Teens Need to be Wary of Whooping Cough
by Lela Davidson on February 9, 2009
in Uncategorized
So apparently we’re all doing a very good job making sure babies don’t get Pertussis, or Whooping Cough, but the disease is rising among teens. Whoppng Cough outbreaks in adolescents have been on the rise since 1990.
The early stages of Whooping Cough are often mistaken for a cold, but the illness is highly contagious and can cause prolonged sickness in teens. Long term effects include difficulty breathing and prolonged absences from school.
To make sure your teenager is protected, they need to be up to date on the DTP (Disphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis) shot. That’s where the breakdown seems to be. According to pediatrician and immunology specialist Dr. Joseph Domachowske at SUNY Upstate Medical University:
“We’re doing a better job protecting our babies than our teens. About 85
percent of infants receive their primary DTaP series before they are 3, but less
than a third of teens 13 to 17 got their recommended booster.”
And the worst of it? Sick teens can infect babies who are still too young to be immunized. Yes, folks, they really need it. Immunity doesn’t last forever.
You can find out more at http://pertussis.com/.
Jonesin’ For Candy Corn Crack
by Lela Davidson on October 17, 2008
in Uncategorized
I learned about candy corn crack last year and I’ve never been happier. The ingredients are simple – candy corn, M&Ms, and salty roasted peanuts. That’s it. Mix them up in equal parts in then sit down and indulge. The trick is you need to pick up one candy corn, one M&M, and one peanut in each bite. It’s wicked addictive. It makes the perfect appetizer and the ideal dessert. I may pair it with rice in a casserole one day. I just can’t stop eating this stuff!
Follow the True Life Adventures of FitMom
by Lela Davidson on September 4, 2008
in Uncategorized
How I forgot to mention my new gig as a Prevention Buzz Blogger is beyond me. But better late than never right? If you want to know how I keep my girlish figure, trick the family into eating healthy foods, and maintain the energy it takes to be witty and entertaining nearly all the time, tune in.
Here are the posts I’ve written so far:
Caffeine-Free Recipe For Success
Fortify Your Immune System With a Daily Salad
Fuel Up With a Scrambled Egg Sandwich
3 Secrets to Saving Your Manicure
3 Top Tips For Mastering Make-Up
Begin Your Day With a Deep Breath
Make the Easiest BBQ Sandwiches on Earth
Question Your Doctors, Follow Your Instincts
Are You Inhibited, or Just Not That Into It?
Pass My Blankie – It’s Time to Power Nap
3 Essentials for Battling the Post-Vacay Bulge
by Lela Davidson on July 30, 2008
in Uncategorized
If you’re suffering from the thickening of the middle caused by a) cocktails and salty snacks while on vacation, and b) lack of motivation to work out when you got home because of that mountain of laundry… do not despair. I have shared my favorite tips for getting back on the fitness wagon here.
Click here to read Post Vacation Damage Control: Three Essentials for Getting Back on Track
In other news… I am now a big MySpace and Facebook geek!
Won’t you be my friend?
Wellsphere Offers Wellternatives to a Fat Ass
by Lela Davidson on May 12, 2008
in Uncategorized
Some of you know I’m a moderator for the Wellsphere Healthy Eating communities. They have recently launched Wellternatives – a new free service that recommends healthy alternatives for your favorite dishes at hundreds of thousands of chain restaurants. It’s designed so that people can use their cell phone to receive suggested ‘Wellternatives’ along with calorie and nutrition information for free. It’s quick, fun and easy to use, and works from any cell phone! I’m so low tech, I’m not quite up to this, which is why I like the option of accessing Wellternatives from the website, along with complete menu listings and ratings. I know off the top of my head that a Starbucks double tall nonfat latte is 2 Weight Watchers points, but now I can look up anything!
You know you need it! Oh wait – is that just me?
What Do You Call Your Vagina?
by Lela Davidson on April 2, 2008
in Uncategorized
Book Review: The Natural Superwoman
by Lela Davidson on February 11, 2008
in Uncategorized
The most interesting thing they had to say about eating was that our cave-person brains (love cave-people theories) were wired so that whenever food was in front of us, we ate as much as possible because we never knew where the next meal would come from. In our modern lives we’re still working with those outdated brains. This makes sense to me. It’s why I can’t stop at just a few tortilla chips. Who knows when another nacho truck will salsa down the street.
The meat of the book is really its explanation of bioidentical hormones and how these are NOT bad for you and in fact very good and we all should be hounding our doctors to get smart on our options. All the information presented was very confusing and I’d be happy if my doctor would just read up herself and then tell me what to do. But those are not the times we live in. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a very good doctor, you are likely to have to do some medical research yourself. This book is a great starting point for discussions with your doctor.
The thing I liked best was the authors’ attitude that women truly know their own bodies. They make a point that we can all strive to live ideally – that anything less than ideal is something that can be tweaked to get you to a better state.
Also interesting to moms is the discussion about early onset puberty in girls. According to the authors, it’s not only the homone happy milk (because milk cows are kept perpetually pregnant), but also environmental pollutants and soy products that are sending our girls into puberty at younger and younger ages. All that, plus the chips we can’t stop eating – body fat tells the body to start menstruating.
Guess what else is happening? We’re going into menopause earlier than we used to. A girl can’t win. But then, this is what the book is all about, supplementing with diet and hormones. At one point the authors suggest you could get so familiar with your testosterone levels that if you had a big event coming up that you needed to be extra assertive for, you could supplement your testosterone for the day. That sounds like a lot of work to me, but I’m kind of lazy. I may change my tune when I’m facing menopause, which according to this book could be any day now – and I’m only 38.
There’s something for men in the book too. Near the end they recommend breast massage to stimulate the lymph. I know you can get help with that. Enjoy.
Calculate Your Happy Weight
by Lela Davidson on January 25, 2008
in Uncategorized
Self magazine had an article this month about attaining your happy weight. Although you may beat yourself up about not looking just right, the happy weight is supposed to be where we feel reasonably good and can maintain it fairly easily. They even had a cool calculator. I tried it out and for me, it was pretty accurate. I’d like to be a little less than my result, but I feel okay there and it’s easy to maintain (once I’m there…). Try it and let me know what you think.
1. Multiply your height in inches by itself.
2. Multiply #1 by .031.
3. Multiply #2 by .95 if you’re small framed, 1.05 if large framed.
4. Add 1 pound if a parent or sibling is obese.
5. Add 2 pounds for every decade you are over age 20.
6. Add 5 pounds if you’ve had any children.
7. Subtract 1 pound if you exercise once a week, 2 for 3 times, 3 for five or more.
8. Add 4 pounds if you used to smoke a lot and have quit.
9. Add 1 pound if you allow yourself a treat now and then.
PS – New fave: sprayable Caesar salad dressing!
Get Well, Get Wellsphere
by Lela Davidson on January 8, 2008
in Uncategorized
It’s January. Time for more yoga, more time on the elliptical, more vegetable soup, more water, less sugar, less fat, less cheese. Anyone else in the same boat?
I moderate the Healthy Eating community at Wellsphere. It’s turning out to be a great interactive, social networking site – think MySpace meets Self magazine. I get good ideas from real people about healthy living. Check it out and if you would like to join, you can either send me your email and I’ll invite you, or you can sign up right on the home page.
Beware of Hotel Drinking Glasses
by Lela Davidson on December 13, 2007
in Uncategorized
Photo: Ben Cummins, Flickr
