Karen’s Opinion

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Bring up the subject of pregnancy and you hear tales from everyone.

Woman sues pharmacy after eating contraceptive jelly fails to prevent pregnancy.
During the Civil War, a woman was impregnated by sperm carried on a bullet that passed through the scrotum of a soldier and penetrated her ovaries.

Those tales are easy to roll our eyes at and shake them off as crazy fool’s tales.

There are the well meaning tales from those who try to help women who are pregnant. They tell about the horrible pain and give all sorts of advice to the expecting parents. My advice to expectant parents: don’t read any books on pregnancy. Don’t read books on how to raise children. Let advice from others go in one ear and out the other.

One such item of misinformation given to pregnant women has been that it is unhealthy to eat fish while pregnant. While it is true that fish high in mercury counts should be avoided, scientific studies have shown that healthy tuna is important for pregnant women and for the healthy growth and development of small children. Eating fish has been shown to help with depression and other health issues.

I have always fixed tuna sandwiches and made tuna casserole to feed my family. My husband thought that tuna casserole was about the only thing I knew how to cook when we were first married. LOL Now he reminds me to make it once in awhile!

TUNA CASSEROLE
Cook noodles in boiling salted water until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain and set aside.

Mix one can of mushroom soup with a can or one cup of milk. Add one small can of sliced mushrooms and approximately 1/2 teaspoon of coarse black pepper. Add one small package of frozen peas. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until just boiling.

In a medium casserole dish, add sauce mixture to the cooked noodles and lightly toss. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.

Crush Ruffle potato chips and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Replace into oven and brown the crumbs under the broiler.
Serve and enjoy!

Yes, I bit my tongue. That wouldn’t be a big deal except I really bit it hard. I took a chunk out of the center and it hurts like h*&&. Why would that be a good thing?

For about 6 years, I have had a throbbing sensation in my lower jaw. Just below my bottom teeth, it hurts. I always thought it was my teeth that caused the problem. At my yearly cleaning, I asked the dentist what I could do about this nagging pain. I spent over $300 on an apparatus to keep me from grinding my teeth while I slept. My jaw still ached. My dentist took x-rays and said my teeth, gums and roots looked fine. My tooth alignment was alright. He could find nothing that would cause such pain.

A week ago Monday, I bit the heck out of my tongue while eating dinner. I just happened to have a cleaning appointment on Wednesday of that week. Finally, the dentist said I might have neuralgia and needed to check with my doctor.

Sure enough, my doctor listened to my symptoms, which have worsened since I bit my tongue and he thinks I have Trigeminal Neuralgia. Finally, I can see a light at the end of this tunnel filled with pain. I am on an anti seizure medicine called Tegretol.

The way the doctor explained that this pain was the result of the nerves receiving the wrong signals. There are two trigeminal nerves, one on each side of the face. The Mandibular branch runs through the lower jaw and teeth. These nerves think something is causing pain and so they send pain sensations. The Tegretol is supposed to relax the nerves enough that the pain stops.

Wish me well please. I feel a bit loopy and sleepy but anything is better than pain.

I am way past the stage in my life where having babies is a possibility. I do enjoy sniffing the heads of new babies and I especially love to look at their pearl like toes. Babies are adorable.

I was curious about breast feeding after reading a Facebook entry from a friend’s daughter. She is in agony because she is breast feeding and her breasts hurt. I wondered why she doesn’t just give up. I did a search and put in the words “facts about breast feeding”. I learned more reasons why it is important to breast feed. I thought the nutritional value was the only value.

I think it is very important to breastfeed. However, it is not always possible to breastfeed. Many moms feed their babies by using formula. This is a good and healthy alternative. Did you know that there is no generic for baby formula? All formula must meet standards that are regulated by the FDA.

You can use the Parent’s Choice baby formula calculator to find out the real financial benefit of using Parent’s Choice Infant Formula. There is no nutritional reason to buy the much more expensive formulas! The Parent’s Choice website can help you decide what is best for your baby and save money while at it!

It all boils down to choosing the best for you and your family.

It never fails; I spend time with a customer and then I eat. I spend time showing the customer samples, explain pricing and answer their questions. They leave and I eat. This is crazy. I have been looking at ways to stop emotional eating.

Here are some helpful thoughts on this issue:

Eating is a part of life. Your body gets its nutrients from food. Sometimes we can go overboard with our eating habits and it can result in gaining weight. One issue with food is emotional eating.

The problem of emotional eating may end with the scale but it begins in the mind. Stress takes its toll on your life. When your defenses are compromised your health takes a hit and so do your emotions.

Everyone has good days and bad days. How we deal with the bad ones brings emotional eating into play. You look for comfort for your hurts. People who turn to food for comfort find a coping mechanism that won’t judge them, hurt them or tell them “no.” To complicate the issue, eating pleasurable foods can stimulate the release of endorphins just like exercise. So, after you eat, you feel better.

Emotional eaters use food to relieve stress. They hide behind the food instead of seeking solutions to the problems. This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death.

But, how do you know you are using food in this way? The first sign is obvious. You will gain weight if you eat too much. In light of the weight gain, examine other areas of your life:

* Have you been under stress lately at work or at home?
* Has anything traumatic happened in the last year?
* Are you dealing with a problem but haven’t found a solution?

Answering “yes” to any of these questions could mean that you are an emotional eater. You eat but you are not necessarily hungry at the time. The foods that you choose are what we term “comfort foods”:

* High fat foods like French fries, fried foods
* High carb foods like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes
* Sugary foods like ice cream, donuts, cookies, cake

There is help for emotional eaters. The first step is recognizing that you have a problem. You’ll experience feelings of helplessness and guilt. The guilt is over potentially ruining your health and the helplessness lies in the fact that you don’t see a way out.

Secondly, seek counseling. There are many types of counselors out there that can meet your need. Emotional eating has nothing to do with dieting or changing your eating habits but gaining control over your emotions.

A counselor might suggest things like visualization, practicing problem solving skills, relaxation techniques and family support. Visualization helps you to see your problems in a realistic way and not blown out of proportion. You will also learn to see food as nutrition for the body and not an emotional crutch.

Thirdly, your family can learn your triggers for stress and be on the lookout for changes in your eating habits. They can help you be aware of the foods you are eating, assist you in making healthy food choices and exercise along with you. Proper diet and exercise increases immunity, blood flow and positive thinking. Yoga enhances the mind/body connection so you don’t eat when you aren’t hungry.

Finding new ways to solve your problems and deal with stress will push food out of the equation. You’ll feel good about finding solutions which will replace the dependence on food.

I have been surprising myself. I am still going to the gym! I was afraid that once our son’s wedding was over, I wouldn’t have the motivation to exercise. I fooled myself! It helps that my mom goes to the gym with me and we motivate each other.

Exercise is an important part of our lives. Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy. Weight bearing exercises are important also for increasing muscle mass and bone density as you age. I have osteopenia so it is very important that I walk or run to help my bones increase in density.

Most of us have learned what to do when it comes to exercising. The problem is where and when to get the job done. With a busy lifestyle, making time for exercise is a challenge.

Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders. As you age, especially once you hit the age of forty, you begin to lose muscle mass. For women especially, bone loss becomes a problem. When the body is in need of calcium it can rob it from your bones. Building muscle not only increases their mass but your strength.

Here are five easy toning exercises that can be done anywhere and whenever you have time. At home, at the office, or on vacation, you can do these easy yet extremely effective exercises.

1. The Bridge Butt Lift – Sounds like a plastic surgery technique but it is an easy way to tone your buttocks. Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart. Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body. Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor. Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor.

2. Squats – Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps. If you aren’t sure of proper form, you can use a chair. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted. Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair. Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight. Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release. At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning.

3. Reverse Lunges – Lunges work the quadriceps muscles. They can be hard for people with knee problems. A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot. From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor. Hold for a count of two and return to starting position.

4. Pushups – This is a classic toning exercise that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles. If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a pushup on your toes, lower your body to your knees. Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body.

5. Crunches – Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and muscle tone. Lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head. Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor. Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position.

These five exercise moves can be done whenever you have time. The best thing about exercise is that its effects are cumulative. Even five or ten minutes at a time will work to your advantage.