Moxie for Life

Ok, so I never professed to be a serious music fan, afficianado or any other word that might proclaim that I know the first thing about bands or the songs they play.

I’m going to confess something to you. It might shock a few of you, so sit down.

I had never even heard of Radiohead until about 4 months ago. I went to iTunes and listened to some clips to see what all the hoopla was about. Um. Can someone tell me what all the hoopla is about? Maybe it’s just my taste, which i will reveal to you is not deep, nor cultured.

I listened to a lot of popular 70’s (light) rock growing up, you know “Goodbye Girl”. Is that rock?

As I grew up I liked pop music. I listened to UB40, Wham, Madonna and Cindi Lauper. As music goes I guess I’m more the wine cooler of the listening crowd, or at least that is how I feel. I listened to a couple of friends talk about music and groups and their CD’s and to me it was like listening to to birds chirp at each other. I hear noise but none of it means a thing to me.

Anyhoo, I’m sorry that I cannot share your taste for Radiohead, or whatever the 2002 Pinot Noir crowd are listening to. I’m just a Mango Melon cooler kind of gal. Or Justin Timberlake. Same thing.

I got a call on my cell phone today and when I went to answer they weren’t there. I looked at the number and it was an 804 area code. Out of curiosity I Googled it to see where that was from. It came up Virginia. It also showed the exact number that called me on this web site…800 Notes. Apparently it’s a scam. They call people saying their vehicle warranty is going to expire and would you like to extend it.

There are other number on the site you can search for in case you’ve been getting random, mysterious calls.

I found this article about PMS and dietary changes that can really help. I’m very interested in this not only because I deal with symptoms but I love learning how to help my body without chemicals (drugs) and even without crazy herbs that no one really knows if they actually work or not.

Enjoy…

Some theorise that an imbalanced diet actually causes deficiencies that lead to PMS.

Here are some basic dietary guidelines for you to follow during your period to help control your PMS and for better overall health:

• Be sure to get enough calcium. Women need at least 1,200mg of calcium every day. Some good sources of calcium include low-fat milk, yogurt, broccoli and salmon.
• If you do not drink milk, you can increase your calcium intake with soy or rice milk, tofu or kale. Look for fermented soy products as certain soy products contain phytoestrogens, which can mimic the natural estrogen found in your body, leading to reproductive health difficulties. Your fertility is significantly compromised if you have too much or too little estrogen in your body.
• Eat more complex carbohydrates. If you are hungry, try eating whole grain breads, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Keep well hydrated. Women lose up to 80 millitres of blood during a regular period, so you need to keep drinking water to replace your body’s loss of fluid.
• Increase magnesium in your diet. Foods rich in magnesium, like beans, tofu and peanuts, are thought to reduce bloating in menstruating women. Women should strive for 200mg per day.
• Reach for the vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps to eliminate some PMS symptoms as well as aiding the circulatory system. Women need 8mg a day. Food with lots of vitamin E include avocado, egg yolk and liver.
• Eat foods rich in vitamin B6, which aids in the metabolism of proteins and red blood cells and has been cited in numerous studies to relieve depression. Some vitamin B6 rich foods are potatoes, bananas and oatmeal. Women should try to get 100mg a day.
• Make sure to get vitamin C and zinc, as these support the health of a woman’s eggs and reproductive system.

• What Foods to Limit for a Healthy Reproductive Cycle

  So just what should you be getting less of? Here are some things that you should try to cut back on:

• Decrease your sugar intake. Refined sugar, the kind found in cakes, chocolate and baked goods, not only make you gain weight but can disrupt your body’s blood sugar levels. They will initially give you energy but later on you will suffer from an abrupt crash, and even more fatigue.
• Cut down on caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks, causes heightened anxiety and leads to sleep disruption. Caffeine also contributes to decreased female and male infertility.
• Do not smoke. Smoking wreaks havoc on your health. Although smoking is unhealthy for both men and women, it does particular damage to a woman’s body. Smoking can disrupt the female menstrual cycle, causing a woman to lose her period and develop menopause earlier. A female smoker decreases her fertility by 25%, has more wrinkles, diminishes the density of her bones, and increases her risk of heart attack or stroke (especially if she is over 35 and on birth control). The 4000 chemicals present in cigarette smoke weaken your sense of touch and smell, increases the risk of gum and heart disease, various types of cancer, ulcers and blindness.
• Avoid alcohol, which is a depressant, and often makes PMS symptoms worse. Alcohol decreases your chances of becoming pregnant by 50%. Men that drink too much reduce the number and quality of their sperm.
• Be vigilant against the pesticides and environmental contaminants that may be found on fruits, vegetables and water. Rinse all produce thoroughly to avoid xenoestrogens, estrogens that are present in environmental chemicals and other contaminants. Xenoestrogens can cause imbalanced hormones. Know where your water is coming from and what chemicals are present in it.
• Do not consume large amounts of artificial sweetener. Although there has been a great deal of debate, studies have found that artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, may be linked to cancer and weight gain.

Some of the “avoids” are a bit more difficult. I love coffee and I do like a little Splenda. Although, I have pretty much gone solely to Stevia as a sweetener.

Anyway, good luck. I know PMS is a very real problem for may people. Hormones are powerful. It is important to find out all we can and hopefully be able to stay away from the drug remedies as much as we are able.

Check out this article.

For Most People, College is a Waste of Time

I had just arrived home from a pedicure with a friend. My toes a lovely plum shade and thoroughly de-caloused and filed to pristine gorgeousness. I walked up the path to my house and spied what at first I thought was a big gray cat. I then noticed the shape and realized it was a raccoon. It promptly turned and scurried to the back where my husbands car was parked and stopped, turned and looked back at me. I went in the house and called the kids quietly, “You want to see a raccoon?” My motherly ‘we must appreciate nature when it presents itself’ character coming out. So they jumped up and ran to the door.

As I turned and ever so gently opened the door and stepped out. It happened. The dang thing came running straight for me. I pushed the kids back in the door, slammed it and screamed. Hubby came in and peeked out the peephole. That crazy rat animal was sitting on our porch waiting to see who the dumbo would be to try to look at him again.

We finally saw it run off into the bushes. Our kitty sat at the door and kept watch after that for quite awhile. She didn’t seem too agitated so I’m wondering if they are buddies and this was a plan just to freak me out. I’m thinking she’s bitter from all the tuna I eat without sharing. You just never know.

NOT ACTUAL RACCOON!!!

Our wedding day, 13 years ago today, the magic began! Happy Anniversary, Honey! It has seriously flown by. Looking forward to the next 13 years of adventure with you! Muah! (Sorry so blurry, it’s a picture of a picture ‘cuz the scanner wasn’t hooked up.)

Dang. We look like babies.

2008 Olympics

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