Stop. Breathe ~

Life moves at a rapid pace, so much so that people can forget to eat. Who does that? Most days, I find myself feeling like a ping pong ball running from one meeting to the next trying to fit everything in. At 6:00pm I cannot begin to recall what I did at 8:00am, other than I know it involved drinking a cup of coffee to flip the switch in my brain to the "ON" position.  Upon arriving home the demands don't stop as my youngest (19mos) demands mommy time, my pre-teen daughter hugs me and needs my ear to discuss what happened at school, and my teenage son requires a daily hug just to know I am home. My husband, well, he has needs too as we fight to find time to chat in between toddler chatter and brother-sister banter.  Breathe. . . . . . .

Technology is supposed to make things simpler. Easier. More efficient.  In many respects they do, however, they give us a false sense that we can now do MORE with the same amount of time we had before technology. I may be able to do more, but I feel exhausted. My batteries drained. Yet feel a void, or sense of loss as though I am still missing out. Breathe . . . . . . .

My toddler quickly runs over and wedges himself between me and the counter as I stand at the sink washing dishes and his sippy cups, demanding my attention chattering "Up! Up! Up!" As I pick him up and stare into his big blue eyes, the smile on his face and his adoring dimples redirect my focus. He gently lays his head on my shoulder and I stop. Breathe. And remember that the void, the sense of loss I felt earlier, is gone. Breathe ~ ~ ~

Advanced Breast Cancer in Young American Women: On the Rise?

In the past 30 years, there has been a small but significant increase in the incidence of advanced breast cancer in American women 25 to 39 years of age, according to a study published in the February 27 issue of JAMA.

During the same period, there was no increase in advanced disease in older women, according to the researchers, led by Rebecca H. Johnson, MD, from the Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington.

In the young women, the incidence of breast cancer with distant involvement at diagnosis increased from 1.53 per 100,000 women in 1976 to 2.90 per 100,000 women in 2009. This is an absolute difference of 1.37 per 100,000, and is an average compounded increase of 2.07% per year (P < .001) over a 34-year interval.

For more information on this story, click here Advanced Cancer in Young American Women - Continue

By Nick Mulcahy

Feb 26, 2013
MedScape Medical News

Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children

AHA Scientific Position:  The American Heart Association has dietary recommendations for infants, children and adolescents to promote cardiovascular health:

Start in Infancy:

• Breast-feeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for about the first 4–6 months after birth. Try to maintain breast-feeding for 12 months. Transition to other sources of nutrients should begin at about 4–6 months of age to ensure sufficient micro nutrients in the diet.
• Delay introducing 100 percent juice until at least 6 months of age and limit to no more than 4–6 oz/day. Juice should only be fed from a cup.
• Don't overfeed infants and young children — they can usually self-regulate the amount of calories they need each day. Children shouldn't be forced to finish meals if they aren't hungry as they often vary caloric intake from meal to meal.
• Introduce healthy foods and keep offering them if they're initially refused. Don't introduce foods without overall nutritional value simply to provide calories.

The American Heart Association recommends this eating pattern for families:

• Energy (calories) should be adequate to support growth and development and to reach or maintain desirable body weight.
• Eat foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
• Keep total fat intake between 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years of age and between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
• Choose a variety of foods to get enough carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients.
• Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build. Be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
• Serve whole-grain/high-fiber breads and cereals rather than refined grain products. Look for “whole grain” as the first ingredient on the food label and make at least half your grain servings whole grain. Recommended grain intake ranges from 2 oz./day for a one-year-old to 7 oz./day for a 14–18-year-old boy.
• Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables daily, while limiting juice intake. Each meal should contain at least 1 fruit or vegetable. Children’s recommended fruit intake ranges from 1 cup/day, between ages 1 and 3, to 2 cups for a 14–18-year-old boy. Recommended vegetable intake ranges from ¾ cup a day at age one to 3 cups for a 14–18-year-old boy.
• Introduce and regularly serve fish as an entree. Avoid commercially fried fish.
• Serve fat-free and low-fat dairy foods. From ages 1–8, children need 2 cups of milk or its equivalent each day. Children ages 9–18 need 3 cups.
• Don’t overfeed. Estimated calories needed by children range from 900/day for a 1-year-old to 1,800 for a 14–18-year-old girl and 2,200 for a 14–18-year-old boy.

This eating pattern supports a child's normal growth and development. It provides enough total energy and meets or exceeds the recommended daily allowances for all nutrients for children and adolescents, including iron and calcium.

More on this story, go to: Dietary Recommendations - Continued

Driving the Market for Healthy Kids Snacks

According to a USDA survey of nearly 10,000 children, twice as many kids today eat snack foods than did 20 years ago. For children younger than nine, nearly half of their recommended caloric intake comes in the form of snacks – while according to the CDC the rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled since 1980.

Thanks to strong educational efforts by First Lady Michelle Obama, the Center for Disease Control and numerous non-profit organizations, parents today are taking this threat seriously, intent to do better and committed to providing their children with healthier snacking options. When examining their buying habits, it’s clear that they want snacking options that are delicious, nutritionally balanced, travel well and appeal to children.

For more on this story go to:  Healthy Kids Snacks - continued

Attitude = Success

In these challenging times, your success will depend on the attitude you choose daily and how you decide to embrace change. The success you experience in you life and career will depend on the choices you make every day. You don't get to vote on how you are perceived. How others see you is their reality no matter what you might have intended. Although we judge ourselves by our intentions, we often misjudge others by our own perceptions of their behaviors. How others respond to you as a team member, employee or friend will depend entirely on their experience of you.

Strategies to help you demonstrate the kind of personal leadership that will serve you in your life and career include:

• Take ownership of others' perceptions of you
• Don't stretch yourself too thin
• Keep your eye on the road
• Manage your reputation by choosing a positive disposition
• Show that you care
• Become a champion of others
• Adopt and attitude of service
• Find meaning in what you do every day

I know I have a long way to go, but I am sold on the power of teamwork and human kindness to help me forge ahead.

Blessings ~