START EXERCISNG, BUT I’M PREGNANT!

Turns out it might be a good idea to start working out even if you were sedentary before! We have all heard by now that it’s great to be exercising and to continue that routine through your pregnancy. Yet for many moms with other children or busy careers, they haven’t been exercising. Now add being pregnant and you may have thought that was the ultimate excuse, but excuses are over, you can start exercising. Of course start small, but taking some walks during pregnancy is recommended for your health during and after pregnancy.

Here are some further recommendations from Prevention: Active moms-to-be don't just feel better during pregnancy; they are more likely to lose weight post baby and reduce their lifetime obesity risk, says Raul Artal, MD, lead author of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' exercise guidelines. ACOG advises all pregnant women to:

Go easy.
If you're a beginner, start with as little as 5 minutes of brisk walking a day and build up to 30 minutes on most days.

Be moderate.
Keep an energetic pace that allows you to talk.

Stick to low impact.
Walk, swim, or take low-impact aerobics classes. Avoid anything that might cause a fall.

Stay hydrated.
Sip water at intervals and don't get overheated.

Watch for warning signs.
Stop immediately if you experience chest pain, vaginal bleeding, dizziness, headache, amniotic fluid leakage, cramping, muscle weakness, or contractions.

Read about this further in Prevention.com
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-1-93-178-6370-1,00.html?

ACNE MAY BE LINKED TO THE FOODS YOU EAT

Acne may result from the very diet that feeds it, suggests a new study that flies in the face of three decades worth of conventional thinking on the cause of facial blemishes. And this time, it's not just isolated items such as chocolate or pizza being implicated. It's the entire typical western diet, a gamut of highly refined starchy and sugary foods that not only includes those "junk" foods but also the very breads, cereals, and carbohydrates that are the cornerstone of the USDA Food Pyramid.
READ MORE in the section of NOW YOU KNOW by Dr. Nicole Dahl.

FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Having a piece of fruit or a serving of vegetables every 2 to 3 hours will maximize your body’s disease fighting ability. This is because of phytonutrients, health promoting disease preventing substances need to be replenished in your system often to keep up their high potency. Therefore it is suggested to have about 7 to 10 servings a day of fruits and veggies for your child’s immune fighting health… as well mom and dad you may even notice you will loose a pound or two doing this!

Prevention, Quick and Healthy Eating, Dec 27 2005 The Ultimate Diet
www.prevention.com

NEW YEAR GOALS

Well, it’s that time of the year again, where we think over how we lived in the past and how we would like to change the way we live in the future. When it comes to your goals we recommend that you start small, sometimes having too large of goals becomes overwhelming then consequently hard to accomplish. With your children, start introducing a new variety of foods, perhaps some new breads that are gentler on their stomachs, such as a kamut or spelt bread. Have them snack on some pumpkin seeds, raisins and sunflower seeds. Add variety in their diet, an easy and healthy goal for the new year!