Get Ready for Back to School

When you go into the grocery store and have to walk past Halloween candy displays (honest to God) and school supplies to get to the produce, you know that—like it or not—summer is winding down and it’s time to gear up for the routine of back to school.

I don’t want you to have to sacrifice a minute of the carefree days in August you have left, so here are some strategies to help you and your kids get ready…ten minutes at a time.:

1. Take ten minutes to set up a family calendar. We use one with large squares and we post it on a wall near our fridge where everybody can see and reach it. I have a magnetic pencil holder with each child’s favorite colored pencil. I write in general family and school events, and each child (the littlest ones get help) writes in his/her own activities, school projects, etc. Having them do it themselves on a big family calendar forces everybody to see how and IF their activity fits into the family schedule. Color-coding helps to keep things straight at a glance.

2. Take ten minutes to set up a homework supply center. This could be a plastic tote, a shelf, a drawer, wherever makes sense for you. While school supplies are availble and on sale, but extra crayons, report covers, glue sticks, book covers, folders, loose leaf paper, erasers, pencils, and other items, and tuck them away. Doing this now saves a lot of stress and time later!

3. Take ten minutes to create a Routine Schedule. Set a homework time, bed time, wake-up time, etc., now before things get even busier!

4. Take ten minutes to have positive, motivating discussions with your kids about the new school year. Ask them questions about what they’re hoping to learn, and what kinds of things they’re looking forward to finding out.

What do you struggle with the most when it’s time for back to school?

j.

Garden Gazpacho Salad

Use those tomatoes and peppers from your garden or local farmer’s market to throw together this easy, tasty, healthy salad:

What Do I Need?
1 cup celery, chopped
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 or 4 tomatoes, sliced
1 yellow or green bell pepper, chopped
2/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup sour cream, light
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Optional: lettuce leaves

How Do I Make It?
Combine celery, black beans, tomatoes and peppers in a medium bowl. In a smaller container, mix together salsa, sour cream and lemon juice. Pour over bean mixture then gently mix to combine. Serve over the lettuce leaves if you like. Makes 4 servings.

This packs well too for work and school lunches.
Enjoy!
j.

Get Out There and Play!

When you were little, you didn’t worry about creating an exercise program to stay fit! When you weren’t in school, you woke up with the sunshine, ate breakfast, and then ran outside to play. You were doing what came naturally. You didn’t think about how many calories you were burning playing kick ball, you were just having fun!

Your body still wants to move like that, and being fit is still just that easy. It’s tough to remember that sometimes because we’re grown up, and the world has changed. Now we won’t walk down the street to say hello to a friend. We don’t even have to speak! We can text or email anyone we want without much movement at all. The more that machines move and our muscles don’t, the more we’re hurting our bodies by not allowing them to do what they were meant to do.

It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we have been more active than we actually have. “Whew! What a busy day,” we say. We feel drained, and caregivers are drained – mentally, even emotionally – but physically we may not have done much of anything, at least not consistently. We wonder why our hips are sore, why our shoulders hurt, why we have headaches. We buy fancy supportive office chairs to make us more comfortable. We bunch up pillows this way and that to make us more comfortable.

You know what would make us more comfortable? Getting up off our butts and moving around!

Scientists have spent years analyzing the mechanics of the human body, and exactly like a machine, our joints were created with motion in mind. When we don’t move, we get rusty. We put on weight and this puts us at a higher risk for many serious illnesses, including:

•Heart Disease
•Diabetes
•Certain Cancers
•Asthma

Because of the demanding lifestyle of a caregiver, we are already at increased risk for these things, which is why we need to give special attention to make regular exercise a priority.

Now I know very well that when you’re burning the candle at both ends, the thought of starting an exercise program can seem downright nuts…but listen, we’re not training for the Olympics here; we’re not waiting for Sports Illustrated to call about the next Swimsuit Edition. All we want to do is feel better and be healthier. You don’t need flashing neon lights and glitter to announce that you are going to start (cymbal crash, please) An Exercise Program. Working out doesn’t have to be flashy or overwhelming or expensive.

Here’s what a doctor I know tells his patients who feel they don’t have enough time for exercise:
“Give me 30 minutes a day.” When the patient claims she could never carve out that kind of time he says, “Then give me three ten-minute chunks, or six five-minute chunks, or ten three-minute chunks, or thirty one-minute chunks!” The point is, any movement is better than no movement, and medical research has proven that our bodies and brains get the same benefits of exercise even if we break it into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Ten minutes seems to be the magic number:
• Psychologists at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff found that ten minutes of exercise improved mood, increased energy, and encouraged mental alertness and clarity.
•Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University found that ten minutes of activity a day can provide immediate benefits, especially with heart health for people who haven’t been doing much exercise at all.

Here’s why: Ten minutes is enough time to increase your heart rate, get your blood pumping and oxygen flowing through your body and your brain. Within ten minutes your brain will release endorphins, those chemicals that make you feel happier and calmer. Exercise works faster than any pill. And by working activity into your day in smaller chunks of time, you won’t burn out. Let me give you some tough love here: “I’m too tired” is not going to fly as an excuse to get you out of this. Chances are you’re too tired because you are not getting enough exercise!

After just a few ten-minute sessions, you’ll notice that you’re not so out of breath when you get up out of a chair or walk up a few steps. You’ll have more energy throughout your day. You’ll have better brain power and mental clarity and focus. You’ll be taking baby steps down a positive path toward a healthier, stronger you!
So, get out there and play! Just ten minutes will make a difference – you’ll see!
j.

Easy Organization: The Ten Minute Power Session

Physical clutter around us (those papers stacked up on the kitchen counter, endless To Do lists, etc.) has a way of getting into and cluttering up our minds!

One of my friends, who is a professional organizer likes to say that clutter represents unmade decisions.

Let’s get decisive this week! Focus on reserving little ten minute chunks of time for various tasks in your life. Sit down and devote ten minutes to meal planning, ten minutes to organizing a back to school shopping list, ten minutes to going through that stack of mail.

Go for speed during your Ten Minute Power Sessions. Only allow yourself ten minutes to make the needed decisions, and move on.

You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish, and I know you’ll be happy with the satisfied feeling that comes when you’re able to cross some things off your list and stop worrying about HOW and WHEN they’re going to be done.

j.

Soothe Post Exercise Muscle Aches

Muscle soreness or stiffness that is felt a day or two after a workout is fairly common—especially after starting or changing your type or level of exercise.

Unless the pain is sudden, sharp, and comes with swelling or bruising, know that the “delayed” ache you’re feeling is most likely normal muscle reaction to exertion, and it’s part of a strengthening process that will lead to greater endurance and increased speed of recovery…so it’s all good.

But, how can you feel better while you’re muscles are doing their thing?

Research findings are mixed on the effectiveness of a variety of treatments, but one that professional athletes use is water therapy.

By alternating hot and cold baths or showers, you may find you recover faster because, in theory, the temperature changes constrict and dilate blood vessels which works to flush waste products out of the tissues, bumping up total body function, and paving the way for faster healing.

See how this works for you:
In the shower, alternate between 2-3 minutes of hot water, then a 30 second or so blast of cold water. Go back and forth for three or four cycles.

Delayed pain from a workout usually peaks at two days, then starts to fade. Light stretching and massage can also work to get you back on track faster.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, drink and get enough sleep, too! Both are extremely important for allowing your body to function at its best.

j.

Multi-Tasking Walking

I love to walk.

There you have it, plain and simple.

Sure I like to try other exercises. I’ve shaken things I probably shouldn’t have shaken at Zumba classes. I’ve done steps, and cycles, and weights, and hula hoops…

It’s all fun, but when it comes right down to it, I always go back to walking.

It’s best for me if I walk first thing in the morning. If I wait too long, the day sucks me in and it gets too easy to say, “I don’t have time.”

So, going early ensures I get it done, but I also like it because starting the day with a work-out sets me up mentally for making better, healthier choices throughout the entire day. Lately I’ve been walking in a cemetery near my home. Geez, how fun, right?! I know it might sound a little gloomy at first, but it’s not at all!

Cemeteries have great, paved, private walking paths, and some challenging hilly areas! No worries about any heavy traffic. Pets aren’t allowed, so getting a shock from a barking dog isn’t an issue. The paths are tree-lined, which creates some nice shade and peaceful, playful shadows on the pavement. The back of the cemetery near me has a fairly large military burial area, speckled with little American flags.

It’s a quiet, reflective, place where I get a lot of good thinking done, along with a good workout.

Because there’s nobody around who cares, I walk with my little hand weights. I do bicep curls, and tricep presses, and movements for my shoulders and chest while I walk. Holding the weights, extending my arms out in front of me and slowing lowering them and raising them to chest height hits my ab muscles, too.

My good friend Leslie Sansone is the ultimate walk-a-holic! She loves it so much she created a program that has become the #1 indoor walking program in the world! She talks about the total body and brain benefits of walking at jenniferTVshow.com.
I drove the path I walk through the cemetery and know that three laps equals one mile. Most mornings between walking through the cemetery and back around through my neighborhood I get about three miles in!

I’ve lost weight. I’ve toned my muscles. I’ve strengthened my heart and lungs. I also end up with a clear mind. Great business ideas pop into my head. I feel grounded, and centered, and balanced.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about! In our busy lives, we NEED to find ways to maximize the time we can find for ourselves.

Start your day with a walk around your block and let me know how you feel!

j.

Get Healthy Summer Hair

Sunkissed goddess or fryed-up frizzies: how’s summer treating your hair?

Lots of us spend more time outdoors this time of year, and our hair pays for it. The heat from the sun’s rays dry out the natural oils. Summer breezes can help to create split ends. Pollution or pool chemicals leave our hair dull and limp.

The elements can also cause expensive highlights and color treatments to fade faster than normal.

I have several friends who are hair sytlists and they all want to see you if your hair is in bad shape from the summer sun. They’ll trim off split ends (if they’re badly split—no product will be able to really repair them).

Then, they’d show you some moisturizing and protective products that will help to keep your hair healthy, soft, and shiny when you head back outside.

Good ingredients to look for include vitamin C, vitamin B5, acai-berry antioxidants, and jojoba. Each of these things have protective qualities to guard against harsh summer elements and heat styling.

Here’s a great tip for a DIY potion you can mix up fast:
In a spray bottle combine 1/3 cup of sunscreen lotion, 1/3 cup of hair conditionor, and 1/3 cup of water. Shake well and spray on your hair before you go outside, and again throughout the day—even after wet at the pool or beach.

The sunscreen works to shield your scalp from harmful rays, and helps to prevent hair color fade. The conditioner helps to keep the hair moisturized.
The clean water helps to seal hair cuticles to keep pool chemicals and other irritants out.

Alright, now get out there and enjoy, you sunkissed goddess!

Wanna share any of your summer hair tips (or disasters?!)

j.

Flip-Flop Flap

Wish I would’ve seen this before I bought Old Navy flip-flops in nearly every color!

It took me a very long time to even be able to put the things on, because I couldn’t stand the feeling of something in between my toes. Now that I’m feeling comforatble in them, this:

Researchers (doesn’t that sound like a fun job: Flip-Flop Researcher?!)
have found that when we wear flip flops, we walk differently—scrunching our toes to keep the flip-flops flipping along with us.

OK, I’m sure I knew that flip-flops aren’t the most supportive shoe out there. But they’re cute, and comfortable, and cheap! Can they really do that much damage to our feet?

That motion, researchers say, can cause pretty serious damage to our soles, heels, and arches.

And it gets worse—also to keep our flip-flops from falling off, we tend to shorten our stride, and turn our ankles inward. Researchers think those habits can cause long-term ankle and hip pain!

Wearing flip-flops once in a while seems to be OK, but living in them for the summer may be enough to cause problems.

Sandals with straps are healthier for our feet. We don’t have to struggle to keep them on, and many give better support.

So what do you think? Do you love your flip-flops? Will this change the way you wear them? Leave a comment below!

I usually wear them around the house or for quick trips out, but I don’t really wear them when we go someplace that requires a lot of walking. I think I’m OK.

Maybe this is why our youngest calls them “slip-slops”???!

j.

I Care About ____________.

I care about ______________.

Quick. What are the first five words that pop into your head to complete that sentence?

Keep goin’…What are the first ten words that pop into your head?

Be honest. Did the word “me” make it to your top ten list?

Chances are good that it didn’t, and unfortunately, that means you’re pretty normal!

People, especially women…especially caregivers tend to put their own health and wellbeing on hold, thinking that if they spend less time on themselves, they’ll have more time to spend on the people and things they care about.
More minutes does not equal better quality!

Caring for yourself is the best thing you can do to make sure that you have the energy you need to give the kind of care you want to those you want!

Caregiver ugggh that word! What image do you get in your head when you read it? A dimly lit somber room with an older person holding vigil for an even older person?

Get that vision out of your head, please! Yes, it’s true that in the traditional sense of the word a caregiver is someone who takes care of a sick or elderly family member…I get that, and I am on a passionate mission to help those 50-million volunteer family caregivers.

BUT…

I as a wife, mother of five healthy young children, step-mother to an older daughter, “traditional” caregiver for my father-in-law, sister, aunt, business owner, and more…I fully understand that:
—new moms are caregivers
—new couples are caregivers
—employees are caregivers
—friends are caregivers
and it goes on and on.

My way of thinking is that anytime we care for someone or something else to the point that it makes us struggle to care for ourselves, we are a caregiver—and as such—are putting ourselves at risk for all of the same proven medical risks as traditional caregiver. Did you know that caregivers are at increased risk—sometimes by as much as double the normal risk—for developing heart disease, certain cancers, stress-related illnesses, depression, and more?
It’s true.

The good news is that we have the power to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start on a new, healthy path of caregiving!

I don’t want you to stop caring! I want to help you to care stronger—care smarter!

As a result of my own caregiving experiences, and my journalism background, I have spent years interviewing experts in a variety of fields that can help with stress relief, nutrition, sleep, positive thinking, fitness, personal time, appearance, and organization.

I gathered up important information on each of those topics, but then I also put together little action plans…strategies that you can use in ten minutes or less—that will get you started on that healthier path quickly!

I put all of that information into a book called Take Care Tips that was released earlier this year. I have a second book coming this fall, and I’m in development for national multimedia projects to help all of us learn to care for ourselves in a practical—but extremely efficient and effective way (I understand time and budget constraints)!

Please visit TakeCareTips.com to find out more about the book…

AND…I’d love to hear your thoughts/comments/questions related to careving and taking care of YOU! How can I help? What do you need?
j.

The Caring Place: Children and Grieving

We know how devastating it can be when someone close to us dies. For children, too, when someone they love dies, their life changes forever.

If your family, or one you know is struggling to cope with a death, I found that help is just a phone call away at the Highmark Caring Place I got to meet some of the administrators and counselors, and get a tour of their offices in downtown Pittsburgh (there are other locations too ).

As soon as you walk in the front doors you feel hugged…surrounded by love and support. Maybe it’s the comfy furniture, children’s books, and big fish tank in the lobby. Maybe it’s the quilts that hang, lining the hallways…made of individual squares representing loved ones of families who have been helped by the Caring Place. Maybe it’s the large and ever-growing hand-painted tree mural on the wall featuring leaves with the names of each of the children who go through the grief program.

It’s impossible I think, not to be touched by the emotion that spills from the projects in each room. I learned that children and grief is a complex issue. Like us grown-ups, every child grieves in his or her own way…but, their age and stage of development can have a big impact on how the grieving process works.

One in twenty children will have a parent die by the time they turn 18. (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990)

Research on Bereaved Children shows that they:
-have higher levels of depression and anxiety
-have lower self-esteem
-show less optimism for success later in life
-have more accidents and health problems over time

We worked with Highmark Healthy High 5 to do a whole jennifer show on The Caring Place. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, you can watch Sunday, June 28th at 11am on WTAE-TV, Channel 4 to find out more about how the program works, meet a family who’s been through it, and hear from experts on how we can help our children and our families after the loss of a loved one.

No worries if you’re not in our viewing area! We’ll post clips and information from the show at jenniferTVshow.com
j.

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