants is to reverse the damage that free radical molecules inflict upon cells. As research develops, we are finding that this damage is linked to a variety of different health issues, from immune dysfunction to poor vision. In addition to immunity and vision, some studies show that vitamins A and E together help protect the skin from signs of aging.

Do you find that you’re getting fatigued or winded when you’re not even doing any sort of strenuous activity? You may be dealing with iron deficiency, which isn’t uncommon for women, especially as they age. Part of the reason for this being so common is because iron plays an essential role in producing red blood cells and carrying oxygen throughout the body. Another reason that women need to pay attention to their iron levels is that blood loss from your period depletes the natural stores of iron you already have in your body. If you want some added support, along with iron supplements, try eating lean red meats and dark green leafy vegetables.

Magnesium is notable because it’s the type of mineral that may not get the attention that other ones do (like calcium and potassium), but it is no less important. Magnesium has an important role in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps in muscle function, heart rhythm, immune support and general energy production.

Peace of Mind

If you find yourself feeling stressed out from the struggles of juggling parenting and/or other responsibilities, your nutritional status may be to blame. Mental health and brain function can stem from certain nutritional deficiencies in some circumstances, but some supplements are now trying to tackle this issue head-on.

Calcium: This may sound like an odd place to bring up calcium, considering that most people know it for its support of bones and teeth. While those functions still hold true, you may not know that calcium may also be able to help with certain PMS symptoms. In one study, women who supplemented with calcium saw significantly lower levels of tiredness, appetite changes and depressive symptoms compared with a placebo.

Vitamin D: Ideally, you would get the bulk of this vitamin from exposure to sunlight, but that can be difficult to achieve if you live in an area with few sunny days or have to spend a lot of your times indoors. As a result, this is an important vitamin to monitor. Vitamin D plays an essential role in skeletal health and also in preventing mood disorders and maintaining a healthy hormonal balance.

Omega-3s: As mentioned before, some mood and stress issues may be rooted in the brain not receiving the proper nutritional support it needs. Omega-3s are probably the most popular option when it comes to brain support. Not only does it help with behavioral function, but also with cognitive performance and reduced inflammation. If you’re feeling down, consider making a quick stop to your doctor’s office to see if these essential nutrient levels are low. Determining your specific nutritional needs can support your health and happiness for life.

The article Stay Happy And Healthy With These Supplements by Guest Author appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.