Give Yourself a Break and Be Able to Give More to Your Family

Moms, how often have you heard “make sure you nap when baby naps” or “make time for yourself?”  These and other well-meaning snippets of advice really are little nuggets of wisdom…but decidedly difficult to accomplish with young children that require round the clock care.  The challenge to carve out me time can be an even taller order if you aren’t lucky enough to have very much family support to give you a break.  However, there are certainly very good reasons to make the effort and the attempt for mommy breaks, and here are just a few: “If Mama Ain’t Happy, Ain’t No One Happy…” Have you ever heard this saying? It does tend to ring true, and a tired, worn out mother that does not have the opportunity to recharge her own batteries not only has less energy to give her family but can also react with more annoyance, frustration or even anger.  If the kids and spouse feel they have to walk on eggshells to avoid upsetting Mom, it just doesn’t make for a happy household.  So as challenging as it can be to make time for self care, it really is important for the overall family dynamic.  Often, even a short break away from the responsibilities of caring for children and running a household can make a big improvement in a woman’s energy level and ability to cope with daily responsibilities and challenges.  One of my favorite “recharge” activities is a monthly mommy happy hour with about 10 other moms I know.  We get about two hours away to commiserate with other moms who “get it,” we laugh, we eat, and we go home a lot happier.  Several moms have told me after that their husbands said to say thank you for organizing these little getaways, because the positive effect on the moms’ moods was noticeably improved  for at least several days when their wives returned home after a little girl time. Long Term Stress Simply Isn’t Good This little tidbit probably goes without saying. However, if you are like most moms, you probably put yourself last, and just keep shouldering stress and responsibilities.  Over time, the effects of the stress can take their toll.  Fatigue, mentally “fogginess,” inability to focus, aches and pains, susceptibility to getting sick, acne, upset stomach and increased chances for high blood pressure are just a few of the possible impacts of long term stress.   Taking regular time outs for you can really help a busy mom unload some of her stressful burden and have very positive effects on long term health. So Just How Do I Carve Out “Me Time?” Ah, the magic question!  While I don’t have the perfect answer, the single most important thing a mom in need of a break is to ask for help to watch your child.  This is purely speculative on my part, but I have noticed among my mom friends a reluctance to ask for help because of guilt (“I should always be there for my kids” or “I feel bad for the person watching my crying/fussy child”).  However, the worst that anyone can tell you is no.  Is no really so bad?  If they say no, then simply move on and ask someone else you trust to watch your child.    I realize Dad’s aren’t in the picture for every family, but if he is, he is the logical first person to ask.  Ask him to take little Johnny or Julie to the park for an hour so you can soak in the bathtub or go for a pedicure or watch your favorite episode of TV uninterrupted.  Daddy gets some quality time with his child, you get a precious break and will probably be a much happier lady after some peace and quiet.  It’s a win/win.  Grandparents may also be great babysitters if they live locally.  Even if they don’t want to be relied on regularly for babysitting, most will probably be willing to give an occasional break, especially if you do a good job communicating how important it is for you to recharge your batteries to be a better care mother/wife/care giver.  For those that don’t have much family support, other moms are your next go to place for support.  Do you go to playgroups or mommy and me classes?  Do you get along well with another parent from the park and are your kids friendly with each other?  Are you part of any mom/parent support groups (either in person or online)?  Then ask another parent you trust about swapping child care so you can each have alone time or date night.  Other parents understand better than anyone else what it is like, and swapping child care with a trusted parent may be your answer to much needed R&R. Lastly, many churches and community groups like the YMCA also after parent night out or MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) programs where parents can leave children with daycare providers and have a date night or solo time.  Look for local programs in your area.  Mini breaks like these can sustain the mommy soul if done with regularity.  The effort to arrange child care will be well worth the trouble, giving you the where-with-all to return to Super Mom status. Tracey Louis is a stay at home/work from home mom that promotes www.thehighlandlakes.org when she’s not chasing her spunky toddler.  The Highland Lakes is a gorgeous region of rolling hills and lakes in the Texas Hill Country, about an hour northwest of Austin.   Image credit Miguel Virkkenun on Flickr

Reward Yourself for a Job Well Done

Whether you’re doing a great job on your diet or you got the big promotion at your work, there’s always a special time to give yourself that little extra treat you’ve been wanting for quite some time. Of course, what that treat is will differ from person to person and whatever the accomplished task is, but no matter what it is, the feeling you get from rewarding yourself is absolutely amazing. It’s a proud moment that gives you the sense that you’ve done something great and you’ve earned every bit that you reward yourself with. Maybe you’ve been on a long-standing diet and you have been craving that candy or ice cream or a certain meal so bad. Give yourself a plateau that if you reach it, you can allow yourself the reward of that treat because you know deep down that you’ve earned it. Maybe you don’t even want food; in that case, you can reward yourself with a nice little shopping spree to get some new clothes to go with your new figure. That’s a great way to reward yourself and show off your accomplishments to the rest of the world.   Say you get that promotion at work you’ve been working so hard for and with it comes a nice raise in your pay; this is the perfect time to treat yourself to something you’ve really wanted like a new television or new shoes or anything that you felt may have been out of your budget range before the new promotion. This is the perfect example of rewarding yourself for a job well done because you took the time to put in the hard work, it paid off and now you can get the things you wanted but couldn’t afford before. Of course, you don’t want to go too crazy on the spending spree, but a nice treat is perfect to congratulate yourself. Think of it as if you were a little kid again and you were back in grade school. Every time you got a good grade or did a good deed, you would earn a gold star or a happy face or your test would get put on the fridge on display for everybody to see. Rewarding yourself for things you do is based on the similar incentive that when you do great things, you get to feel proud and reap whatever benefits may come from that accomplishment; in this case the benefit is whatever you reward yourself with. Treats and rewards are what push us to do better in everything we do and to accomplish so many of our goals because we know that if we do one thing great, we earn something we want. So go out there, be great and give yourself a nice treat to reward yourself for a job well done.

Corn Syrup: Myths & Facts

Over the years, there have been so many negative things that have come out about why high fructose corn syrup is so bad for people and how replacements are the better options. Have you ever wondered, though, if what you are hearing is the truth to the matter or are people just throwing out opinions hoping they stick as fact? Well, this is an attempt to give you mothers out there some clarity on what you should know about corn syrup going into your family’s diet. 1. Sugar is healthier for you than high fructose corn syrup This is in fact a myth because they are essentially the same in terms of their health value. They are identical in the composition and how many calories they contain. The human body absorbs both sugar and high fructose corn syrup in the same manner, so sugar is not healthier than high fructose corn syrup.   2. There is nothing natural about high fructose corn syrup Again, this statement is a myth because high fructose corn syrup is made from corn, which is a natural grain product and is a natural sweetener. There are no artificial or synthetic ingredients in corn syrup, nor are there color additives. It meets all the requirements listed to use the term “natural” according to the U.S. FDA. 3. High fructose corn syrup blocks the body’s ability to know when it is full This is a false statement as many studies have gone on to show that high fructose corn syrup gives the game feelings of fullness to individuals as sugar does; or 1% milk. There is no difference in the metabolic effects from high fructose corn syrup as there is compared to sugar. 4. Obesity and diabetes can be blamed on high fructose corn syrup This is a popular belief, but there is no evidence to back this claim that high fructose corn syrup is to blame for obesity and diabetes. The consumption of high fructose corn syrup has actually been declining. On the flip side, the obesity and diabetes rates continue to climb, showing that high fructose corn syrup is not the contributing factor to those two issues. 5. High fructose corn syrup is high in fructose and sweeter than sugar Wrong, once again. Keep in mind, high fructose corn syrup is similar to sugar in many ways including composition so the fructose levels in high fructose corn syrup is either 42% or 55%, comparable to the 50% in sugar. As far as sweetness goes, the type of high fructose corn syrup that is commonly used in foods provides less sweetness than sugar does. It’s easy to see that high fructose corn syrup is the most misunderstood products in the food supply, but hopefully this clears up some of the myths that you may hear about it. It’s still all natural and is close in composition with sugar. Enjoy the facts and hopefully you were able to learn a little bit about high fructose corn syrup.

What is Gluten

For any mother that is thinking of putting their child (or themselves) on a diet free of gluten, it is crucial to understand exactly what gluten is and understanding the positives and negatives that come along with having a gluten-free diet. Gluten is a protein that can be found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley and it gives breads, pizza dough and sauces that extra touch that makes it irresistible. It gives the dough stretchiness, breads that sponge like feeling and sauces and soups thicken with it. Of course, when you make the decision to go gluten-free, there are advantages and disadvantages that have to be examined before taking the leap and making the change in the diet. We’ll examine what the goods and bads of gluten-free diets are and make it simple to understand. Many people have attached themselves to the idea that a gluten-free diet can be a cure for so many conditions like celiac, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. This has been the major cause for the increase in hype surrounding the diet, but while it may work for some, it’s not a scientific, proven theory that it will work for everyone. It is also believed that a gluten-free diet is a quick fix towards weight loss, which could be a positive. However, remember that gluten is a binding agent for many foods, so in order for them to make something gluten-free, they must replace that with more fat and sugar in most cases. This can cause an increase in calories and grams of fat, so be aware that gluten-free diets are not always the best choice for weight loss and should be considered before doing it for that purpose alone. Gluten-free diets can also make it an extremely tough task to pick foods when shopping or dining out at a restaurant because the options become limited. Take a moment to think about these things when deciding on if a gluten-free diet is right for you or your children. If you or your child suffers from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, it’s an easy choice to go on a gluten-free diet because you pretty much have to. It’s a necessity to give up the glutens and you must get a screening before giving up the gluten should you feel you have the symptoms of gluten sensitivity. The symptoms include chronic diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain and bloating, unexplained weight loss, anemia, fatigue and infertility. If you are thinking of giving up gluten strictly for diet purposes, know that it could be more stressful than you would like any diet to be. While it may seem as simple as cutting out bread and eating less pasta, gluten makes different foods thick and tasty, so you would be giving up much more than just the obvious like certain seasonings, sauces, salad dressings, etc. Gluten-free options could also lack essential vitamins and nutritional necessities that your body may need. Think about these things before you cut off gluten for yourself or your children.