Simple Tips for a Healthy Season

The season's have definitely been changing. Fall has set in with it's chillier mornings, cool winds and rain showers. But, it's not just fall and the upcoming winter season that we're all experiencing. We've also moved into cold and flu season.

Whether you're one that believes in the value of a flu shot this year or not, getting sick when you're pregnant is no fun. Not only do you feel miserable, you're limited as to what medications you can take and your baby could be at risk, too.

To help you stay healthy this season, here are some simple tips that you can put into practice right away.

1. Wash your hands! Frequent hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of germs. Pick up a travel size container of hand sanitizer to keep in your purse, diaper bag, or in the car, too. In the event that soap and water isn't available, you'll still be able to keep germ free!

2. Quit touching your face! You'd really be surprised how many times you touch your face each day. Since viruses have to enter your system through your mouth or nose, touching your face is an easy way to accidentally introduce them to your system. Unless you're eating or bathing, try to stick with a hands-off approach throughout the day.

3. Gargle with salt water. This is a simple and inexpensive yet very powerful preventive method. Viruses typically take a couple days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling twice a day can prevent this.

4. Cleanse your sinuses daily. This is the same concept as the gargling tip above but needs only to be done once a day. You can use a simple saline spray found at most drugstores or use a neti pot. If the thought of water up your nose is something you can't bear, simply blow your nose hard once a day and follow it up by swabbing both nostrils with a cotton swab dipped in warm salt water.

5. Get plenty of vitamin C. During fall and winter, it's easy to fall short of adequate vitamin C levels. Pick up some oranges or grapefruit at the store to boost your daily intake. Check with your doctor/pharmacist to determine if taking a vitamin C supplement is right for you, too. They come in a variety of forms from tablets to powders that can easily be added to tea or water.

6. Drink plenty of warm liquids. Just as gargling prevents proliferation of viruses in your throat, so does drinking warm liquids such as tea, coffee, broth, etc. The warm liquids wash proliferating viruses away and into the stomach where they cannot survive or do harm. Plus, it's a good excuse to take a few minutes for yourself while you sip away!

7. Get some sleep! Sleep is so critical to our health but an area that we often overlook. Be sure you're getting plenty so that your body is well rested and healthy.

8. Eat a healthy diet. We're all busy but steer clear of processed foods that provide little to no nutritional value. Keep healthy snacks such as dried fruits and whole grain crackers nearby and be sure to eat plenty of veggies, too.

9. Hydrate! Just because it's not 90 degrees outside doesn't mean that you don't have to keep properly hydrated. Continue to keep that water bottle close at hand.

The One Flaw in Women

Once again, I'm passing along an email that I recently received. This one comes from my dear friend Debbie. Debbie is an amazing (and I do mean A-MA-ZING) mom of two beautiful boys, one of whom is my youngest son's best friend. Nearly a year ago, though, Debbie and her family moved back to California from Washington. I miss her terribly (good girlfriends are hard to find) and my son, of course, misses his buddy.

Anyway, Debbie sent me this email today and I find it to be 100% true. Read it to the end. It's a great reminder.


Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.


I can't tell you how true this is. We, as women and mothers, are generally first to point out the extreme worth in others but often find ourselves questioning our own. If you're one of those women today, chin up, sister! We all have days when the fatigue gets us down; when the heaviness of a burden (or that growing belly!) just wipes us out. When that happens, I encourage you to breathe. Sounds silly, but do it. Close your eyes and just breathe. Quiet yourself, look inward, and know that you are more precious than any commodity on this earth.

Full of Life

Just heard about yet another great new book for pregnant moms! "Full of Life: Mom-To-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant" is an easy to read, pre-conception to post partum book by Nancy O'Dell. Yes, that's the same Nancy O'Dell that is a co-anchor on Access Hollywood!

Nancy says she wrote the book because of all the things she learned during her pregnacy that weren't in any of the books she already had. She wanted to spread the word about all this new found information to moms everywhere. She says, "There were just so many things that came as a complete surprise to me that I wish someone had given me a heads up about." O'Dell holds very little back, too, even including her experience with a miscarriage.

Available on April 14th, "Full of Life" will give you a variety of tips from the importance of taking a prenatal vitamin before you conceive to preregistering at the hospital where you'll be delivering. So, if you're planning for a family in the near future or if you're already well on your way, pick up a copy of "Full of Life" next week!

Is There Life After Children?

After baby makes three (or more!), what happens to your marriage? It's one of those things that is rarely, if ever, addressed in books regarding pregnancy and how babies change your life. Still, it's a very real issue that many men and women face every day.

I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper: Loving Your Marriage After the Baby Carriage is an honest,humorous look at and the joys and obstacles of being married with children. Authors Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile will make you laugh and, maybe more importantly, make you realize that you're not alone when you wish you could just find time for a shower sometime this week.

Let's face it, we have a lot of expectations about life after babies and, truthfully, they're not all completely realistic. We'd love to be Martha Stewart and have the perfect looking home, make our holiday cards by hand, and cultivate our own organic gardens; but, when you're really dealing with spit up, sore breasts and piles of laundry, it's easy to wonder how you ever got to that place in life.

Ashworth and Nobile let us know that it's all perfectly normal, though. Modern parenthood doesn't have to mean the absence of marital bliss. In fact, with the guidance this book offers, you may just find your life really is perfect just the way it is!