Simply Moms Articles

By: Jennifer Gove

How do I find out if my child has lead exposure?
You can not simply look at someone and tell they have lead exposure, though over time there would be symptoms. If you think you or your child has been exposed to lead you must have a blood test performed by your doctor right away. This test would show if there are elevated levels of lead in the blood. Your doctor could then recommend treatment.

Could my home have lead in it?
Lead-based paint was banned in 1960. How ever older homes could contain old paint layers that contain lead. Peeling and chipping paint would pose a hazard if it contains lead. The best way to find out if your older home contains lead is to test for it with a simple test. You can purchase these at most hardware stores or even online.

Where else is lead commonly found?
Before 1980, lead was commonly used in many products because of its low cost and physical properties. You would commonly find it in gasoline, paints, ceramics, pipes, batteries and even some cosmetics, as well as many other products! Since then, federal and state regulatory standards have helped to minimize, and almost eliminate, the use of this very dangerous substance.

How do I know if my children’s toys are safe?
Many Americans are in a state of panic over their children’s toys. With so many recalls one begins to wonder if many of the things our children are playing with are safe.

The first step to keeping your child safe from lead or any other potential dangers linked to toys, is to stay informed. You can stay up-to-date with current recalls at www.recalls.gov. Some parents have found organizations that will test toys for lead. Or, you can purchase home testing kits. However, the effectiveness of these tests is questionable. Many parents have even gone as far as to stop purchasing toys made in China all together

By: Kristi (pirnq)

So we all know that we’re supposed to be eating more fruits and vegetables. The new USDA food pyramid only reinforces that. But how can you get more fruits and veggies into your diet without feeling like a rabbit all the time? Try some of these suggestions to get healthy fruits and veggies back in your diet:

Tips and Tricks
Buy 100% juice. Read the labels! Many juices only contain 10-30% actual juice. You’ll get more out of every serving and often avoid the refined sugars if you drink a pure juice. Also start substituting juice for your coffee, tea and cola servings.
Making dinner? Add frozen peas, carrots, broccoli, corn, or any other veggie to the recipe. It won’t take away from the flavor or the texture to add just a bit of green! This works really well with meat and pasta dishes.
Instead of potato chips, eat dried fruit or try trail mix (with dried fruit in it), carrots, celery, snap peas, cauliflower, or broccoli.
Use chunky salsa instead of ranch dressing to dip those veggies into
Keep your healthy stuff in plain view. Hide the unhealthy stuff in those fridge drawers and keep fruits and vegetables on the shelf in the fridge or even out on the table. You’ll be more likely to eat a healthy snack if that’s the one you see!
If you’re making canned soup, add some frozen veggies when you’re heating it up. They’ll barely notice and neither will you!
Spend a couple of bucks for some resealing zip-top bags and subdivide your fruits and veggies that aren’t hand held. Zucchini, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrot sticks, and celery sticks can be pre-chopped and put in these bags for easy grabbing on the go. Dried fruits and grapes are also much easier to take along when they’re already washed and portioned out for eating.
Add fruit to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles, or pancakes at breakfast.
Make a smoothie for a snack. Blend any of the following with milk and orange juice for a quick, healthy snack: oranges, bananas, strawberries, fruit yogurt, apples, melon, pineapple, or any fruit. And you can keep frozen fruit on hand to make a thick cool treat out of your smoothies!
Try peaches or pears canned in light syrup for dessert. Add to milk or cottage cheese to make a snack of these any time. Most fruits will make an excellent dessert by themselves because of their sweetness.
Make your own pizzas at home. You can make designs and smiley faces with precut veggies with the kids. Bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, pineapples, and mushrooms make great toppings.
If you’re eating out, try the salad bar. The darker the color of the greens, the better. And add all your vegetables before going back for things like bacon, eggs, cheese, or croutons. You’ll fill up on healthier items and have less room on the plate for the higher fat items.
Keep dried fruits next to the computer or in your desk drawer. You may be more likely to snack on something healthy if it’s there.
Now you don’t have to try all of these ideas at once, but just trying a few will help you add more of those healthy fruits and veggies into your diet. And although the new USDA food pyramid recommends 1-2 cups of fruit a day and 1.5-2.5 cups of veggies a day, (see http://www.mypyramid.gov to find out what the USDA considers a serving of a specific food), you can easily slip them into your diet so you won’t even notice how healthy you’re being. And you may even notice that your empty calorie snacking declines because you’ve filled up on the healthy stuff.

With just a little thought and preparation, you can make those veggies more convenient for you and your family, whether on the go, or at home. Bon appetit!

By: Jennifer Gove

If I were to ask a roomful of moms “Would you feed your child 17 teaspoons of sugar?” You can bet almost every mom would answer “NO!” But if we instead asked them “Would you let your child drink a 20 ounce soda?” They might just say this is ok. What many of us do not realize is that drinking that 20 ounce soda is the same as eating those 17 teaspoons of sugar. This also equals out to 250 empty calories. So what are the effects of soda on children?

Over the years the consumption of soda drank by children has doubled that means children are getting far more sugar and calories then need and obesity is on the rise. It would take nearly 4 hours and 30 minutes of biking to burn of the calories of drinking one soda a day per week and many children are consuming far more then that one a day. So yes, soda contributes to obesity in children.

Has your child’s trip to the dentist been less then fun lately? Soda could be the culprit behind the cavities. The acids in pop break down the enamel on teeth .Not to mention the fact bathing the teeth in sugars for a long period of time is a huge factor in tooth decay. A better idea for children is flavored sugarless water.

Ever heard the saying sticks and stones will break my bones but, names will never hurt me? Well soda sure can! Children who drink more soda often drink less milk. In these young years children need the calcium to build strong bones. Soda contains Phosphoric Acid this interferes with the bodies’ ability to absorb bone building calcium. So what little milk that children are drinking is not getting used fully by their body leaving then with weaker then average bones that are more susceptible to breaks and fractures.

Caffeine is another factor in soda. If junior is bouncing off the walls it is not just the sugar to blame but the caffeine the average soda contains about 50 mg of caffeine. That is like serving a child half a cup of your morning coffee. Caffeine can cause jitteriness, increase in heart rate, sleeplessness, head ache, mood swings, upset stomach, concentration issues, and rise of blood pressure. Caffeine is a diuretic. Soda that contains caffeine may contribute to dehydration making these drinks a poor choice in hot weather.

The best choice for thirst is always water first!

By: Lesley Spencer

Many Americans these days are finding themselves out of shape and overweight. Why is that? The bottom line is we are taking in more calories than we are burning. It takes a conscious effort to reduce calories, eat healthier and get regular exercise.

Exercise does not have to be a dreaded word either. The good news is that exercise gives you more energy, stress relief, better health, clearer focus, sharper mind, better sleep, better bone health, better sex life, and it decreases the risk of cancers, heart attacks and heart problems. Forget the benefits of just looking good and realize exercise not only makes you feel good, it can help you live a longer, healthier life.

Here are some tips to get you on your way to a healthier lifestyle:
– Put your workout clothes on first thing in the morning. You’ll feel more “obligated” to exercise once you are dressed in your workout clothes.

– Use music to energize and motivate you to exercise. Get a few great CDs that energize you. Turn it up and jam out! The music will motivate you and help the time pass by more quickly!

– Always keep a water bottle and a healthy snack with you. When you get hungry, go for the healthy snack instead of heading to the pantry. Try to keep your water bottle full so that you can drink plenty of water throughout the day.

– Follow the two-bite rule. If there’s something you absolutely must have, take two bites and be done! You’ll get your fix and be proud of your will power to put it down!

– No time for exercise? Make a goal to walk for 30 minutes at least three times a week. You’ll find if you make it a priority, you can fit it in. Try going right after breakfast or after taking your kids to school.

– Need to be motivated to exercise? Find one or two workout partners to motivate one another. If you don’t have anyone near by, find a virtual workout buddy on the http://www.HBWM.com Self-Care message boards. Share successes, motivate one another and just enjoy doing something for yourself!

– Keep a diary of what you eat for a few days. Calculate your intake and decide where you should cut back.(You can find nutritional charts on the Mom’s Assistant section of http://www.HBWM.com.)

– If you have cravings for something sweet, try eating something tart to curb the craving such as a pickle. If you crave crunchy salty snacks, try having an apple instead.

Take the leap. Commit to exercising a few days a week and before you know it, the benefits will be their own motivator! You will feel better, look better and be better.

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Lesley Spencer is founder and president of the HBWM.com, Inc. Network which includes: http://www.HomeBasedWorkingMoms.com , http://www.WorkAtHomeKit.com , http://www.edirectoryofhomebasedcareers.com , http:/www.momsworkathomesite.com , http://www.HBWMconferences.com , http://www.HBWMcanada.com and http://www.HireMyMom.com (coming soon!). She has a Master’s Degree in Public Relations and has been featured in numerous media outlets including CBS News, Forbes, Business Week, Parents, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. She has been working from home for over 10 years and has two children ages 10 and 8 whom she absolutely adores!

This article is reprinted with permission from www.WritingCareer.com