Dieting & Weight-Loss: I have a love/hate relationship with my scale.

I HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY SCALE — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other bloggers dieting…

Michelle ~ mother & scrapaholic…

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

The Diet Naked Blog

Big Fat Deal

Dieting Battle

Down Home Dieting

Vickie’s Voice

Lilly Hydrangeas Blog

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

Dooce on Nightline — See Full Video Clip

Dooce on Nightline - Posted by Catherine Morgan

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

SEE FULL VIDEO OF DOOCE ON NIGHTLINE HERE

Mommy Bloggers and Dooce on NBC with Kathie Lee (see video)

Did Kathie Lee just diss Mommy bloggers???

SEE FULL VIDEO HERE

Also See:  New Video of Dooce on Nightline

Is Lasik Eye Surgery Worth The Risk?

Is Lasik Surgery Worth The Risk? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Qvisory)

I recently did a post on the news frenzy surrounding Lasik Eye Surgery. It seemed like the alarms were sounding, and we were going to soon find out that this procedure was much more risky then once thought.

The Los Angeles Times points out that the FDA is going to review reported side effects from Lasik eye surgery:

Almost 8 million Americans have had the procedure, and most ended up discarding their eyeglasses or contact lenses without long-term complications, according to doctors and health officials. But a small fraction complain of serious side effects that have left their eyes painfully dry and their vision marred by ghostly shadows or starbursts of color. Some say their sight is so poor they can’t watch a movie or drive at night.

But after researching the news and facts on Lasik surgery, I came to the conclusion that the benefits of this surgery (at least for me) far outweigh any risk. Every person who I’ve talked to that has had this procedure was happy with it. Even the people who suffered with side effects for months after their surgery, still had no regrets.

Like Miriam from The Moh You Know:

Last November I got Lasik surgery and have never seen better! Of course, there were a few side effects the first couple of months after which included:

• the first night was tough and painful, but the next morning I was pain-free
• very minimal dry eye
• halos and rings during night time driving
• light sensitivity
  

It all wore off within a few months and I haven’t seen better. It’s the best thing I’ve done to myself.

So, what is Lasik? And how do you know if it’s right for you? This is from the FDA website:

LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce a person’s dependency on glasses or contact lenses.

LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser. A mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) or a laser keratome (a laser device) is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the middlesection of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced. There are other techniques and many new terms related to LASIK that you may hear about.

At WebMD, you can also find a section about some of the disadvantages of this eye surgery:

• Changes made to the cornea cannot be reversed after LASIK laser eye surgery.
• Corrections can only be made by additional LASIK laser eye surgeries.
• LASIK laser eye surgery is expensive, typically costing $2,200 to $2,250 per eye; though compared to the cost of glasses and contact lenses, the price is reasonable.
• LASIK laser eye surgery is technically complex. Problems may occur when the doctor cuts the flap, which can permanently affect vision.
• LASIK laser eye surgery can cause a loss of “best” vision with or without glasses at 1 year after surgery. Your best vision is the highest degree of vision that you achieved while wearing your contacts or eyeglasses.

For the record there is no surgery that has zero risk, and that goes for Lasik eye surgery as well. So, if you are considering having this procedure done, you need to make your own decision about whether it is worth the risk. If you decide that you want to have this surgery, then the most important step becomes finding a good Lasik doctor:

This is probably the hardest choice to be made after the initial decision to have refractive surgery. Factors such as word of mouth, reputation, certifications, and membership in associations are clearly important.

What the educated patient needs is a surgeon and center that not only minimizes the risks as much as possible, but also does everything possible to maximize the visual outcome. Although it is tempting to assume the surgeon or center that advertises the most is probably the best, in many cases this is not true.

What if you’re not sure about Lasik? Are there any other alternatives? Of course there are. This is from an Associated Press article about alternatives to Lasik:

Frightened by headlines about Lasik side effects? Lasik gets all the advertising, but there are half a dozen alternate eye surgeries — from a simpler laser approach to implantable lenses — that might solve your squint.

They all have their own risks. A key is finding a surgeon who doesn’t have a favorite but is qualified to evaluate patients for all of the options, to find the best fit.

If you’re like me and blind as a bat without your glasses, you might want to look into Lasik. Don’t let the media hoopla frighten you; make your decision based on facts, not fear.

I am a Contributing Editor for BlogHer Health & Wellness and founder of The Political Voices of Women. I am a writer, blogger, nurse, and mother of two. As someone who suffers with chronic illness, I am also a patient advocate, and host a blog in support of living well with chronic illness. To learn more about me and my many blogs, visit my website CatherineBlogs. See Catherine Morgan’s other posts and profile.

Why Are Women Dying Younger In America?

Why Is Life Expectancy For Women Going Down In America? - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

A new study has found that the life expectancy for women in the United States is on the decline. But don’t worry, this is not something that will affect ALL women in our country - just the poor women.

Even more troubling, is that the study doesn’t include any statistics after 1999. What that means is, the Bush years have not been figured into these statistics. I can only imagine how the last eight years of the Bush administration have impacted the reality of these numbers.

It seems like it wasn’t that long ago, that I heard how the US life expectancy had slipped in ranking from 11th to 42nd, behind most European countries.   SEE VIDEO HERE

John Edwards was absolutely right when he talked about two Americas. Try to picture America on one side, and a third-world country on the other. Now picture that third-world country within the United States. Thanks to a failing economy and a serious health care crisis, that is exactly what we face today. It’s really not surprising at all. Very sad, but not surprising.

From The New York Times…

Life expectancy has long been growing steadily for most Americans. But it has not for a significant minority, according to a new study, which finds a growing disparity in mortality depending on race, income and geography.

The study, published Monday in the online journal PLoS, analyzed life expectancy in all 3,141 counties in the United States from 1961 to 1999, the latest year for which complete data have been released by the National Center for Health Statistics. Although life span has generally increased since 1961, the authors reported, it began to level off or even decline in the 1980s for 4 percent of men and 19 percent of women.

“It’s very troubling that there are parts of the wealthiest country in the world, with the highest health spending in the world, where health is getting worse,” said Majid Ezzati, the lead author and an associate professor of international health at Harvard. It is a phenomenon, he added, “unheard of in any other developed country.”

Listen to an interview on NPR…

Women in the southern part of the U.S. are dying earlier than before, according to a new study of life expectancy among women in the deep south and lower Midwest. The study’s lead author, Dr. Christopher Murray, explains the findings. And Dr. Wendy Klein, who specializes in women’s health, discusses what could be causing the change.

This is from a post at Momathon Blog

Women in the U.S. aren’t living as long these days. Can we blame it on the increase in obesity, high blood pressure, smoking and chronic illnesses related to these health concerns? One of every five American women (compared to only one of every 25 men) are dying at a younger age or seeing no improvement in life span according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Washington. That works out to be a decline average of 1.3 years in 180 counties mainly in the south and certain rural areas. The decline is not the same in all parts of the country. That raises the question: What is causing the deadly trend? And why are life expectancies not on the decline for other Western nations?

This is from Crooks and Liars…

Now it would be easy to take the Republican route and blame this on individual lifestyle choices rather than looking at this as a symptom of inequality of care. PBS has just recently offered a series titled “Unnatural Causes: is inequality making us sick?” showing how our position in society affects our health. Executive Producer Larry Adelman wrote about it at the AFL-CIOblog.

This is from Healthy Moms…

There is a lot of discussion about a recent study done in the late 1990’s that concluded that the life expectancy rate in American women is declining. On AmericaBlog.com readers are blaming Republicans and the current administration for the decline. I don’t understand why since the study was done before President Bush was elected. Anyway enough of my politics. I thought that this story would be fitting because most of my readers are women.

It would be easy to look at this study and assume that these women are choosing an unhealthy lifestyle, and therefore contributing to the health conditions that are causing them to die at a younger age. But when you look closer, it’s clear that poverty and a lack of adequate healthcare is the underlying cause. I hope these new findings will be a catalyst in helping to bridge the gap between poverty and wellness.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan, also at The Care2 Election Blog

—

Over 400 Women Blogging on Politics at The Political Voices of Women. I hope you will consider joining our community.

—

Food Synergy: For Healthy Weight Loss and Disease Prevention

Weight Loss: Getting Reacquainted With Healthy Food — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

For the last few weeks I’ve been making an attempt at eating healthy. And usually this is where I would tell you that I’ve failed miserably. But, I’m happy to report that I have actually been doing pretty well. I think it is in part because, around the same time I decided that I couldn’t afford to gain another pound, I got an email from Elaine Magee. Funny how we get what we need, just when we need it. Anyway, Elaine is the Healthy Recipe Doctor at WebMD, and she wanted to tell me about her newest book Food Synergy. Even better, she said if I wanted a copy she would send me one. The timing couldn’t have been better.

I’m not sure if it was the book or my total fear of gaining another pound, but I’ve actually lost about six pounds. It’s not that her book is a diet plan or anything…It’s really about eating healthy, and that’s what is so great about it. The book reinforced a lot of what I already knew, but also explained how different food combinations actually work to prevent disease and promote wellness. Not only is the book informative, but it is loaded with great recipes.

Evidence is mounting that certain components in the food we eat and drink (minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, fiber, smart fats, etc.) interact to provide our bodies extra disease protection and a higher level of health. This advanced nutrition science is called food synergy.

Food synergy is like adding 1 plus 1 and getting 4 or 6 instead of 2; the total is greater than the sum of the individual parts (or nutrients).

From WebMD - At The Healthy Recipe Doctor - Top 10 Food Synergy Super Foods

1. Whole Grains
   Whole grains are naturally low in fat and cholesterol-free; contain 10% to 15% protein and offer loads of fiber, resistant starch and oligosaccharides, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and often, phytoestrogens. With all those nutrients in one package, it’s no wonder whole grains provide so many health benefits, including protection from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and some cancers.
2. Veggies — Especially Dark Green Ones
   Whether it’s the two vegetables high in viscous fiber (eggplant and okra); the cruciferous veggies (like kale and broccoli) with their anticancer organosulfur compounds; or the carotenoid family (like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach) with their rich mix of phytochemicals, the message is clear: The more the merrier! Eat as many vegetables as you can, as often as you can. Dark green veggies, in particular, showed up on all sorts of food synergy lists in my book: for vegetables high in vitamin C; foods with multiple carotenoids; foods high in potassium, calcium, and magnesium; and good sources of vitamin E.
3. Nuts
   Nuts contain mostly monounsaturated fat, and antioxidant phytochemicals (like flavonoids). Most also contribute phytosterols, which in sufficient amounts may help lower blood cholesterol, enhance the immune system, and decrease the risk of some cancers. Nuts also have some vitamins and minerals we tend to lack, like vitamin E, potassium, and magnesium. Two forms of vitamin E tend to work best together (alpha- and gamma-tocopherol), and you’ll find them in almonds, cashews, and walnuts. Walnuts also contain some plant omega-3s.
4. Tea (Especially Green Tea)
   With each sip, you get two potent flavonoids — anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin — plus a healthy dose of catechin, which may enhance the antioxidant activity of alpha-tocopherol (a form of vitamin E). Green and black teas also contain antioxidant polyphenols, thought to block cell damage that can lead to cancer. Phytochemicals in tea have a half-life of a few hours, so have a cup now and another later to get the biggest bang for your tea bag.
5. Olive Oil.
   There are 30-plus phytochemicals in olive oil, many of which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action in the body, helping to promote heart health and protect against cancer. They’re also found in the olives themselves, of course.
6. Fish
   Fish offers heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, along with a dose of potassium. It’s also a rare natural food source of vitamin D. A recent Norwegian study found that the intake of fish and fish products was strongly linked to higher mental performance in a group of men and women aged 70-74. And because lean fish had the same health benefits as fatty fish in this study, it may not be just the omega-3s at work, but perhaps a combination of components found in fish. Fish omega-3s may also have some synergy with plant omega-3s and olive oil, so cook your seafood with a little canola oil or olive oil. Or, serve your seafood with a side dish rich in plant omega-3s or lightly dressed in olive oil.
7. Tomatoes
   Tomatoes contain all four major carotenoids, which have synergy as a group. Few fruits and vegetables can say that! Tomatoes also contain three high-powered antioxidants thought to have synergy together (beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C) as well as lycopene, which has synergy with several food components.
8. Citrus
   The whole citrus family is loaded with synergy because it boasts plenty of vitamin C and the phytochemical subgroup flavones, which are thought to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action in the body, as well as other benefits. Oranges also offer two carotenoids: lutein and zeaxanthin. Grapefruits are rich in the antioxidant lycopene.
9. Flaxseed
   Ground flaxseed seems to have synergy within itself on many levels, through fiber, lignans (plant estrogens), and plant omega-3s. But the seed may have synergy with several other foods, such as fish omega-3s and soy, and these are just the ones we know about. Remember, it’s ground flaxseed you want to add to your yogurt or cereal. All those healthy components aren’t absorbed and available to the body until the seed is ground.
10. Low-Fat Dairy
    Dairy foods deliver a team of players that’s important for healthy bones (calcium, vitamin D, protein, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins A and B6), some of which have synergy together. Calcium combined with vitamin D, for example, may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Including a couple of low-fat dairy servings a day is also part of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet to lower hypertension.

So, I’m not on any specific diet plan at the moment, but I am eating a lot healthier. I’m looking at this time as my pre-dieting phase. I’m getting myself reacquainted with the taste of healthy foods, and weaning myself off the junk…at the same time, not putting a lot of pressure on myself. I know I will have to eventually go on an actual (calorie counting) diet if I am going to have any chance of losing the over 40 pounds I need to lose. But until then, I think I’m making positive changes in my eating habits, that will hopefully help me develop the willpower to stick to an actual diet in the near future.

The one thing that’s nice about trying to lose weight while blogging is - You never feel alone. Here are some links to other women who are blogging their way to a healthier lifestyle…

Roni’s Weight Watchen Page

I’m just a girl who started a weight loss blog to stay accountable during my weight watchers journey. I started the site while on maternity leave after regaining the 40lbs I lost before getting pregnant. Since starting the blog I’ve reached my goal weight and am now maintaining a 70lbs loss. I’ve lost the pregnancy weight, plus the extra 30lbs I was carrying around before baby.

Even though I set a goal to be one, I never thought I would actually make it to success story status. People now email me saying I inspire them to lose weight or to get “back on track” and that is a wonderful feeling. I sought out inspiring stories while losing weight so I understand the importance to know it is possible.

Journeying to Lose 200 Pounds

I’m a chubby chick in her 30’s who is tired of being fat and miserable. Come along and share my journey to lose 200 pounds and gain a healthier and happier me.

Growing Older, Sexier, and Skinnier

I’m I’m a postmenopausal woman who has struggled with weight my whole life. Due to a huge change in my business life, I not only have gained weight due to the natural changes of getting older, but also due to the fact that I am on my ass all day in front of the computer, instead of on my feet 10-12 hrs. a day and moving around. Now, back on WeightWatchers once again, this is a journal of the new struggle and new learning about how my body works when “that time of the month” doesn’t come to visit anymore.

Step Away From The Cupcake!

I’m 26, a future-wife, a Mommy, an aspiring baker, a Weight Watcher, a daughter, a sister… you get it, right? I’m struggling to balance weight loss with my love for baked goods and carbohydrates, working with motherhood, life and love. It’s a challenge, but I’ll happily take it.

Are you dieting or trying to eat healthy? Do you have any good tips to help a girl stay on the path? Do you blog about dieting or health eating? Do you have a great dieting success story?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan CatherineBlogs, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

Get Motivated To Stick To Your Diet With SkinnySongs

Get Motivated With SkinnySongs — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Motivation is the number one thing we all need if we are going to be successful at losing weight. But, it’s also the number one thing that tends to slip through our fingers and land us back in the cookie jar. Now, thanks to venture capitalist Heidi Roizen, staying motivated is as easy as popping a disk into our CD player. That’s because, when Heidi couldn’t find music to help her stay excited about dieting and getting back into her skinny jeans, she decided to write her own. She began to write motivational lyrics on losing weight and getting in shape…And that is when the idea for “SkinnySongs” was born.

Last week I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask Heidi a couple of questions about SkinnySongs…

1. How did you come up with the idea for SkinnySongs? What was your inspiration?

I got on the scale one morning, after a big night out, and much to my horror I had hit an all time high — at 190 pounds I was 45 pounds more than I was when I got married, and I weighed more than my husband, who is a pretty big guy! I was facing my 50th birthday a few months off, and knew I did not want to enter the ‘back 50’ feeling or looking like that. Unfortunately, I knew I would be facing a challenge ( a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, to be exact) at the first meeting I was going to. I got in my car to head to the meeting, mentally steeling myself for resisting the cookies, and the CD player came on. It was then I thought, that there must be great music to pump you up about taking care of yourself and sticking to a plan, like “I will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor got me through a few breakups, or more recently, “18 Wheeler” by Pink got me through a few tough work situations. So I went looking for it… But I couldn’t find what I wanted. I found weight loss meditation, podcasts, audio books — but what I wanted was fun, upbeat, current music, that sounds just like what I listen to on the radio — but with lyrics that would speak to me and reinforce my goals. I didn’t find it, so got inspired to do it myself!

2. How long did it take you to get from idea to realization?

I thought of the idea in May and we had the CD mastered just two weeks before the end of the year. For the first few months, I was experimenting with writing lyrics (I ended up writing over 40 songs to get to the 10 on the CD) and of course doing the most important thing, pitching the idea to the peole whose involvement was critical — the producers George Daly and David Malloy. I knew that in order for the music to work, it had to be just as good as top quality hits, or people would chose to listen to other things instead. Both George and David are longtime music industry execs, leaders in their fields, with tons of music awards, gold and platinum records, and hits to their names as both producers and songwriters. They were the ones who took my lyrics and worked with me to turn the ideas into reality.

3. Were shirts part of your original plan?

Actually, I had made up the ‘do not feed’ shirt years before this, as well as one that says ‘kick my a**’ (not in the lineup!) that I wear when I work out with a trainer. So the shirts seemed a natural extension once I got going. Just like it surprised me there is no music for this topic, it surprised me that there is so little choice for shirts to wear when exercising that reinforce the message you’re trying to stick with. All the shirts in the SkinnySongs lineup are intended to be fun reminders of what you are doing and why, and in the case of “Do Not Feed”, it usually gets a laugh from your friends, but maybe also, they won’t try to force that second piece of pie in your direction.

4. You created Skinnysongs as a motivator for your weight-loss. Have you met your goals?

It has been a great motivator for me. I have lost over thirty pounds as well as increasing my muscle mass. It took me six months to reach my goal, but I went from a size 14 to a size 8 and am back in my skinny jeans. I really do listen to the music every day, it puts me in a great mood and gives me the positive reinforcement about sticking to the plan and not letting food control my life.

5. What advice do you have for other women who are looking to begin a weight-loss plan?

I wish all you had to do was listen to SkinnySongs and you’d reach your goals, but sadly that isn’t the case! It is, of course, all about diet and exercise. For me, it was also about making a series of small but important, permanent lifestyle changes — I didn’t gain 40+ pounds because I had a bad week, and I wouldn’t have taken it off either (nor kept it off) by just ‘going on a diet.’ I committed to getting control over my emotional eating by following a schedule of eating five small meals a day, three hours apart, and not touching food in between, just because it smelled good or I was having an emotional moment. I incorporated strength training and walking into my DAILY routine, I do at least one of these things every single day. I keep myself motivated through celebrating my successes with a nice clothing item here or there, that I couldn’t have worn a year ago. And I read about other success stories as well as listen to SkinnySongs to keep the motivation up, since this is not something you do and then be done with, rather it is a part of how you live your life going forward from here on. I’m happy to say I turned 50 a few weeks ago and I look better and feel better than I did at my 40th birthday!

Heidi also has a great website for SkinnySongs. Where you can listen to samples of each of the songs, learn about the artists involved in the making of SkinnySongs, and even get some really cool shirts to workout in. There is also a clip of Heidi’s appearance on the Martha Stewart show. It’s a great site, you should really check it out.

Anyway, the music on this CD is great, and just what the motivation doctor ordered. I imagine the only thing missing, would be subliminal messages telling us that cookies taste like cardboard and dieting is fun. But, if you’re not having any fun with your current weight-loss and workout plan, or you just need more motivation to stay on track, then you might want to give SkinnySongs a try…Because, Doesn’t music always make everything a little better?

Also see posts from…

Jacki at That’s Fit

Amy at Diabetes Mine

Heather at The Well Mom

Women Political Bloggers Are Changing The Face Of Politics

Political Voices of over 375 Women Bloggers — by Catherine Morgan

When I first published this list back in October, we had links to 100 women blogging about politics. Today, the count is at 375, and still growing. Are you a woman blogging about politics? Are you on the list? If not, please leave me your link in comments, so I can add your blog. And, if you would like to be a guest blogger on The Political Voices of Women with a guest post, please join our community.

I hope you’ll take some time and check out the women on the list…and if you blog about politics, consider adding some of these women to your blogroll, or linking to them in a post.

Now, in alphabetical order - links to 375 women blogging about politics…

Click Here to go to the list at The Political Voices of Women.

What Women Need To Know About Environmental Causes of Cancer

What Women Need To Know About Environmental Causes of Cancer — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Last week the Breast Cancer Fund released it’s State of the Evidence Report for 2008. The 2008 report, provides the most comprehensive listing to-date of chemicals linked to breast cancer. It also provides a much more complex picture of breast cancer causation than traditionally accepted, one in which timing, mixtures and dose of environmental exposures interact with genes and lifestyle factors.

In conjunction with the release of this report, they also held a blogger-only telephone conference to discuss the report. The informative conference featured Janet Gray, Ph.D., and Breast Cancer Fund Executive Director Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., and for an hour they took questions from bloggers on the latest studies linking environmental exposures to breast cancer.

Findings…

While each study, chemical and exposure source alone doesn’t tell the whole story, looking at them together allows us to better understand how to prevent the disease. Learn more about major emerging themes in breast cancer causation through the links below.

• Complexity of breast cancer causation
• Timing of exposure matters
• Mixtures: Chemicals, radiation and genes

Sources of Exposure…

Learn more about where and how we come into contact with chemicals and radiation linked to increased breast cancer risk. Then learn what can be done to reduce those exposures.

• Air pollution
• Consumer exposures
• Occupational exposures
• Pesticides
• Radiation

Chemicals of Concern by Type…

The evidence is divided into three main sections, examining the scientific links to breast cancer within each category. Click on each category for an overview and list of chemical fact sheets.

• Chemical carcinogens
• Hormones and endocrine disrupting compounds
• Radiation

There is also a Moving Forward section that outlines state and federal policy recommendations…

Together with other breast cancer prevention, women’s health, environmental health and environmental justice advocates, the Breast Cancer Fund seeks to make policy changes—in states and nationally—that will mean less breast cancer for our children and grandchildren.

If you would like to listen to the one hour conference call discussing these new findings, it was made into a podcast at Ready Talk.

Here is some of what other participants in the conference are blogging about…

From Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog

According to Dr. Gray and Ms. Rizzo, two themes emerged in examining the evidence related to environmental risks and breast cancer:

• Mixtures: In real life, we are not exposed to single chemicals but chemical cocktails. There is growing evidence that supports the need to further study the interaction between chemicals, radiation, and genes.
• Timing of exposure. Scientists now know that the timing, duration, and pattern of exposure are at least as important as the dose. Mammary cells are more susceptible to the carcinogenic effects of hormones, chemicals, and radiation during early stages of development, from the prenatal period through puberty and adolescence, and on until the first full-term pregnancy.

From Frances Ellen Speaks - At Your Own Risk

A good place to start would be to throw away those plastic containers you use for warming up foods in the microwave. Switch to glass containers. It’s a proven fact that toxic chemicals contained in plastic leach into food during the warming process.

And if you’ve been using plastic baby bottles–STOP.

Following is a small section of the report regarding plastics.

The three plastics that have been shown to leach toxic chemicals when heated, worn or put under pressure are polycarbonate (leaches bisphenol A), polystyrene (leaches styrene) and PVC (leaches phthalates).

Bisphenol A is used in the linings of cans, baby bottles, sports water bottles and dental sealants. The evidence about bisphenol A and its many effects on human health is convincing and growing. Studies funded by the chemical industry say it’s harmless; non-industry studies show it’s a powerful hormone-disruptor linked to breast cancer.

From The Breast Cancer Fund Blog

Equipped with this strong foundation of science, together we have much work to do. This release is really a beginning, not an end. We’ll keep you posted on the reach and impact of State of the Evidence 2008.

Also See:

Nina’s Interview with Dr. Susan Love…

When Olivia’s “Cruise for Our Cause” heads to the Caribbean on March 30, 2008 it will be the first cruise experience dedicated to breast cancer, women’s health awareness and research funding. So it’s timely that we catch up with Dr. Susan Love, President and Medical Director of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. Her name and life work is synonymous with the breast cancer advocacy movement and it’s an absolute honor to have her participate in our money talk.

And, my previous post on environmental causes of breast cancer.

Bloggers: Take A Minute To Tell BlogHer About Your Blogging

Blogging? Take This Quick Survey For Bloggers.

If you are a blogger or reader of blogs, please take a minute to fill out this BlogHer survey. In appreciation you will be entered into a drawing where you could win a FREE PASS to any BlogHer event you like.

Top Three Tips For Eating Healthy

Top Three Tips For Eating Healthy — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Qvisory)

I am a firm believer that the number one thing any of us can do to promote good health…Is to eat a healthy, well balanced diet. Regardless of your weight (even if you are thin or at an ideal weight), it’s important that we all try to eat healthy. Unfortunately, that is sometimes the hardest thing for many of us to do.

It can be overwhelming for someone with “questionable” eating habits to make the changes necessary for good health. But, it’s also the best thing you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and chronic illness. So, what can we do? Well, I recommend you take it slow, and not put too much pressure on yourself.

Don’t decide today to make radical changes in your eating habits. If you do that you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, let’s look at what I believe are the top three changes you can make that won’t be hard for you to stick to. Once you have conquered these three things, you will become empowered to continue taking a step at a time toward healthier eating habits and a healthier life. So, let’s give it a try.

#1 Increase your water intake. It’s amazing how easy it is to get busy with our work day, and totally forget that we haven’t had a glass of water all day. More than likely, even if you drink water, you are not drinking enough. Here is a great Hydration Calculator from About.com, that can help you pinpoint just how much water you should be drinking.

Hydration Challenge: If you already drink enough water, then take healthy hydration to it’s next level. Stop drinking soda (even diet soda is bad for you). I know that may sound radical to many people who are soda junkies, but aside from drinking pure fructose syrup, soda is just about the worse thing you can drink. Sorry about that. So, if you only drink soda occasionally, stop cold turkey right now. If you drink several cans of soda a day, then start cutting back gradually.

#2 Cut back on cookies, candy, and ice-cream. We need sugar for good health, but not the kind of sugar that is in these yummy dessert treats. And this type of sugar really is addicting…the more you eat it, the more you want it. Even if your preferred dessert has no fat, it is still fattening, and that is because unused sugar in our bodies turns to fat. I know it’s a bummer, but it’s true.

So, how do we cut back on desserts when they are soooo yummy? Try starting a list (nothing fancy), and write down what and when you eat one of these sugar filled treats. Now go back to your list…Is there any way you could consider replacing one of those items with a healthier sweet treat? Make one change at a time, with your goal being, to eventually change to healthy sweets altogether.

High Fructose Challenge: If you already turn your nose up to cookies, and candy (good for you), now take it to the next level. Make a conscious effort to monitor your intake of sugar and high fructose syrup, by always checking labels. You would be surprised how much of this stuff is sneaking into our diets. For example, you may think eating canned or jarred fruit is good for you, but many (for reasons I can not understand, considering fruit is naturally sweet), add tons of sugar and fructose. Always check and try to get only fruit without added sugar. Other items that seem healthy but you should check the ingredients before you buy are…cereal, yogurt, and all packaged treats that claim to be low in fat and/or calories.

#3 Cut back on high fat snacks and fast food. Use the same method I have mentioned above for sugar, and do the same thing with your high fat intake. Figure out what you are eating, and then gradually make changes. Just noticing what areas you could make changes in, will make it easier for you to find ways to eliminate or reduce the amount of fatty foods you ingest.

High Fat Challenge: If you already eat very little high fat junk foods, then try taking it to the next level. As with sugar, fat is sneaking into foods in greater numbers than you may realize. Try to make it a habit to check labels and compare. Make choices that have zero trans-fat (as this is the fat that is the worst for you), and lower in fat.

So, there you have it. Don’t be overwhelmed. Just make a commitment to yourself that you will be aware of what you are putting into your body, and gradually make changes. Once you have been successful with one change make another, and so on, and so on. Before you know it, you will be eating healthy. As you make these changes, you will also begin to notice that you feel better and have more energy, making it easier for you to continue replacing unhealthy foods for healthy ones.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about.

BlogHer Health & Wellness Blog Roundup

BlogHer Health & Wellness Blog Roundup — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Tonight I am surfing the BlogHer Health and Wellness Blogroll. So many great blogs, I wish I could tell you about every one…But you could always do a little surfing yourself.

So, in no particular order, here are eleven blogs that are new to me.

Delicious Wisdom…

Delicious Wisdom was created by a person who wants to help you get processed food out of your diet. And,because it brings about such good things, keep it out of her own.

About Nicole…

Nicole deVries, HHC is a natural foods chef, non-practicing artist and certified Holistic Health Counselor. After eating this way–with the more than occasional cookie or Waffle House break–for over a decade, she’s figured out how to turn basically any unhealthy, pr