savvy health
Yummy Mummy Club
Beauty Rescue: The Eyes Have It
Are the bags under your eyes bigger than the purse you carry? Are your dark circles heading into Rocky Horror Picture Show territory?
The tissues around our eyes are a highly responsive area of our faces–all our woes, illnesses, and sins show up there.
On YMC I posted a two-part series recently, on a very pesky health/beauty problem: under-eye bags, and their nasty little bedfellow, under-eye shadows. In each article, I break down the common causes for each problem and–more importantly–what you can do.
I hope you find them useful!
For more skin & beauty posts, read these next:
The Surprising Reason Why Your Kid May Have Trouble Sleeping
It’s rare for me to meet a parent who is unfamiliar with bedtime battles. This age-old struggle is crazy making, to be sure.
I have known a lot of trying situations in my life, but very little compares to the relentless frustration of trying to wrestle my toddler into bed, night after night.
Can you relate?
So, what if I told you there was something that may actually be at the root of all that irritating sleep trouble for your little one? Something simple, and something that can be corrected. Would you think it sounded too good to be true?
Well, if you’re curious, click over to Yummy Mummy Club and read the post I recently wrote about this. Because this one is not just me, conveying medical information. This is me, describing what was happening in my own family, and how I fixed it. It may not be the answer for you…but on the other hand, it just may be.
The Flu Shot Debate: Should You Get Yours?
There’s no shortage of opinions on the flu shot out there. Some of them rather loudly voiced. And many of them entirely conflicting. Which, for most of us, can lead to a whole lot of confusion.
On my Yummy Mummy Club blog, I took a deep breath and waded into the debate. If you’re undecided about the flu shot, or have questions you’d like cleared up, head over there and read my article on the myths & facts of the flu shot.
Should You Go Gluten-Free?
I’ve been thinking about doing a post about gluten for a long time. Because it’s HUGE. There’s so much hype, so much mis-information, and more than a smidge of controversy when it comes to gluten.
You might have noticed gluten-free *everything* these days. (Even gluten-free cosmetics? Um, what?)
So when my lovely editor at YMC said she was collecting gluten-related posts for a feature, I decided the time was right to throw in my two cents.
In Is Gluten Bad For You? I break it all down: what gluten is, how it can harm you, who should avoid it, and why. If you’re curious or confused about all the fuss over gluten, head over there and check it out.
How To Face The Fear Of Cancer
I have written about cancer in the past (how to prevent it, what foods help fight it, new research into prevention…), and I’ve certainly touched on the fear of cancer in previous posts (and TV appearances!). But today, on Yummy Mummy Club, my post is all about the fear of cancer. That’s because the fear of cancer is HUGE. A recent study showed that 70% of us fear cancer–and that’s over and above all other (suitably fear-inducing) illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
So in the face of something so terrifying, where do you start? How do you begin to conquer a fear of cancer?
Well, I have some thoughts. Head on over to my YMC post, Facing A Fear Of Cancer, to see what I’ve got to say.
Stress Relief, STAT
Yesterday I wrote a post called Stress Relief For Moms in 60 Seconds Flat. The rationale: moms typically have stupid amounts of stress. But also: no time. Sure, it would be great to decompress on a regular basis with standing appointments at the spa, daily trips to the yoga studio, etcetera. But who has the time for that? (Not to mention the money.)
So it’s my mission to bring quick stress relief to moms (and anyone else, for that matter, who’s got stress and a time crunch. Or stress because of a time crunch, even.)
I’ve written about this topic before, but stress management is evergreen. We’re always going to need tricks and strategies. If you’re with me, head on over to Yummy Mummy Club to read about one of the quickest and easiest ways you can defuse all that tension.
Red Wine: Drink To Your Health?
You might have heard this: red wine is good for your health. But is it true? And what does it do for you, exactly?
I’ve talked about wine before, on this blog, but I had the feeling a more comprehensive roundup of wine’s health benefits was warranted. Are you a wine lover? Curious about the specifics of the much-extolled goodness of wine? Over on Yummy Mummy Club, I break it down for you. Click here to read the whole article.
You might want to have a corkscrew handy.
Cheers!
10 Common Causes of Fatigue
Feeling “tired all the time” is a modern-day plague. It’s rare that I meet someone who doesn’t describe this feeling. Seriously.
So what’s up with that? Well, I have some thoughts. And on my Yummy Mummy Club blog I’ve broken down 10 über-common reasons for that feeling of fatigue.
You can read all about them, here, and see if one (or more) is the culprit for you. (If you can stay awake long enough, that is…)
The 2nd Talk
So, all you ladies out there in your 40s…feeling tired or crabby? Period doing wacky things? Have you wondered if it might be (gasp!) the onset of menopause?
Likely, you have an inkling there’s change on the horizon, maybe not right away, but someday…
But what do you really know about perimenopause? Has anybody ever talked to you about it? You know, the way somebody probably sat down and had The Puberty Talk with you?
If you appreciated that 1st talk, I think maybe it’s time to consider the concept of ”The 2nd Talk”.
Yesterday on Yummy Mummy Club I wrote a post about this. If you’ve got questions about the maelstrom that will eventually hit your body…you can read all about it, here.
The Health Benefits of Writing
First, an announcement: I recently started a new blog…over at kimfosterwrites.com. And the main reason for that: I have a book deal!
*pops champagne*
For a long time I’ve been a closet novelist. I’m talking years of scribbling away and inhabiting the imaginary worlds of my brain. At long last, just this past July, my agent landed me a 3-book deal with Kensington Books in New York, and my first novel is due out in May 2013.
But this all leads me to my topic today, which is: the health benefits of writing.
It’s a niche research topic, to be sure, but studies have shown that creative and expressive writing can be a therapeutic exercise. Writing helps reduce anxiety, provides an emotional outlet, and can guide people through traumatic life events such as bereavement and coping with serious illness.
But there’s more to writing than stress reduction and emotional support. Turns out there’s physiologic benefit too.
Here’s what some of the research has shown. Regular writing can:
- sharpen your memory
- improve your sleep
- boost immune cell activity
- speed healing after surgery
- improve well-being (mental and physical) in cancer patients
Studies have shown benefit from all manner of writing styles: expressive writing, journalling, formal writing therapy, poetry, and even blogging (which is, in its purest sense, a form of expressive writing).
One of my fave bloggers (and my editor at Yummy Mummy Club, as it happens…), the super-clever Ali Martell, calls her blog Cheaper Than Therapy. And she is oh-so-right.
The therapeutic value of writing is certainly something writers have long known. I know I’m not the only writer who reports feeling a tad grouchy if I don’t get my regular writing time. And, as long as you don’t go all Hemingway and drink yourself into a self-destructive spiral, there is health benefit to be had. (Also, as long as you stand up and walk away from the computer from time to time, yes?)
So how about you? Do you write? Is it therapeutic for you? Are you a healthier, happier person for it?
