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10.30.2010

Ever hear of Listeria?

You can get very sick from some ready-to-eat foods if you wait too long to eat them. The sickness is called Listeriosis. A germ called Listeria causes it. It's unusual because it can grow at refrigerator temperatures where most other food borne bacteria do not. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it. Only heat can kill it, but if heated food cools, listeria may grow again.

You should avoid some foods and take special care with others to prevent listeriosis

Who’s at risk?
• Pregnant women and their unborn babies
• Older adults
• People with cancer, AIDS, and other diseases that weaken the immune systems.

How can I reduce my risk?
• Keep your fridge set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit/4 degrees Celsius or colder.
• Use precooked and ready-to-eat foods as soon as you can.

Danger: Avoid These Foods
All pregnant women and others at risk should not eat certain foods.
• Don’t eat soft cheeses:
– Mexican-style soft cheeses including: queso blanco, queso fresco, queso de hoja, queso de crema and asadero
– feta, brie, Camembert, blue cheese, and Roquefort
– cheeses made from raw milk.
You don’t have to cut all cheeses from your diet. Cheese can be a good source of protein, vitamins, and calcium when you are pregnant.

• These cheeses are safe to eat:
hard cheeses (such as cheddar and Swiss); semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheeses such as slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.

• Don’t eat refrigerated smoked seafoodright from the package:
- like salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, or mackerel. They might be called “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky.” It is safe to eat smoked seafood if it is cooked in its dish, like a casserole.
- Canned seafood is safe. Examples are canned salmon or tuna in a pouch.

• Don’t eat refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads. Canned meat spreads and pâtés are safe.

• Don’t eat raw (unpasteurized) milk or foods that contain raw milk.

Be careful with these foods:

• Ready-to-eat foods: Hot dogs, cold cuts, lunchmeats, deli counter meats, and other ready-to-eat foods. Eat these foods only if they’re reheated until steaming hot. Even cured meats such as salami must be heated.
• Meats and seafood: Cook these all the way through. Stay away from rare meat and seafood.
• Leftovers: Reheat all until steaming hot.
• Fruits and vegetables: Listeria can grow on some fruits and vegetables. Do not buy sliced melon. Wash all fruits and vegetables with water. Scrub hard produce such as cucumbers and melons with a clean produce brush.

How can I keep my kitchen safe?
• When you buy pre-cooked or ready-to-eat foods that go in the fridge, use them as soon as you can.
• Clean your fridge often.
• Make sure that the refrigerator always stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit/4 degrees Celsius or colder. Use a refrigerator thermometer.
• Read labels. Follow instructions on foods that must be kept in the fridge or have a “use by” date.
• Wash your hands with warm soapy water after you touch raw foods. Wash any knives or other tools you used with hot, soapy water before you use them again.

You can get sick from two to 30 days after you eat food. Pregnant women can start early labor if the infection spreads to the unborn baby. Tell your doctor right away if you get any of these symptoms:
• fever and chills
• headache
• upset stomach
• throwing up

Check out www.fda.gov/food for more information.
Read full history - Ever hear of Listeria?

First year, food and baby.


Before the baby, I seriously thought that they (all babies) drink milk up until they are two or three.  Call me ignorant but didn't really think that after their 1st birthday, feeding time would be a heck of a lot different.  Nonetheless, I got it together and figured out a few things when it comes to my baby and nutrition.  I wanted to make sure my son was being fed the right way and that's why I did some research.  In a nutshell, I've figured out that calcium can come from a number of other sources besides milk.  For example tofu, kidney beans, broccoli, whole wheeat bread, canned salmon, sweet potatoes and fortified orange juice are all excellent sources of calcium.  Another vitamin, Iron can come from dried beans, winter squash, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, egg yolk, meat, poultry, and grains (farina and cereals).


Today, he still drinks from a bottle at 13 months.  I've tried the sippy cup and the regular cup but he's very picky about having his bottle.


Here is an example of a day's worth 
of eating for a 1 year old.

  For breakfast I prepare 4oz of milk, a quarter cup of farina and half a banana.  The banana is the messiest part of breakfast time because I let him do it alone.  

At snack time, he gets another 4oz of milk, a boiled egg and a few graham crackers.  

Lunch comes complete with another 4oz of milk, half of a cheese sandwich, a quarter cup of peas and a half of a peach. 

Afternoon snack is usually a 4oz cup of juice, and half a cup of dried cereal.  

Dinner time is definitely chow time with another 4oz of milk, a chicken leg, a quarter cup of rice, a quarter cup of carrots, and a cup of ice cream to top it all off.


Read full history - First year, food and baby.

10.27.2010

Qondio Review

Content is Power.

Qondio is a site where you can add your own "intel" something similar to a squidoo lens, however, with Qondio you can earn backlinks to your website or blog.   

As you know, these links are what help give a site some importance, especially when they are of high quality.  

This has worked for me and it is unfortunate that I ran into a blog, by some guy names James Colin, which calls Qondio a "low-level scam".  I hate to even link to his post but here it is for those of you looking to read his gossip http://blog-money-wiki.com/blog/2010/10/qondio-is-a-low-level-scam.php.   And what is ironic is that when you comment on his blog, it has to wait for moderation from Mr. Colin.  Low-level, huh?  What's low level, the fact that they are only charging $5?  Mr. Colin, when the web world wakes up people like you who blog about sites gaining traffic in order to gain some yourself (SEO) give the real SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION PROFESSIONALS a bad rap!  


Wouldn't it be ironic of James Colin is actually a member and is only discouraging others from Qondio so he can reap the benefits of his marketing agenda.  James, keep it real - you blog to make money from people who ran into your blog as a result of your SEO tweaking- not because you are an authority and I can see that you definately do not blog to give real advice and tips from experience.  You're something like the News - making your blog seem important when in reality, it's far from all that and a bag of chips. 

Add content, gain back links & meet intersting people.. 

======================================================================
Hey Mr. James Colin why don't you and anyone else who needs to learn more about online karma, SEO, and online marketing take a minute to visit the Free Industry resource center .   Browse the selection of 600+ complimentary Industry magazines, white papers, webinars, podcasts, and more available to professionals such as yourself.   Don't worry, no credit cards, coupons, or promo codes required.
Read full history - Qondio Review

10.26.2010

Pregnancy and Medicine

I have come to realize that, for the most part, you still can use many medicines when you are pregnant or nursing.  In my opinion, it's best to avoid anything that isn't natural.  That's just my opinion!  In my experience, due to a wisdom tooth growing the wrong way, I used tylenol for almost a month as a pain killer, with the o.k. from my doctor.  Then, during the 7th month of my pregnancy, I was referred for oral surgery to have it removed so that I would have no more pain and thus, no need for tylenol. So the main idea to remember is talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about keeping you and your baby safe but here is some advice.

Know the facts
• If you’re not pregnant yet, you can
help your chances for having a
healthy baby by planning ahead.
You can make choices about
which medicines to use before you
get pregnant. Always talk to your
doctor, nurse, or pharmacist first!
It’s very important that you keep
getting treatment for any health
problems.
• Your heart and kidneys work
harder when you are pregnant.
This makes some medicines pass
through your body faster than
usual. Your doctor might need to
give you a higher dose of your
medicines or make you take them
more often.
• Some drugs can harm your baby
during different stages of your
pregnancy. At these times, your
doctor might tell you to stop
taking your regular medicine until
it is safe to go back on it. Your
doctor may put you on a different
medicine that is safer for your
baby.

Read the label and ask questions
• The law says that all drug labels
must list the risks for women
who are pregnant or trying to get
pregnant.
• Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist
can help you choose the
medicines that are right for you.



Don’t take:
Aspirin
• Don’t take aspirin during the last
three months of your pregnancy,
unless your doctor tells you to.
Aspirin can cause problems for
your baby or cause problems
when you are in labor.
Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)
• Like aspirin, it may cause
problems during the last three
months of pregnancy and when
you are in labor.
Products like herbs, minerals,
amino acids
• No one is sure if these are safe for
pregnant women, so it’s best not
to use them. Even some “natural”
products may not be good for
women who are pregnant or
nursing.

 Vitamins
Women who are pregnant should
not take regular vitamins. They
can contain doses that are too
high.
• Ask about special vitamins for
pregnant women that can help
keep you and your baby healthy.

To report a problem Contact the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:
Website: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/
Phone: 1-888-463-6332

These websites can tell you more about the risks of certain drugs before, during, and after pregnancy:
FDA Pregnancy Registries
http://www.fda.gov/womens/registries/default.htm
The Safe Motherhood Initiative
http://www.safemotherhood.org
Read full history - Pregnancy and Medicine

10.15.2010

Fall is here..



Its autumn! What a huge difference in temperature from the heat wave of a summer we experienced this year. As for me, I like the heat, so I kinda miss it. The cold that the fall and winter bring, give me dry skin (so I use Johnson's Body Care, Deep Hydrating Extra Dry Skin Lotion), not to mention a pale complexion and a really good reason to stay home.


Anyway, fall! There's plenty of that going on in my world now-a-days and plenty of demands to add to the stress associated with the falling. Now that the baby is a toddler, he loves walking about. In fact, his personality is really beginning to shine. He's a smart and tough kid. It takes him one to two shots at learning a lesson on his own. I've watched as he flung a toy around, hit himself with it and learn- 'ok, that hurt. I shouldn't do that'. Just the other day, I left him playing in his room while I went to use the bathroom. Of course, as our luck would have it, he bumped his head and was screaming. I ran to him & I asked what happened while I searched for a red spot, bump, or something. He was screaming but I didn't see any marks on his face, arms, legs, back, or head. So I set him down and the moment I did that, he stopped crying. Completely! Classic example of how they weren't playing when they said, "children do not come with manuals."


He is very confident & he knows what he wants. If he doesn't want to be in the 5 In 1 Convertible Crib, or hi-chair, I'll know. If he doesn't want me to lock the gate in his room, I'll know about that too. If he wants to touch something, he will go for it. If I say no, he will try it anyway - over and over and over again. When he's full, he'll push the spoon, bottle or food on his tray to the side and shake his head. His way of saying, no more mom. Well, sheesh, you're only 12 months buddy. Take it easy! But I really love how when I say, "come here and kiss me" and he does. So for every tantrum that he throws or mess that he makes, just knowing I created him and also being with him day in and out (which although can be quite overwhelming at times) makes not having a manual, meaningful.


I belong to that group of moms that are dedicated to being with their child, out of necessity. I sometimes wish I had the luxury of family nearby, who could pick him up, spend time with him and also give me some time to either rest or peacefully complete chores. When I find myself wishing for that, I take a look at how I'm doing and end up patting myself on the back for a job well done so far! I don't go out with the girls, or my hunny for drinks but I sing, dance, cook, clean and devote my undivided attention to them.
Read full history - Fall is here..

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Read about the natural ways you can take care of your body. From massage to yoga there are non-pharmaceutical ways of taking care of yourself. Thanks for stopping by!