Health Advice for Women

I am fortunate to be able to work at home, set my own hours, and design my workspace to completely fit my ergonomic needs. One of the most important pieces of “furniture” in my office is my balance ball that I use exclusively as my office chair. Sitting on a ball for 8 hours a day has helped strengthen my core, alleviate back pain and muscle tension, and has given me the opportunity to stretch and do exercises in small intervals throughout the workday. If you are experiencing back pain or are frequently feeling stiff and uncomfortable in your office chair, sitting on a ball, even for part of the day will help you feel better and stronger. Also, the added fitness benefit is great for toning your rear end, stomach and core.

I use the “Total Body BalanceBall” by Gaiam.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease that usually strikes in childhood or as a young adult. (Although diagnosis can occur at any age). The body essentially turns on itself and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. Unlike type II diabetes, there no way to reverse type I diabetes once it has been diagnosed and there is no cure. The only way a type I diabetic can survive is through insulin therapy. It is very important, especially in children to diagnose this diabetes as early as possible. If you are a parent, grandparent, or educator of children, knowing the symptoms is key to early diagnosis and could save a child’s life.

Symptoms of High Blood Sugar (hyperglycemia)

* Extreme Thirst

* Frequent Urination

* Bed wetting (previously controlled)

* Weight Loss

* Irritability (change in personality or behavior, cries easily, unusually uncooperative)

* Tires easily (Gives up activities previously engaged in eagerly)

Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar (hypoglycemia)

* Hunger and irritability

* Incoherent and spacey

* Unusual behavior and slurred speech

* Inattentive, drowsy, headache

* Glassy eyes, dilated pupils

* Shaky, clammy, perspiring

The book, “Understanding Diabetes”, by H. Peter Chase, MD is the most comprehensive and easiest to understand book about diabetes, for the whole family. It appeals to children and is a complete guide for parents. This is a must have book if you or someone you love as type I Diabetes.

Understanding Diabetes

The book “Growing Up With Diabetes: What Children Want Their Parents to Know”, by Alicia McAuliffe, is a great reference for dealing with social issues, independence, frustrations and staying positive as an individual.

Growing Up With Diabetes

Other valuable resources:

Children’s Diabetes Foundation

The Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes

There is no cure for asthma but after years of trial and error, I finally came up with a solution that worked miracles for me.

After suffering from asthma for most of my life, and switching from one medicine to another, I decided to research the root cause of my asthma. Instead of constantly treating my asthma, I looked for ways to prevent it in the first place. Some of the obvious things I changed in my life included removing wall-to-wall carpeting in my home and replacing it with hardwood floors, living pet free after my aging dogs passed away, and keeping my bedroom as clean as possible.

The most profound results came when I started changing my diet. After reading about the possible benefits of removing dairy from the diet, I decided to try giving up milk. Having been a very hearty milk drinker for years, this was a huge change and one that did not come easily. I decided to give up milk for a month just to see if I felt better. The change was almost immediate. My allergies and asthma all but disappeared within the first month after I gave up milk. I also cut out yogurt and cut back on ice cream. I now substitute plain soy milk for cow milk and eat soy ice cream in place of regular ice cream. I couldn’t give up cheese completely, but so far, continuing to eat cheese has not adversely affected my progress at eliminating my asthma.

Another change of note included eliminating processed foods, fast food and basically anything with ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce! Whole foods, fresh foods and natural foods make up the bulk of my diet now. After five years on a milk free and mostly chemical free diet, I now breeze through the seasons with only mild seasonal symptoms. I am completely off asthma drugs and only take allergy medicine in the spring and summer as needed.

I love living free of asthma drugs and feel much better now that I don’t have to pump myself with medicine just to get through my day. I keep an inhaler handy just in case I have symptoms, which is rare these days. If you or your child suffers from asthma and allergies, here are a few things you can try to see if diet is a trigger for your symptoms.

Good luck and good health!

Must read books:
Fed Up With Asthma by Sue Dengate

Natural Relief for Your Child’s Asthma: A Guide to Controlling Symptoms & Reducing Your Child’s Dependence on Drugs

Strong Woman Eat Well by Miriam E Nelson, Ph.D.