January 2014 VOL. 9 - ISSUE 1
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January 2014 1
A Note from the editor
2 January 2014
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Cynthia M. Ellis Can you believe it’s 2014? I’m always amazed at how quickly a year passes as you get older. I think about all the things I planned to do and didn’t and the things I did and thoroughly enjoyed. This past year I was lucky enough to see my son on three occasions and that’s a big feat as he nears graduation from the Military Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif. I’ll be visiting him next month and it will likely be a long time before I see him again. Of course, that’s the life of Marine mom or any military family member, for that matter. Spending time with family for me is always enjoyable. I also make time for my friends. One of my friends and I started I guess what we call a “foodie” night. Every other week on a Friday night we pick a restaurant, usually in St. Louis (we visit local spots for lunch or nights out during the week) that’s been featured on Food Network shows “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” and “Restaurant Impossible.” The reason we began going is that we were always talking about “wouldn’t it be nice if someone took me”…well, we got tired of that and decided we could take ourselves. We have a lot of fun, catch up on what’s been going on and just enjoy whatever establishment we choose to dine. So far one of our faves is The Shaved Duck. The reason I bring up foodie night is that I was always giving a reason why I wasn’t going and then it struck me. Be positive and change it. It’s that simple. If you want to do something, go ahead and do it. Remember: it’s a New Year, which is the start of a new you. Make changes, challenge yourself to something new. It doesn’t have to be something that sets you up for disappointment if you can’t achieve the goal, but rather something simple like trying new restaurants, reading more books or starting a new hobby. One of my goals this year is to find more time to paint. I’m not great at it, but I enjoy it and it relaxes me. I hope you all make a resolution that you find challenging, yet relaxing, rather than a chore that’s overwhelming. Happy New Year!
flaire
flaire: A natural talent or aptitude; a knack; instinctive discernment; keeness; distinctive elegance or style
F L A I R E I S A SU P P L E M E N T TO T H E T E L EG R A P H
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E
C O N T R I B U TO R S
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GENERAL MANAGER
COVER STORY
New year ideal time
to focus on life changes
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Cynthia M. Ellis cynmell@hotmail.com
Chicken Enchiladas
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
8 Style Sense White for Winter
Divine Design
Dragons & Sea Serpents & Unicorns, Oh My!
13
EDITOR/SENIOR WRITER
January Recipe
Reeta’s Creamy
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Kent A. Kilpatrick
Corey Stulce Vicki Bennington Lynne and Eddie Agha Christine Seo, M.D.
Q&A with June Lockhart
Freshman Fashion
Winter Wear 21 Dr. Christine Seo Keep it moving
ON THE COVER
10 Freshman Fashion
A new year, a new you
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NEW YEAR IDEAL TIME TO FOCUS ON LIFE CHANGES
4 January 2014
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CYNTHIA M. ELLIS It’s a New Year so why not focus on a new you — the woman you want to become and the goals needed to achieve it. Setting goals allows you to choose how you want to move through life. Some achievements can take a lifetime to attain, while others can be completed in the course of a day. Setting and meeting goals leads to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. Getting started can sometimes seem daunting, for example, losing weight or taking on a new project. However, it doesn’t need to be stressful at all. Think about the “big picture.” Ask yourself important questions about what you want for your life. The answers to this question can be as general as “I want to be happy,” or “I want to help people,” or “I want to be fit.” Break the “big picture” down into smaller and more specific goals. Consider areas of your life that you either want to change or that you feel you would like to develop with time. Begin asking yourself questions about what you’d like to achieve in each area and how you would like to approach it. The areas most people look to to change are with their careers, setting financial goals and physical appearance. Other areas people may focus include starting a family,
romance and education. In terms of your career, you may ask yourself about your ideal job and what you want. What steps do you need to take to get that job? What are the roadblocks? Do you need a specific degree or certificate? With financial goals, you may be looking to pay down your debt or save for your future. When considering setting these goals, think about how much money you will need for monthly expenses and how much you can out toward paying off debt or toward investments. Also think about if you’re looking to purchase a new car, a house or start a retirement plan and what you should do to get started. When making physical changes, such as losing weight, consider why you want to make them. Do you want to lose a few pounds or change your overall health and lifestyle? Think about whether there are specific physical challenges you want to meet and start slow. If you want to lose a few pounds, then you might cut back on calories and exercise more. If it’s a major overhaul, join a gym or hire a trainer to get into an exercise routine that will help you achieve results. Remember small steps and non-rigorous forms of exercise, such as yoga and meditation, can be helpful in helping you focus. When it comes to family, do you want to have children, and if so,
when? Do you want to have biological children, or are you open to adoption or having stepchildren? Whatever your path, make sure you realize that being a parent is about sharing and giving of yourself. If romance has been on the back burner for awhile, now’s the time to think about the type of relationship you want and what you may need to do to find someone. Do you want something long-term that leads to marriage or short-term and fun. What characteristics are you looking for in a mate? Where do you plan to start your search — through friends, family or online? If you’re considering going back to school to further your education, what is it you would like to pursue? Is it to further your career or change paths altogether? Check out area colleges as well as online courses that may be available for the field you’re looking to get into. Whatever goals you decide to set, be SMART about it. The acronym is actually a way to effectively set goals Specific. When setting goals, they should answer the highly specific questions of who, what, where, when and why. Instead of the general goal, “I want to get into shape,” try for a specific goal, “I want to run my first half-marathon this year.” Measurable. In order for to track your progress, goals should be quantifiable. “I’m going to walk more” is far more difficult to track
and measure than “Every day I’m going to walk four blocks.” Attainable. It is important to evaluate your situation honestly and recognize which goals are realistic, and which are a little far-fetched. Instead of, “I am going to be Mother Teresa,” (while admirable) it might be more realistic to say, “I am going to volunteer one day a week at an area homeless or animal shelter.” Relevant. Is this goal relevant to your life and to the “big picture” questions you have already asked yourself? Some good questions to ask yourself when figuring this out are: does it seem worthwhile? Is now the right time for this? Does this match my needs? Time-related. Setting a “due date” to meet goals not only keeps you on track, but it prevents pesky daily roadblocks from getting in the way. Instead of saying “I’m going to get my college degree”, you might consider saying, “I’m going to get my bachelors in science in four years.” Remember to set priorities for whatever change you decide to make in your life. Also make incremental goals small so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and keep track of your progress. Don’t forget to reward yourself accordingly when you’ve reached a goal. Celebrate your accomplishments.
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glasses in the kitchen should be stored next to the refrigerator. You’ll be most likely to stay organized when convenience dictates the designated storage spaces in your home or office. * Use one kind of storage container. Having uniform hangers, folders, bins, and boxes eliminates the visual noise. You’ll feel calmer when you can view your possessions without focusing on a mess of mismatched containers. * Put things back where they belong. Whether you’re talking about toys or tumblers, return them to their rightful place when you’re finished using them. It takes a few minutes a day to stay organized; eliminating clutter build up is the key. * Use a simple filing system. Even in this digital age, there is still plenty of paper traveling about. If you find yourself inundated with paper clutter, a simple filing system will ease the mess. Make sure to keep your filing process as easy as possible. You will be less likely to adhere to a complicated system. * Create a landing zone. Dailyuse items such as keys, cell phones and wallets are easily lost. Set a basket or a tray near your doorway for an easy location to drop these items when you come in the door. That way, when you need them again, you’ll know where to find them. Brother(TM) has been helping people and companies stay organized for decades and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the P-touch(R) label maker. To learn more about the special anniversary promotions and how P-touch(R) can help make you more organized, visit www. brother.com.
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(BPT) — If you run a small business or you manage your family’s household, you know that time is a precious commodity, one that you never seem to have enough of. And despite your best efforts, you can’t create time. So how do you save it and make yourself more efficient? Organization is the key. To help people achieve this goal, professional organizer and author Barbara Reich has partnered with Brother International Corporation, creator of the P-touch(R) label maker, to help families and small businesses get organized and regain their sought-after lost time. Reich offers these tips to help you organize your home or business: * Start small. If your home or office is completely disorganized, don’t try to accomplish everything at once. Start with a single project or location and work forward, building on your successes. * Group similar things together. It’s the only way you’ll know how much of something you have and when you’ll need more. Having multiple storage locations is a recipe for frustration and breeds a chaotic environment. * Once you’ve purged your possessions and streamlined the storage space, use an electronic label maker, like a Brother(TM) P-touch(R), to label the shelves, drawers, boxes, and bins; it’s a great way to maintain the organization you’re worked so hard to create. * Store things where you use them. If you charge your phone by your bed, then that’s where the charger belongs. The printer paper and ink refills should be stored next to the printer and the
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Reeta’s Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
With the dream of a restaurant always in the back of her mind, Reeta McCauley grew up excelling in all things domestic. “I’ve always been super crafty and always loved to cook and sew,” she said. Her mother and two older
sisters began to teach her to cook when she was so small she had to stand on a chair to reach the stove. “Before that, I used my Easy Bake Oven and made all kinds of things,” she said, laughing. Beginning with sweets
like fudge, cakes and sugar cookies, she moved on to pot roasts and beef stew, and cooked for friends whenever she had a chance. In high school, she made her own clothes, and later her own wedding dress and floral pieces, and she and her mom
Her chicken enchilada recipe has been a constant favorite in her family for years, and customers respond in the same way.
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made the tiered wedding cake. Married in 2002, her husband, Jeremy, was in construction and Reeta worked in the mortgage business. When they were both laid off in 2011, they seized the opportunity to open Reeta Marie’s Country Store in Brighton. “People said we were crazy for opening in such a small town, but it’s worked well for us,” Reeta said. And once everyone got a taste of her food, the business grew. A few months later, they received a phone call in the middle of the night, informing them that the building had burned to the ground after being struck by lightning. Determined not to let nature squash their dreams, the couple rebuilt, reopening earlier
this year, complete with a bakery and gift shop full of handmade items crafted by Reeta and other talented artists. The two run the business while raising three young boys, and Reeta said it’s a perfect fit for their family. At home, Reeta cooked hot dinners every night at home, and she often took meals to work for Jeremy and his co-workers. Dishes like taco casserole, chicken and noodles, fried pork chops, savory soups and homemade pizzas – good home cooking and comfort food that were always a hit and have carried into the restaurant. “We started the menu with our own favorites, and those that our friends and family requested,” Reeta said. Some of Reeta Marie’s specialties are spinach and artichoke dip, mini-
coconut pies, and she is known for her unique chicken salad. Some of her personal favorites are strawberry salad, apple pecan salad, and lemon poppy seed dressing. Her chicken enchilada recipe has been a constant favorite in her family for years, and customers respond in the same way. “I used to make it every Sunday for Jeremy, and it’s one of the kids’ first picks,” Reeta said. One of her strictest rules is that everything in the restaurant is homemade. Her pie crusts, frostings, cookie dough, dressings — basically everything. Reeta continues to do all the baking; and Jeremy and his dad help with the cooking, using her tried and true recipes.
REETA’S CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
— VICKI BENNINGTON
4 chicken breasts 1/4 c. real butter 1/2 c. onion 2 tsp. coriander seed 1 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 2 c. sour cream 1/4 c. and 2 tbsp. flour 2 cans chicken broth 3 tbsp. chopped jalapeño or to taste 3 to 4 c. shredded Monterey jack cheese 8 to 10 flour tortillas Chopped tomatoes, black olives and green onion for garnish Boil chicken breasts. While chicken is cooking, sauté onion and butter with spices in pan. Combine sour cream and flour in bowl. When onions are soft, mix in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour in broth and jalapeños. Stir and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add half of cheese. Set aside. Shred chicken in bowl. Pour in half of sauce and fill tortillas with mixture. Put in nine- by 13-inch pan. Top with remainder of sauce and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for additional five minutes. Remove from oven. Top with chopped tomatoes, black olives and green onions.
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8 January 2014
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The “rules” of fashion dictate that we hide away our white clothes each Labor Day until the following May. Well, not anymore — as the saying “rules are made to be broken” and this winter why not put together some looks that are just “white.”
White, winter white, ivory and cream bring a rich lightness to cold weather attire. Theses colors look lovely paired with black, gray, camel and chocolate browns. They also go well mixed with shaves of burgundy, emerald, sapphire and teal.
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JUNE LOCKHART by COREY STULCE
June: Yes, these launches are just extraordinary. They’re emotional, patriotic and sentimental. It’s like a spiritual event. It packs such a physical wallop. The whole body trembles with the jets and thrusters. It really is remarkable. I was home one night, and the phone rang, and a voice said, ‘Hello, June. This is Bill McArthur. I’m calling you from space.’ Oh, my God! I got out my notepad to make some sensible questions so it wasn’t, ‘Duh, Lockhart’s interactions with NASA’s Bill, what’s it like up there in space?’ He astronauts go back several decades, and was on the International Space Station. she has been a part of 19 launches. Her We talked for 28 minutes, as long as they passion was found in space, it could be said. were able to pick up the signal. It was really quite remarkable. Corey Stulce: Was ‘Lost in Space’ Subsequently he called again. After the catalyst for your interest in that, I got the idea to send him a film, real-life space exploration? ‘A Christmas Carol,’ which is a film my mother and father and I were in. We also June Lockhart: No, I had always been sent ‘Meet Me in St. Louis,’ which I also very interested in it. Doing ‘Lost in Space’ appear in. Then I sent him a big poster of was the grand extension of my consuming me in my spacesuit from ‘Lost in Space.’ On enthusiasm for space. My first face-to-face the second phone call, he asked if I would touch with astronauts was Jan. 1, 1970, go to JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and I was calling the Rose Bowl parade. and have a videoconference with them. I I was able to interview Charles Conrad, asked if he got the picture I sent. He went Dick Gordon and Alan Bean. They had just floating casually up and down and turned returned from Apollo 12 in November 1969, and looked over his shoulder, and he had which landed on the moon. They did two put this poster up on the wall inside the moonwalks lasting 7 1/2 hours. International Space Station. He said, ‘You are the first pin-up in space.’ Corey: There are so few people who can talk about what that Corey: After finding out about the space exploration experience is award from NASA, how did you like, and it was so fresh in their prepare yourself? Can you talk a minds at that time. little about what the experience was like? June: Yes, going forward to 1979, there was another flight going up. They play June: We went to JPL because the govmusic when the shuttle is up there as wake- ernment was shut down at the time. The up calls every morning. Years ago, my father awards were given initially in Washington. wrote a song called ‘The World is Waiting for I said I’ll be there. They said, ‘No, we are the Sunrise.’ I thought that would be a great going to bring it to you.’ That’s really lovely. wake-up tune for the boys. I went to JPL, and Dr. Charles Elachi gave Astronaut Ken Reightler, with the ground me the award. There were many other group, said it’s particularly appropriate awards presented that day for extraordibecause there was a new sunrise in space nary technical engineering achievements. I every hour and a half. He gave me the date, noticed many of them were given to young and I was there, in mission control in the people. It was marvelous to be among viewing room. And I listened to the music these educated, intelligent people. It’s fun. fill the sky as they were awakened. A little while later, this voice came back from Corey: What did you wear to the above, ‘Some of us want to know what event? Lassie’s mother is doing in mission control at two o’clock in the morning.’ June: I wore a black, velvet jacket, black slacks, a red blouse with a ruffled collar, and Corey: I would imagine, over the the gold medal shines nicely against the rufyears, you had a lot of opportuni- fle. They gave me a huge plaque to go with it ties to imagine what it would be and a little one for my lapel and another litlike to be up there. tle one I can pin on my jacket, should I wish June Lockhart celebrated 80 years as a professional entertainer last month. Accolades and awards and iconic roles on TV shows such as “Lassie” and “Lost in Space” are all fine and dandy, but it’s the recognition the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) recently bestowed on her — the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal — that means the most to the beloved actor.
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10 January 2014
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which is on Me-TV every Saturday night. ‘This show made people make career choices?’ I’m astonished. (Laughs.)
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Corey: You mentioned one of my absolute favorites, ‘Meet Me in St. Louis.’
June: Doesn’t that show hold up? That was such a lovely part I had. It’s very seldom in any play or movie that a new character is introduced in what is the fourth act. She comes in and solves everybody’s problems and takes care of business. The movie goes to the end. They put the lights on, and the World’s Fair starts. It’s quite remarkable. Larry James and Dr. Charles Elachi present June Lockhart with NASA’s Exceptional Public Achievement Medal at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
to do that. I am carrying the medal around. I’m showing it to strangers on elevators if they’re interested. I’m so proud of it.
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Corey: I would imagine you had the opportunity to talk to your heroes over the years, but some of them probably get a little star-struck meeting you.
June: Most of them say that watching ‘Lost in Space’ as little boys made them know what they wanted to do when they grew up. Isn’t that amazing? I’m watching the show now,
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Corey: I think the reason that movie holds up so well is it was so perfectly cast.
June: Yes, and the color, the lighting, the sets, the wardrobe. Everything is exquisite. Vincente Minnelli, of course, was such a fine artist. At the end, when we did the scene of the St. Louis fairgrounds, and all the lights went on, we shot that on a huge stage at MGM. Of course, there’s another tie-in with my background. This was the first big fair of any sort that Thomas Edison had lit. It was 1904. Thomas Edison had introduced my parents. How’s that for something to put in your article? They had done a play for him. Mother
joined the company in ’23. They married in ’24. I was born in ’25. Thomas Edison was a very savvy man about how to promote his new invention. Every year, he would send out the Edison dealer’s convention caravan; it was a train, and he would display his new inventions. They would take the company of actors, singers from the Metropolitan. There were musicians. They would go to Chicago, to St. Louis, across the United States and up the coast to California. In this case, they went all the way up to Canada, and when they got to Lake Louise, Daddy made his move to ask Mommy to marry him. I never met anybody else who could say that.
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Corey: That’s a great story. What has it been like for you as an iconic TV mom over the years?
June: It’s really kind of neat. Every once in a while a part will come along in which I’m a proper bitch or a drunk or something, and they’re great fun to do. I’ve always considered myself a character actress even when I was playing ingénue roles. It was sort of my secret. ‘They think I’m an ingénue or a young, leading lady, but I’m a character actress. Hee hee.’ I’m sure I got this from my parents, who were both character actors. I knew that being a character actor was something really quite wonderful and longer-lasting than being an ingénue, who does three or four films, and they’re never heard from again.
June Lockhart interviews astronauts Charles Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean for CBS during the Rose Bowl Parade coverage, Jan. 1, 1970.
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June Lockhart, left, stars as Lucille Ballard in “Meet Me in St. Louis,” with costars, from left, Henry H. Daniels, Jr., Harry Davenport and Judy Garland.
Dragons & Sea Serpents & Unicorns
OH MY!
LYNNE & EDDIE AGHA Agha Designs Jewelray Studio
We tend to identify with animals. Some of us are “dog people” or “cat people.” “Horse people” are always stable, hehehe. These are our “totem” animals, like clan of the cave bear or wolf tribe. But some of us use our imaginations and are drawn to the mythological animals, those that don’t exist in our world. I am
talking about dragons and sea serpents and unicorns, oh my. Our world has many various cultural heritages. Dragon myths are found in many cultures. A western dragon and an Asian dragon not only look different, they have different attributes. An interesting science fiction book I read recently proposed that sea serpents were actually the larval stage of dragons. Our own Piasa Bird is considered a North American dragon along with Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, found to our south. The unicorn actually has its roots in the real world. The narwhale, an arctic mid-sized whale, has a peculiar twisted overgrown front tooth that extends through the front lip to many feet in length. This ivory tusk was sold
in medieval times as the horn of a unicorn. It was real: you could hold it. The poets and artists daydreamed what type of animal would carry such a “horn” and painted it as real. Mermaids also had some basis in reality. A manatee, or sea cow, is a large herbivorous marine mammal that might have appeared to sailors as a feminine figure when seen from a distance, especially when viewed after yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum. Lonely people at sea might also have viewed seals and walrus and seen distant mermaids, not necessarily what was there. The calls of sea gulls might have become the songs of the sirens our of myths. I’m not sure where the idea of fairies came from, but they flew in somehow. Maybe they were based on fireflies or dragonflies. The Phoenix flew up from flames when it was reborn, like in the recent fantasy films. The firebird (not the automobile type) was wreathed in flames or had wings of fire, while the thunderbird flew to the crack of thunder
flaire FOR WOMEN 12 January 2014
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Phoenix, Pegasus and Two Dragons
Unicorns and Pegasus
Mermaid
from its wings. There are several physical configurations of the thunderbird, one like on the automobile and an upright one based on a human figure, probably dancing. Pegasus was a winged flying horse fathered by Poseidon that flew high in to the night sky to become a constellation in the northern hemisphere. It appeared on some ancient coins like in the picture. A griffin was a composite of a lion and an eagle creating a flying predator with claws. Horus, from the ancient Egyptians, was a man with the head of a falcon and often was depicted as a giant falcon with a sun disc on its head. Imaginary, interesting, unusual, all these mythic animals are colorful renditions of our dreams or possibly our nightmares. Whatever they are, they can inspire some dramatic jewelry pieces, oh my. Rum not required.
Thunderbird, Firebird, Dragon and Horus
Fairy Princess
Winter Wear coat, except that they have a more fitted waist and then flares out at the hip. This style is great for some women because it gives the illusion of an hourglass shape. They are also great for cold weather like the peacoat. Princess coats are a little more difficult to find in stores but can be found online on eBay and Etsy. This is my favorite coat out of the three of the coats since it is different and not very common. Many people aren’t familiar with this coat and it’s a new spin on the peacoat. Always remember that when buying a trench coat, peacoat or princess coat, they should not have to be expensive. If you are able to find coats that are reason-
by Karoline Lauritzen ably priced, then you can buy them for different outfits or occasions. Although, if you are only planning on buying one coat, try and purchase one that is a versatile color, for instance, a black one. That way you can use it with almost any outfit.
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It’s winter and with temperatures dropping fast many dread the search for a coat that keeps us warm yet stylish. Surprisingly, it’s not as hard as you may think. For instance, some women are intimidated when buying a coat because they make them look larger than they actually are. For instance, the puffy coat can make some women look like a marshmallow. The trench coat, peacoat and princess “cut” coat are examples of coats that are in style this winter and won’t make you look large. The trench coat is one of the three coats in style this winter. A trench coat is a long, loosefitted coat accompanied with a belt. They are usually made of a waterproof material and are similar in style to a military coat. Trench coats are good for cooler wet weather. They’re not too heavy and won’t make you overheated. Trench coats look great with dresses or a pair of nice blue jeans. They can be bought at Macy’s on sale for about $100 and at Kohls for about $55. The next coat in style this winter is the peacoat. The peacoat is a short, double-breasted coat, made of coarse/ heavy wool. Peacoats are great for all ages; they’re also great for the snowy and windy days when it’s freezing outside. A pair of dark-washed blue jeans and a nice blouse or shirt would look great paired with a peacoat. Old Navy has a wide variety of peacoats reasonably priced at $45. The princess cut coats are similar to the classic trench
What to wear to keep warm & still look stylish
14 January 2014
flaire FOR WOMEN
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The startup is housed in a garage-like space in San Francisco’s techheavy South of Market neighborhood, but it isn’t like most of its neighbors that develop software, websites and mobile-phone apps. Its mission is to find plant replacements for eggs. Inside, research chefs bake cookies and cakes, whip up batches of flavored mayonnaise and pan-fry omelets and French toast — all without eggs. Funded by prominent Silicon Valley investors and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Hampton Creek Foods seeks to disrupt a global egg industry that backers say wastes energy, pollutes the environment, causes disease outbreaks and confines chickens to tiny spaces. The company, which just started selling its first product — Just Mayo mayonnaise — at Whole Foods Markets, is part of a new generation of so-called food-tech ventures that aim to change the way we eat. “There’s nothing to indicate that this will be a trend that will end anytime soon,” said Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights, a New York firm that tracks venture capital investment. “Sustainability and challenges to the food supply are pretty
AP Photo | Eric Risberg
Food-tech startups aim to replace eggs and chicken fundamental issues.” Venture capital firms, which invest heavily in early-stage technology companies, poured nearly $350 million into food-related startups last year, compared with less than $50 million in 2008, according to the firm. Plant-based alternatives to eggs, poultry and other meat could be good for the environment because it could reduce consumption of meat, which requires large amounts of land, water and crops to produce, backers say. It could also benefit people’s health, especially in heavy meateating countries like the U.S., and reduce outbreaks of diseases such as avian flu, they say. “The biggest challenge is that people who consume a lot of meat really like meat, and to convince them to try something different may be extremely difficult,” said Claire Kremen, faculty co-director of the Berkeley Food Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. The American Egg Board, which represents U.S. producers, said eggs can’t be replaced. “Our customers have said they’re not interested in egg substitutes. They want real, natural eggs with their familiar ingredients,”
Pictured Above: CEO Josh Tetrick holds a species of yellow pea used to make Just Mayo, a plant-based mayonnaise, at Hampton Creek Foods in San Francisco. Can plants replace eggs? A San Francisco startup backed by Bill Gates believes they can. Hampton Creek Foods is scouring the planet for plants that can replace chicken eggs in everything from cookies to omelets to French toast.
Mitch Kanter, executive director of the board-funded Egg Nutrition Center, said in a statement. The industry has reduced its water use and greenhouse gas emissions, and hens are living longer due to better health and nutrition, he said.
Hampton Creek’s quest to replace the ubiquitous chicken egg is also backed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and Khosla Ventures, a venture capital fund started by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla. In its food lab, biochemists grind
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Top 100 baby names of the year announced (StatePoint) What’s in a name? Apparently a lot, as popular baby names from year-to-year can reveal broader cultural trends. According to BabyCenter’s recently released annual Baby Names Survey and the Top 100 Baby Names of 2013, more than half of moms say they found name inspiration in people they know. “We’re seeing a growing desire among new parents to choose names with personal meaning. Grandparents are the number one source of inspiration,” says Linda Murray, Global editor-in-chief of BabyCenter, the number one pregnancy and parenting digital resource. Despite new naming inclinations, contemporary favorites still reign supreme. Jackson moved up one spot to claim the top boy’s name, ending Aiden’s eight-year reign, and Sophia held tight as leader of the girls. While family influence is on the rise, pop culture still has major effects on naming trends. For example, Duck Dynasty, the most-watched nonfiction series in cable history, is making a splash, with names like Korie, Mia, Sadie and Phil rising in the ranks. Likewise, many Americans glanced across the pond, taking a cue from the royal family — “George” and its variations were extra popular this year for boys and girls. For more information on trends, and for online tools to find your ideal baby name, visit www.babycenter.com/topbaby-names.
Associated Press writer Raquel Maria Dillon contributed to this report from El Segundo, Calif.
January 2014 15
company is targeting the chicken itself. Beyond Meat, located in Southern California, sells “chickenfree strips,” which have the taste and stringy texture of poultry but are made from plant protein. It is sold at Whole Foods and natural food stores. It’s also working on a product that mimics beef. Inside its test kitchen in El Segundo, Caitlin Grady, the company’s culinary ambassador, stir-fried the strips with broccoli, onion, peppers and sesame oil. “I cooked it just like a regular stir-fry, but I don’t have to worry about the meat being raw,” Grady said. The company is also funded by Obvious Corp., a startup incubator founded by Twitter’s founders, and Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley’s premier venture capital firms. “It can fit in a vegan’s diet. It can fit in a carnivore’s diet,” said Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown. “We’re trying to appeal to the full range of consumers that are making some shift toward healthier protein.”
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up beans and peer through microscopes to study their molecular structure, looking for plants that can fulfill the culinary functions of eggs. So far, the company has analyzed some 1,500 types of plants from more than 60 countries. The research has resulted in 11 “hits,” said Josh Tetrick, the company’s CEO. “Our approach is to use plants that are much more sustainable — less greenhouse gas emissions, less water, no animal involved and a whole lot more affordable — to create a better food system,” said the former linebacker on West Virginia University’s football team. The company’s first product — the mayonnaise — is sold for roughly the same price as the traditional variety. It soon hopes to start selling cookie dough and a batter that scrambles like eggs when fried in a pan. “The egg is a miracle, so one of the hardest parts of replacing it is all the functions that it can do,” said Chris Jones, the company’s culinary director of innovations and a former contestant on Bravo TV’s Top Chef. While Hampton Creek takes aim at the egg, another Gates-backed
“While family influence is on the rise, pop culture still has major effects on naming trends.”
Shared Debt Together, couples conquer financial strain
JASMINE MAKI
16 January 2014
flaire FOR WOMEN
(MCT)
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — They hadn’t hit rock bottom, but they were close. They had racked up so many bills that they couldn’t step out of the house without acquiring more debt. They were putting every purchase on their credit cards. And, they were so stressed they couldn’t sleep but refused to turn the fan on because that meant a higher electric bill, which they already couldn’t afford. “Every month, we were going more into the hole, and we thought, ‘Eventually our credit cards are going to be maxed out, and then what? We got to do something,’” said Rob Nyhlen, of Moorhead, N.D. “That was our wakeup call.” When Rob and Nicole Nyhlen married in 2003, they didn’t have a lot of debt, just two credit cards with a couple hundred dollars on them. But, within a couple of years, they said their poor decisions and careless spending had put them in a tight financial bind. Among their house mortgage, car payments and credit card
bills, they had acquired so much debt, they were one sickness, one accident, one unplanned expense away from filing bankruptcy. “The biggest thing for me was putting our groceries on credit cards just because … we couldn’t pay for it up front,” Nicole said. Rob added: “When you’re strapped to the point where you can’t even feed your family without going deeper into debt, it causes a lot of stress on your family.” The debt wasn’t just affecting their lives financially; it was affecting their well-being and their marriage. There were days when Nicole was so stressed she couldn’t sleep, and they were getting into more and more arguments. “I knew when those things happened she was worried about money,” Rob said. The Nyhlens aren’t alone in their struggle with debt. According to the United States consumer debt report, 75 percent of Americans are in debt, with an average household credit card debt of about $7,000, plus a mortgage and student loans. But, like many others, the
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Nyhlens are working to overcome their debt and gain control of their finances. In 2010, they came across financial expert Dave Ramsey’s radio show and book, “The Total Money Makeover.” Ramsey’s financial plan, which includes seven baby steps for overcoming debt, helped the couple realize where they were spending their money and allowed them to take control over their financial situation. “The big thing to start off with is … a savings account you can rely on because that’s what it’s there for. It’s your saving grace,” Nicole said. Ramsey recommends $500 for an individual or $1,000 for a couple as a starting point. After one builds a savings account, the next step is to start paying off the debt with the snowball effect. “The debt snowball is key,” said Mark Kennedy, of Grand Forks, who has used Ramsey’s financial guidance as well. “He has you list your debt from smallest to largest and pay the minimum payments on all the largest ones, and just attack your
smallest ones with anything you have left,” he said. “You pay it off, and then, you get the motivation to pay off the others.” Creating a budget and using an envelope system are also important factors. Kirsten Kennedy, Mark’s wife, said using the envelope system, one sets aside monthly allotments for groceries, clothes, gifts, etc. “The cash envelope system works perfectly because if you don’t have cash you can’t spend it,” Nicole said. While it hasn’t been easy, the Nyhlens are learning to better monitor their expenses and pay off debt. They said the communication between the two people in the relationship is key. “If one is trying to do it and one’s not, it’s not going to work,” Rob said. “One will be digging the hole and the other’s trying to get out of it. Both people have to be onboard.” Nicole added: “You really need to have someone to keep you on track and to remind you.” Along with paying off their current debt, they are doing their best to avoid any additional debt.
COUPLE’S CREDIT MYTHS Credit is combined when one gets married. Credit scores are connected to one’s Social Security number; therefore, a couple’s individual credit reports are not merged together when they get married. Marriage lowers one’s credit score. The act of marriage does not lower one’s credit, but spending excessive amounts of money on a wedding and honey moon can affect one’s credit score. Credit history is erased when one changes her last name. While there may be immediate inaccuracies in credit scores during the transition process, changing one’s name doesn’t change or erase one’s credit history. A spouse’s poor credit will hurt one’s credit score. One’s spouse’s credit history has no impact on his or her own credit, but it can affect mortgage rates. One is automatically a joint user on his spouse’s accounts. One must contact the creditors to add people to add a cosigner to an account. Source: credit.com
They bought both of their vehicles with cash to avoid car payments and got rid of most of their credit cards, so they’re not tempted to spend money they don’t have.
The Kennedys, who have remained debt-free aside from their mortgage, emphasized one of Ramsey’s famous lines, “If you can live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”
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January 2014 17
in Versailles at the Trianon Palace Versailles, a Waldorf Astoria property. “Rendezvous on the Seine,” 10 days, includes a two-night stay in Paris. A subsequent seven-day cruise on the Seine is highlighted by a tour of Normandy’s historic D-Day beaches, an excursion to seaside Honfleur, guided tours of abbeys and chateaux, and a farm visit and tasting of local specialties in Etretat. Added offerings on existing rivers. Many of the popular rivers already traveled by cruise lines will have additional options added. These rivers include the Danube - where travelers can visit Regensburg, Germany and travel to Bratislava, Slovakia - and the Rhine, where visitors love exploring nearby Amsterdam, Cologne and everything between to Basel, Switzerland. Those interested in more information on Tauck’s river cruise offerings can visit the company’s website at www.tauck.com, or call 800-468-2825.
flaire FOR WOMEN
(BPT) — Europe continues to attract the attention of American travelers, and travel on river cruises is one of the best ways to see many of the continent’s sights and explore much of its history. In response to strong demand, cruise lines are offering many new and expanded services to accommodate this growing travel interest: Expanding to new rivers. Many river cruise lines are bolstering their cruise portfolios by expanding to rivers where they haven’t before offered itineraries. Such is the case with Tauck, a leader in premium quality guided travel for 88 years, which is adding two new cruises on the Seine River in 2014. “Cruising the Seine Plus Versailles, Paris & London,” 14 days, begins with an included twonight stay in London at the landmark Savoy, complete with guided sightseeing. Guests travel next to France for a nine-day cruise along the Seine, before enjoying an in-depth exploration of Paris and a two-night stay
my f acebook page, myself
18 January 2014
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But the last seven years of my life were different. They were filed neatly in Facebook albums, labeled and dated.
announcements of our engagement, our new home and my pregnancy. Photos of us beaming on our wedding day and gazing blearyeyed at our newborn son. Videos of our baby’s first laughs, his newborn crying jags, and, his newest skill _ waving his hand, which he does with such enthusiasm his whole body shakes. We haven’t updated our son’s baby book in months, but we chronicle his every milestone on Facebook _ the day he pulled himself to standing in the crib, the time he smeared sweet potatoes on his face. What if all of that were gone? Friends said my Facebook page had simply vanished, as if I had never existed. I felt hollow, disoriented. I tried to open Facebook again and saw the same message. What was happening on Facebook without me? I felt like everybody was at the same party but me. I don’t think of myself as a
tech-addicted person. As a little girl, I always imagined I’d live in a cabin the woods when I grew up, churning my own butter, Laura Ingalls Wilder-style. I love kale and farmer’s markets and gardening and books and puppies _ real life, not some virtual imitation of it. How had I let a website, one run by a for-profit, private company, play such a huge role in my life? People asked if I had backed up my photos, and I did have copies of most of the more recent ones, especially baby pictures, but what about the captions? How would I remember whether I took the picture of his chubby tummy in May or June? When did he first ride in the baby swing at the park? And what about the hundreds of likes and the comments from friends? Much has been written about the public personas we craft on Facebook, the online selves that we polish until they are infinitely more glamorous and gleaming
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is call your ex for comfort, but that is, of course, the one person you can’t call. I was calm, at first, when I saw What if my Facebook account that Facebook had recently locked was never restored? What would me out of my account. happen to the seven years of I figured I would just need to my life that I had documented _ change my password, or answer a without ever really planning to _ security question, and the whole in status updates, photo albums, thing would be cleared up in a comments and captions? minute. I haven’t kept a diary since the Besides, how important was my days I used to lock it with a heartFacebook account shaped key. The anyway? last time I routineThen I read the ly pasted photos in screen more closely an album I was in _ Facebook wanted college. me to upload a copy There are of a governmentyears of my life _ issued identificareally interesting tion, like a driver’s years when I lived license or passport, abroad and had to prove that I was, my heart broken in fact, myself. _ which are preA panicky feeling served in only in clenched my chest yellowed letters as I fumbled in my and stuck-togethpurse. “That sounds er photos buried in sort of scammy,” plastic bins scatmy co-worker tered around our said, looking at the house. screen over my But the last shoulder. seven years of my I did a quick life were different. search and saw They were filed that Facebook had been requiring neatly in Facebook albums, labeled users to send in photos of their IDs and dated. to verify their identities for at least In the early photos, I was almost a year. always with a crowd of friends Without thinking, I picked up my from work, laughing and raising a phone to write a Facebook post to toast. Or I was traveling, goofing see if this had happened to anyone off with friends in New Orleans or else. But, of course, I couldn’t use New York in Miami. Or posing for Facebook on my phone either. I fake album covers with my friend tried to enter my password and Emmett, with whom I used to the little wheel spun futilely. This have a pretend band called “Steve was serious. and Estelle.” (You have to see the So, I did what anyone else would Facebook albums to understand.) do when locked out of Facebook: I And then, about two and a half posted on Twitter. years ago, everything changed. I It turned out that at least five met the most honest, smartest, people I knew through Twitter kindest man, kissed him in a hurwere locked out of their Facebook ricane, and fell madly in love. He accounts Tuesday. Some were proposed. We got married. And, thoroughly creeped out that in March, we became parents of a Facebook would demand a copy of sweet, funny little boy. their IDs. Some decided this was All of these events _ the most their cue to shut their accounts momentous days of my life _ are once and for all. preserved in Facebook posts. The Without thinking, my finger first photo of my now-husband twitched over the Facebook app Chris and me, snuggled together on my phone again. It felt like a in a booth at Brewer’s Art, which breakup, when all you want to do was snapped by a drag queen. The (MCT)
80304012
JULIE SCHARPER
than the flesh-and-blood reality. But do any records we keep truly preserve the messiness of life, the morning breath and coffee rings, scuffed boots and chapped knuckles? Diaries, memoirs, letters, each of these are records we fashion according to our liking, fictions we base on life’s immense complexities. Is Facebook any more or less accurate than these records? It’s become my virtual Rolodex, an eloquent solution to life’s little curiosities. How lovely is it to be able to keep up with old classmates’ lives and loves, even if you
don’t particularly feel the need to speak to them. And, for those with whom you do wish to keep in touch, Facebook makes it easy to send a quick note and make plans to meet up. I rarely send friends emails anymore _ I just jot a Facebook message. And, let’s be honest, the “likes” are pleasantly _ if meaninglessly _ validating. I do have a good excuse for using Facebook so often. It’s a useful tool for journalists. Just in the past few weeks, I’ve used it to reach out to relatives of people who died tragically. I’ve found
subjects for stories, friends of friends who are transgender, or who are planning to merge their celebrations of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. In fact, I was in the middle of writing a blog post about a Facebook photo of a cat _ what else? _ when my account was suspended. So I didn’t hesitate when Facebook told me to upload my ID. The bland white box of instructions advised me to cover up private information on my identification, but make sure that my birthdate, photo and full name
were visible. The photo of my ID would be destroyed as soon as it was reviewed, the message said. I taped over my address on my license, uploaded the photo and waited. And waited. I searched through Facebook’s links for a help line, but there was no number to call. There wasn’t even an email address to turn to for help. There was no way to appeal this decision. I crunched through a bag of crackers. I tweeted. I tried entering my Facebook password at least five times. And then, finally, it worked. There it was again: Julie’s Facebook page. I was back.
The joy of the holiday season envelops everyday life BARTON GOLDSMITH
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
us in a pleasant mood for the next eleven months! Carrying the spirit into the New Year would make us all a lot happier. Give it a try and Happy Holidays. (Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author of
“The Happy Couple _ How to Make Happiness a Habit One Little Loving Thing at a Time.” E-mail him at Barton@BartonGoldsmith.com. Follow his daily insights at www.twitter.com/BartonGoldsmith. A photo of Dr. Goldsmith is available on www.mctdirect.com under columnist mugs.) Distributed by MCT Information Services
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For many reasons, this is my favorite time of year. One reason is not the colder weather. In fact, Barton Goldsmith the temperature outside may be the only thing I don’t like, but the joy of the season more than compensates for it. Here are some of my favorite things about the holidays: _ How people are nicer to each other. I see this every year and wonder why it can’t continue past the winter holidays. The malls and parking lots are crowded, but many people take shuttles and patiently wait in line. Most people seem more caring, not just toward those they love but also people they don’t even know. They go out of their way for those around them, and that is a really wonderful gift, and what the season is all about. _ Getting to be a kid again. People say the holidays are for children. Well, then count me in. It’s not about being childish (most of the time, anyway), but about watching all of them as they look at the lights, wonder what’s in the boxes, and giggle at the good times they are having. Bringing joy to a child is about as good as it gets. _ Giving and receiving. The whole
gift thing can go way over the top, but the idea is to find something that moves both the person who’s receiving your gift and you as the giver. Meaningful gifts are important. My other half asked me to write her a letter, a gift that will cost me nothing but time and one that will contain my whole heart. She will get some other things, but my holiday letter will be the highlight. _ Can’t forget the food. Though I work hard to stay healthy, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, there are things I eat that I wait for all year long. I have learned to savor the flavors and the dinners with loved ones. I so enjoy having a full table of smiling faces and great food. I also make it a point to share our gatherings with a few folks who have no place to go. It makes the food taste even better. _ Being reminded of how lucky we are. As you shop for your family, you can’t help but hear the bell ringers and see the booths of the many organizations that help those less fortunate. This time of year, I give as much as I can to those people and organizations that help others. Taking the kids to a homeless shelter on Christmas night to serve dinner to those less fortunate is a great way to appreciate your own blessings, while also brightening the holiday season for others. It’s too bad we only get into the holiday spirit once a year. If only it were powerful enough to keep
New Times New Traditions Modern wedding trends from stock-the-bar parties to social networking sites
20 January 2014
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Lizzie Post, co-author of “Emily Post’s Etiquette, 18th edition” and great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, helps couples navigate the new traditions of weddings. (For flaire) (BPT) — October is the new June. More and more, weddings are taking place in the height of fall foliage, heart of winter and prime holiday season, including the ever-popular New Year’s Eve ceremony to ring in the new year. But it’s not just the wedding season that has drastically evolved over the past decade, it’s everything from roles and responsibilities to gift-giving. As you gear up to celebrate the union of your beloved family or friends - or even your own - know what to expect from the changing tides of weddings. Lizzie Post, coauthor of “Emily Post’s Etiquette, 18th edition” and great-greatgranddaughter of Emily Post, helps couples navigate the new traditions of weddings. The Post name has been synonymous with proper etiquette and manners for the past 80 years. As decades pass, so will traditions, but proper etiquette is timeless. Be prepared for the next wedding you attend and know what to expect from changes in the wedding landscape with these important pieces of advice: Pay it forward Finding the right gift for the newlyweds can be difficult. While registries help to point guests in the right direction, many couples are getting married later in life and already have all the household items that are common wedding gifts. To provide the couple with a small nest egg to use however they wish, a check is always a great and safe gift idea. Several financial institutions, like Bank of America, offer mobile check deposit through their banking app, allowing the couple the flexibility to deposit checks onthe-go to help cover outstanding
vendor payments or use on their honeymoon. Another new-age trend is contributing to a couple’s honeymoon fund. Temper tech use Even weddings are going hitech. There are numerous websites available that can help the couple to organize the process, communicate with guests and share photos after the ceremony. But a few things - like a handwritten “thank you” note - should steer clear of the hi-tech lure. In a gadget-driven society, everyone is carrying a smartphone. Couples can post a tasteful notice at the entrance of the ceremony location or in the program to remind guests to turn off their cell phone ringers and refrain from use during the ceremony. Some couples may actually encourage guests to take photos and share images via social media, but guests should respect their wishes and use phones only as a camera and upload images after the ceremony. Respect personalization Couples want their special day to reflect who they are and what is important to them. While previous generations traditionally wed in places of worship, many modern couples choose to tie the knot at a sentimental location, like where they had their first date. The decor, music and even the food and drink served at a wedding may have a personal story behind it. No matter how nontraditional the element may be, guests should eagerly partake in the festivities, acknowledging and respecting the couple’s individualization. Be all-inclusive In the past, bridal showers were strictly for the bride and bachelor
parties were a men-only affair. Nowadays, these festivities are no longer gender-specific. Showers can be thrown for the couple in unison and include creative themes like “stock the bar” or “time of day.” Bachelor and bachelorette parties can also be conjoined to involve the entire bridal party in a destination event. And while these events are a celebration of joy, expenses can add up quickly. If you use a rewards card, like the BankAmericard Travel Rewards credit card, you can earn
points on purchases to pay for all or part of your trip. This is great for both the bride and groom and guests traveling to the wedding. As trends and expectations shift, so will the way major life milestones are celebrated. It is important to celebrate these moments in life with grace and support for the happy couple - after all, it’s their day - and it should be as unique as they are. For further etiquette advice on navigating 21st century weddings, visit www.emilypost.com.
KEEP IT MOVING philosophy, you should expect a little bit of discomfort if you want to count these chores as moderate physical activity.
To make sure your everyday activities are vigorous enough to give you a moderate workout, here are some suggestions: • Wear clothing that is light and flexible and shoes that have good cushioning. If you want to get yourself in the mood, you might even wear exercise clothes. • Turn on some upbeat music, preferably songs with at least 120 beats per minute. Create a playlist of your favorite songs that will last at least 30 minutes and enjoy yourself. You might even want to dance through your mopping and sweeping. • The natural forward and back motions of vacuuming provides a good workout for your abdominal muscles. Pay attention to your muscles and keep them flexed. Get chairs moved and everything prepared before you start so that your movement will flow fairly continuously. • Switch arms regularly as you rake leaves or mop the floor. Reach and pull. Reach and pull. That’s good exercise for your rear deltoids. • Tidying chores are less strenuous; avoid the temptation to use them as rest periods. Instead, move rapidly, as you would with brisk walking on the trail or treadmill. • If you have stairs in your home, all the better for your heart rate. Go up and down frequently at a good pace. Remember, to get your heart rate to a level that’s acceptable as moderate exercise, you should: • feel yourself breathing a little bit quicker and your heart beating a little faster; • develop a light sweat after about 10 minutes; and • be able to carry on a conversation but not sing. Whatever you do, it’s not as easy nor as comfortable as sitting in your chair. That’s why they call it exercise! Dr. Seo is a board-certified internal medicine physician with Saint Anthony’s Physician Group. For an appointment, call (618) 462-2222.
January 2014 21
percent of capacity. Although there are individual variations due to genetics and fitness levels, you can generally determine your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. That means if you are 50, your maximum heart rate is 170. To qualify as moderate, your activity has to be strenuous enough to get your heart rate to 85 beats a minute – hardly the pace of a sub-three-hour marathon runner. At 70 percent, however, your heart will be pounding away at 119 beats per minute, and you will know the difference. In practice, you might spend the first and last five minutes at the 50 percent level, gradually working up to 70 percent before tapering off. By the end of 30 or 40 minutes, you’re probably sweating a bit and breathing a little harder than usual. Whether you’re walking, running, biking or climbing stairs, that qualifies as a moderate workout. If you have a heart rate monitor strapped to your chest or use the hand grip monitors on your exercise machine, it’s relatively easy to know if you are reaching the necessary intensity. Otherwise, you can stop briefly and check your pulse at the wrist or neck. It probably makes more sense to go by the way you feel. If you break into a light sweat after about 10 minutes, and your breathing is a bit quicker than usual, you’re probably working hard enough. Another measure of intensity uses METS, or metabolic equivalents. Moderate intensity is defined as three to six METS. One MET is the amount of energy it takes to sit quietly so moderate physical activity is enough to burn three to six times as much energy as is required to sit quietly in a chair. As a rule of thumb, brisk walking at 3.5 to 4.0 miles per hour or biking at 10 to 12 miles per hour will use about 3 to 6 METS, depending on your level of fitness. If you’re older or just getting started with exercise, you might need a slower pace, at least to start. Digging in the garden, raking leaves, mowing the lawn with a power mower or even housework might reach a similar level of intensity, but there are no easy ways to measure the intensity. While no one is advocating the “no pain, no gain”
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Each night after dinner, you take a walk for a mile or two at a leisurely pace. Is that enough exercise for good health? Dr. Christine SEO When the aeroInternal Medicine/ bics movement Geriatrics Specialist gained momentum in the mid-1970s, the emphasis was on distance and pace. Could you run a 10K in under 40:00? Could you finish a marathon with a good enough time to qualify for the Boston Marathon? Recently, the emphasis has shifted to moderate exercise, which, according to many experts, offers most of the same benefits without the risk of injury. American guidelines call for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week. But exactly what is meant by moderate exercise? Any exercise is better than none, and experts point out that benefits can be gained from any kind of physical activity, not necessarily something known as “exercise” performed in a health club. Theoretically, that means that housework, gardening and similar activities can count toward your weekly 150-minute requirement. A recent study from England pushed back a bit, however, with the finding that most housework is really not vigorous enough to qualify as moderate exercise. In a study of 4,500 adults asked to do 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, those who counted housework as their exercise were heavier than those who did other activities. The researchers concluded that subjects were either overestimating their amount of moderate physical activity used during housework or eating too much to compensate. “Such activity may not be sufficient to provide all of the benefits normally associated with meeting the physical activity guidelines,” the authors wrote. How about heart rate? In terms of heart rate, experts define moderate activity as anything that gets the heart beating at 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate; vigorous, at 70 to 85
Give your kids the gift of a good night’s sleep (StatePoint) When your children have trouble sleeping at night it can be just as tiring for you as for your little ones. And no matter what the source of the issue is, a full night’s sleep is important for everybody’s physical and mental health. But during the busy holiday season, unpredictable sleeping schedules and big family gatherings can contribute to poor sleep. Take steps to help children rest better at night this season by trying these sleep tips to make bedtime easier for the whole family:
22 January 2014
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Stay Active
Don’t be afraid to tire children out! When they aren’t attending school or their regular activities, they aren’t expending as much energy. During the winter break, take long walks or simply visit the park each day for a game of tag, catch or a bike ride. Keep your kids mentally active, as well. Instead of zoning out in front of the television, encourage them to read, write or paint. A full day of activity means your children will be ready for some shuteye by bedtime.
Mindful Eating
Everyone knows that caffeine before bedtime is a no-no. While your children are probably not coffee drinkers, don’t forget that soda and chocolate contain caffeine too. While it can be tricky to mind one’s eating habits during the holidays, try to avoid feeding kids sugary or spicy foods before bedtime, as both can have a tossing and turning effect.
Brighten Up
For many kids, settling into bedtime after the excitement of the holidays can be difficult. Instead of opting for a standard nightlight, try a soft and cuddly option that may make sleeping fun and comforting, even in an unfamiliar place. Conveniently, you can now help remedy your children’s sleep issues while traveling during the holidays with a Glow Pet, a loveable and portable light up pet pillow. “Every child has a favorite bedtime toy, but what’s wonderful about Glow Pets is they are so much more than just another stuffed animal,” advises Laurie Schacht, Toy Insider Mom. “Glow Pets triple function as nightlight, pillow and friend making it the perfect addition to a child’s bedroom, particularly for those kids who have trouble sleeping.” For more information, visit www.GlowPets.com.
Rituals
A schedule helps the body know when to be alert and when to be sleepy. Over the holidays, don’t let kids deviate too much from their regular routine. Nighttime rituals, such as bedtime reading, can help create a sleepy mood at night. Anxieties may make sleep a troublesome prospect for some kids, so another great bedtime ritual is simply spending time talking with your kids each night. This gives them the opportunity to open up and discuss what’s bothering them. With a few tricks, you can make bedtime more fun for kids.
During the busy holiday season, unpredictable sleeping schedules and big family gatherings can contribute to poor sleep.’ For flaire
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Natural ways to stay healthy this season (StatePoint) While you’re probably already accustomed with conventional ways of looking and feeling your best, this winter, consider more natural approaches to health and wellness. Here are several good-for-you and good-for-the-planet steps you can take to help stay strong and healthy this winter:
which can help relieve stress, or use the opportunity to finally try that yoga class. If you’re interested in achieving the best health possible this season, making positive lifestyle tweaks and exploring natural health alternatives are two great places to start.
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CHECK THE LABEL Where natural ingredients are concerned, the focus is often on our plates. It’s easy to forget the range of items we put into our body daily. Given how often we use them, it’s worth a closer look at their ingredients.
BOOST IMMUNITY Help stay cold and flu-free this winter with some natural lifestyle tweaks. Proper hydration and nutrition are important for good health and your skin. In addition to drinking plenty of alcohol-free liquids, look for soaps and skin care products that have natural olive oil as a primary ingredient. Natural oils help lock in mois-
ture. Also, take steps to reduce stress from your life — which studies have shown can take a mighty toll on your body’s ability to fight infection, according to the American Psychological Association. When you’re feeling tense, try products infused with lavender or chamomile, both of
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HERBAL REMEDIES Feeling under the weather? Before turning to your medicine cabinet, take a look at your kitchen cabinet. Herbs are not just a low-calorie flavor booster of meals, they’re said to also contain healing properties. Many herbs have been used for centuries as remedies for common ailments. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health, sage may help ease your headache, hoarseness or cough, and is an effective remedy for a sore throat. Try infusing tea with sage, or using it to add flavor to your sauté or roast at dinner. Running a fever? Rosemary has been used to treat fever and headache. So the next time you hit the grocery store, fill your cart with organic herbs that heal.
Toothpaste, for instance, is something that goes in your mouth twice a day. Have you ever wondered what was on the label, where the ingredients are sourced or their purpose? Ingredients contained in some conventional toothpaste are unnecessary or offer no health benefit. When choosing your next tube of toothpaste, consider a natural oral care option free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives. For example, Tom’s of Maine, a natural products company focused on oral and personal care, offers information about the purpose and source of every ingredient they use. This winter, try their seasonally-inspired Cinnamon Clove Whole Care natural toothpaste, made from real cinnamon leaves and bark. Depending on your needs, Tom’s of Maine offers personal care products that are vegan and gluten free as well as kosher and halal-certified To learn more about their sustainable practices and cruelty-free line of products, visit www.TomsOfMaine.com.
ENJOY A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP! 6
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