PopSugar

You'll Always Have a Placenta in My Heart

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:00:21 -0800

Gross (but useful!) Hask Henna 'n' Placenta ($2) for hair has been around forever, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that now there are placenta facials.

Placentas, also known as afterbirth, are full of protein, iron, and tons of vitamins and minerals, which, I will allow, make them excellent for the health of hair, skin, and nails. People have been using the placentas of sheep and horses as beauty aids for time immemorial, in fact. But guess what? We have a lot of nice ways to synthesize this stuff now, and you could also just use wheat protein and run-of-the-mill vitamins to get the same effect. I guess treatments like this are more natural, but to me, they're also gross. I used a placenta hair treatment once, and although it worked well, it was no better than some hot oil and a deep conditioner, and it smelled pretty funky. If you were offered a placenta facial, would you take it in all its "natural" glory?

H1N1: When Should You Take Your Tot to the ER?

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:09 -0800

Parents have a tough enough time deciphering symptoms between the flu and a cold, and now there is the added confusion of learning the warning signs of the H1N1 virus. Present day parents have a lot to stress about, but knowing the facts puts most of us at ease. Before you fret over the next time your tot spikes a fever, check out this guide for emergency warning signs of H1N1 in children.

View Slideshow ›

Marcia Cross Gives Thanks Early This Year

babysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:53 -0800

Known as the buttoned-up and tightly wound kitchen queen on Desperate Housewives, Marcia Cross appears to be quite the opposite when seen about town toting her two tots to the local playground for a swing in the park or a roll in the grass. Though the multitasking mum certainly has her hands full and plenty of mouths to feed in her own home, the drama mama took time out of her Sunday afternoon to dish on motherhood, balancing a career, her fortunate life and how she gives back to the community.

How do you teach your children about giving back?

I have to be very honest and say that I'm in this very strange interim of wanting the world to seem like this perfect lovely place because they're 2-and-a-half... to then introducing them to the idea that other people have less. It's going to start soon, I think around the holidays. The way I try to do it is in simple ways. I have things in the house and I say, "Why don't we give this to so and so?" And I will say somebody else's child and "If you're finished with that, why don't you give that to so and so?" I've noticed that they'll come up with that on their own now, which makes me so happy... I can't yet go to the place where there are other kids that are hungry... maybe in another year. I don't know exactly. I think just teaching empathy and then teaching giving in that sort of way is how I've started and hopefully it will grow from there in terms of how lucky we are... We say Grace and we say prayers at night. Prayers to me is just sitting around and saying what you're grateful for. One answer that my daughter Eden says all the time, which I love, is "Outside," which is such a beautiful thing to say thank you for, which we take for granted.

What kinds of things do the girls do to make you laugh?

My girls are really funny. They're actually little jokesters. They do twists on words already, or I call them my little minxies. They dance, they do imitations of other kids dancing, they make up songs, they make up lyrics. It's all so silly but I think every mother just adores their own child and I'm the same way. They make me laugh all the time.

To see what the striking redhead has to say about balancing motherhood and her career, her character Bree, and what she is most thankful for, read more.

Are there any similarities between Bree and Marcia Cross?

Wow. I wish there were more because she's so organized and such the domestic diva, which I am not. But I think in her own twisted way, Bree has a big heart and a passion for life. Although, I'm thinking about what she's doing right now and we don't have that in common... she's having a little extra passion right now (giggle). At the moment, I'm going to say there's a little less in common than more.

How do you raise your kids and have a career?

I think some days I do it more gracefully than others. And other days it takes its tolls. Like any parent, I go through times where things are going great and then I have a week where both of my daughters are sick and so I'm trying to juggle work and home-life and it's hard and it's stressful and I think it would be unrealistic to say otherwise. I think that mothers manage an incredible workload. Whether you're a stay-at-home mother or you have a job as well, it's a very full life and certainly one that I dreamed about and always wanted. And even given that there are days that are challenging, because you can only be in so many places at once... whether it's at work or with your kids, or sometimes you just really want a nap so it's a full-time job.

What are you thankful for?

Health. Health of my family, health of my friends, health of my parents, who thank God, are still with me. I'm grateful that I have a family that I always dreamed about. I'm grateful for the job that I have. I get to do what I love. I'm grateful that I get the opportunity to be a spokesperson for things I feel are important.

This Thanksgiving, Marcia is encouraging all Facebook mommies to go to My Chinet's Facebook page where they can pick a plate, decorate it and show it on their profile page. By doing this, mommy will feed her soul and donate to the cause of filling someone else's stomach this holiday season.

Gear Review: Clear2Go Water Bottle With Filter

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:56 -0800

I've been carrying a reusable water bottle with me for years now, filling up on tap water as needed. Well, portable water just got a little cleaner with the Clear2Go water bottle ($16). It's your standard water bottle with a squeeze top made for cycling, but it comes with its very own water filter. The filter adds a little weight to the bottle, but it filters out 99.9 percent of microbial cysts (cryptosporidium and giardia), reduces the chlorine taste of water, and reduces lead and mercury. Using trickle down technology developed originally by NASA, one filter lasts for 100 gallons, or 533 refills - keeping an estimated 757 plastic bottles out of landfills. Replacement filters are available in two packs and cost $13.

Lance Armstrong is a fan of these eco and health friendly reusable bottles, and if you become of fan of Clear2Go on Facebook you can enter to win a bike ride with the seven-time winner of the Tour de France. You can purchase your mobile filtration system directly from Clear2Go. They make great holiday gifts and would definitely get you well on your way to filling a loved one's stocking.

Test Your Knowledge of Fad Diets

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:08 -0800

It seems like every day a new diet makes the news. Some of these fads can sound promising because they're veiled in medical and health jargon or carry the backing of a celebrity or doctor. But reading between the lines reveals that regardless of the details, these diets are generally not healthy because they lack balance and are very restrictive.

Many of them are just plain kooky too - it's as if they're trying to outweird one another. How well do you know your trendy diets? Take my quiz and find out.

Take the quiz

Honest to Peet: Amanda Peet in SELF Magazine

babysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:00:43 -0800

Not one to shy away from controversy or the honest truth, it's no surprise that mommy Amanda Peet is the cover girl on the December issue of SELF. The sexy mum shows off her postpartum bod and dishes on her role in the vaccinations debate, her typical date night and how she stays in shape. As the star in the flick 2012, she's a busy mom who somehow seems to keep her priorities in line all while maintaining a beaming smile on her face. Here's highlights:

The affectionate mom on how her outlook has changed since having her daughter, Frances, in February 2007:

Generally, I've become much more corny since I've had my baby girl. I think it's important for her to know that you can fail and then recover and that failure is important. It's part of the thing. You cannot escape it. There's no way you can control everything that much. It was also really important to David and I that she have a sense of silliness. We resolved to have a silly child and she is pretty silly!

On body image and having a daughter:

I do feel like it's important for her to have me be as healthy as I can be. So, you know, I don't want her to have horrible eating habits. I don't want her to never exercise. But obviously I'd much rather have her play a sport than have a gym membership before she's 20. I mean there are kids in LA who go to the gym and they have a trainer. I'm like, Play a sport!

View 5 Photos ›

To see how she spends her date nights and her stance on vaccines, read more.

On date nights:

I’m obsessed with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. If she knew how much she was in my household late at night or in the wee hours of the morning, she might be disturbed. David [her husband] and I both have a crush on her.

The child-vaccination controversy spurred her to become an activist:

I got involved because it scared me when I learned how many parents were withholding vaccines from their children. [Peet is the spokeswoman for the Measles Initiative as well as the organization Every Child by Two.] It made me frightened of the possibility that some of these diseases are coming back. This is about the future of our children’s health. It’s about what happens when you become complacent and you’re not vigilant as a community.

To see how the beautiful mom stays in shape, check out what our girl FitSugar has on the subject and see more photos, quotes on Self.com.

Photos courtesy of Mark Abrahams

Scare SIDS Away With a Fan

babysugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:41 -0700

Alive and well since 1994, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD) "Back to Sleep" campaign has been encouraging parents to put their children to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Additionally, the NICHD and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also advise parents not to share their bed with infants.

While nobody can pinpoint the exact cause of SIDS, Kaiser researchers found:

Infants who slept in rooms ventilated by fans had a 72 percent lower risk of SIDS compared to infants who slept in bedrooms without fans. Using a fan appeared be most effective with infants in high-risk environments, such as those sleeping in overheated rooms or on their stomachs. Researchers hypothesized that fans may improve ventilation and decrease the chance that babies will rebreathe exhaled carbon dioxide (an explanation for SIDS known as the "stale-air hypothesis").

To see what one consultant to the National Institutes on Health has to say about it, read more.

Board member of the American SIDS Institute, Carl Hunt says, "Though the data from the Kaiser study of fans is promising, the link between the use of fans and a decrease in SIDS isn't definitive. . . Reduced breathing of stale air when using a fan … is only speculation at this time. What they've shown is an association, but that doesn't mean that use of the fan causes less risk of SIDS. It may be that families who use fans have a lower risk for SIDS anyway."

I've always had one for white noise, but now I'm thinking it's a positive addition for the baby's well being, too.
Source

Get Wellness Tips From the Mayo Clinic at Home

FitSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

The Mayo Clinic offers top-notch medical care but the problem is that not all of us live within driving distance to Rochester, MN.

Now, you can get wellness advice and tips directly from the Mayo Clinic in the comfort of your own home by using their new Wellness Solutions DVDs. From high blood pressure, to back pain, to IBS, you might just be able to find a solution for whatever common health problem ails you. Each DVD includes an informational section along with treatment options (alternative and traditional), nutritional information, and a yoga session. One DVD costs $20, so while they're not the cheapest DVDs on health topics, you know your money is well spent since the advice you're getting comes from the best of the best. Buy online at Gaiam.

Has anyone tried any of these wellness DVDs already? I'd love to hear what you think.

Is Mom's Weight to Blame For Baby's Heart Conditions?

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:00:42 -0700

Women with hopes of becoming moms have yet another reason to watch their weight. Unlike previous studies that provided women with weight-gain guidelines based on their pre-pregnancy weights, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology is reporting that overweight women are more likely to produce babies with congenital heart defects.

According to the study of mothers of 6,440 babies born with the heart defects, those who were overweight, but not obese, prior to becoming pregnant were 16 percent more likely to birth a baby with the defect. Those who were severely obese were 31 percent more likely to do so. While the study does not necessarily show a direct link between weight and the medical condition, the association is considered to be strong.

Do studies like this one affect the way you live your life?

Lil Tip: Prepare Your Bathroom For Visitors

LilSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:30:04 -0700

Baby's born and mama's home from the hospital, so let the welcoming brigade begin. While her kitchen may be stocked with treats and beverages to keep guests' bellies full, the better place to maintain may be the bathroom!

Before allowing friends and family to visit with a newborn, many mamas require them to thoroughly wash up, especially during this particularly bad flu season. Fancy soaps and pretty linens may liven up the bathroom, but some anti-bacterial soap and paper towels that can be immediately thrown away are better options when it comes to preventing the spread of germs. What precautions did you take to prevent the spread of germs once your lil one arrived?