Healthy Me

My 13-year-old daughter is going thru a heck of a time with cramps right now.  She's taking both Tylenol and Motrin just to make the pain manageable.  I remember being her age and having those cramps that badly.  I wish I could do more for her.  I know she wanted to stay home from school today but I can't let her get into that habit.  Having your period does mean the world stops for you and I don't want her to get into that habit or mindset.  I felt a bit like an ogre this morning sending her to school.

My pre-teen son is freaking out a bit.  He's wanting to know how long puberty lasts.  "Don't worry, you won't be getting those cramps.  You'll just start to squeak and announce to the world you're going to puberty every time you open your mouth."

He can just keep looking for ATV Accessories and not worry about what his sister is going through right now or what is yet to come for him. Just wait until his other two sisters join the puberty crew!  Wow will he be outnumbered by PMS'ing girls! Poor kid.

It's not even Halloween yet and there is Christmas stuff out at the stores already!  I haven't seen christmas trees yet but the decorations are out on the shelf. I don't need decorations; I need a new tree!

I want a very natural looking tree, where you can't tell it is artificial - like it just came out of the forest!  We have this skinny, pathetic looking tree right now.  We call it the Charlie Brown christmas tree.  We used to have a really nice Christmas tree but when we were flooded, the tree got soaked. 

Eventually, I'd like to get a really nice tree (before my kids are all grown up). 

Our husky has arthritis really bad through her ankles, knees and up into her spine.  We're lucky she's still with us at this point; we didn't expect her to be honestly.  We give her supplements with glucosamine and creatine in it and it does wonders for her.  I think I need to increase her dose because with the cooler nights, she's getting a bit weak in the back end again.  I've seen creatine powder and creatine is supposed to increase energy to the muscle but I've only seen human creatine powder. I'll increase her dog supplements with the creatine in it and that should help. Hopefully it gets her through the cold winter!

As long as we can keep her as comfortable as possible, we won't need to worry about her not being with us anymore. Our vet said when she stops showing interest in us or doesn't want to get up to go to the bathroom outside anymore, it'll be time to let her go humanely. That'll be a real sad time.

My husband has worked 3rd shift for almost five years now and in all that time, his body has not adjusted to the change.  He sleeps very badly and it makes him SO cranky! 

I'm looking for a natural sleep aid for him - natural, non-addicting. Perhaps a regular supplement that will help regulate the sleep cycle so he can get a good eight hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep.

I've heard that a colon cleanse can help you lose weight. Is that true?

Never having had a colon cleanse and since I am gaining the weight back that I've lost, I am curious about what works for weight loss and what doesn't. 

I don't want to be large anymore.  I want to be me again.  I just have no clue anymore how to get there. 

Animal?  Plant?  Chemical? 

Hoodia is a plant (genus of 13 species specifically).  Did you know that?  I've seen advertisements for hoodia diet pills but didn't know what hoodia was. 

The Internet is amazing in what kinds of information it can provide at the touch of your fingers like looking up Hoodia.  My kids use it (the internet, not hoodia) for school research regularly.  I use it for social networking, work, entertainment, music, family photos/videos, etc. 

...and to think when I was a kid, we played outside, read, and trolled the neighborhood giggling over boys.  Such simpler times:)

My health is declining again in terms of my thyroid (which results in weight problems, memory problems, hair loss, skin problems). My husband asked me this morning why I just didn't go back to treating my own thyroid disease because that was the only time I felt good and lost weight.

I've gained back 9 of the 18 pounds I lost. I have whiteheads and blackheads. I feel like I'm 15 instead of 39 where my skin is concerned! I didn't realize at this age I would still need to check out the best treatment for acne! My eczema is back too. That reoccurs when my thyroid hormone levels are off.

I don't know what to do! I've been seeing this doctor for all of 2010 and he's not "fixed" me yet. He's trying and he found out I had a reverse T3 problem, which nine years of doctors never diagnosed, however, I thought I would've been better by now.  I'm losing patience.

Everybody wants a beautiful head of hair with shine, bounce, and style.  With the right ghd products, a few simple steps that you should do regularly and the ghd Hairstyles Guide, you can maintain that healthy, gorgeous head of hair.

Before you wash your hair, brush your hair gently, especially if you have long or thick hair. This will make it easier to detangle when it is wet and more prone to breakage.

Cleanse and nourish your hair with ghd thermodynamics shampoos and conditioners.  Shampoo while gently massaging your scalp with the pads of your fingers, not the nails.  This will stimulate the hair follicles and relieve stress.  When you apply conditioner, apply it to the ends and work it through your hair strands.  Rinse well.

When using a hair dryer or if using other heat products, protect your tresses first with the appropriate ghd thermal protectors for normal, dry/coarse, or weak/damaged hair.  These will smooth and condition your hair, making it easier to comb.  Use a wide-tooth comb to gently comb the hair.

When ready to style, use the ghd product of your choice depending on whether you are going for straight and sleek, volume, or frizz-free.  Remember, when choosing hairstyle products, choose products that minimize the damage and maximize its uses such as the ghd IV styler that will both straighten and curl.  It has digital technology to control the temperature for faster styling, giving you the style you want in the minimum amount of time.  The ghd IV styler has received accolades for "Best Styling Tool" in the Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards 2010 and received reader's "kiss of approval" in the Cosmopolitan 2009 Awards.

ghd IV styler

If you would like to read more about ghd or their Hairstyles Guide, which gives you tutorials, the trendiest hairstyles right now, and celebrity hairstyle tips, check out hairstyles.ghdhair.com.

My nine year old says to me this morning, "I am going to turn on the tv to watch commercials so I can make my Christmas list." 

Ugh.  Her list is going to be a mile long with the commercials that are going to be starting soon for the holidays! 

My teenager wants an ipod for Christmas, the iPod Touch specifically. I would imagine my 11-year-old son will add an mp3 player onto his list as well.  They'll both be able to tune me out when I tell them to do chores with their iPod buds in their ears.  Hmmm...perhaps I should use my iPod Touch to tune them out.  Ha ha.  Actually, I'll just turn up my stereo and then I won't have to hear teenage griping.  Sounds good to me!

I've had to cancel my last two doctor appointments so I don't have any thyroid health updates.  I'm not losing any weight...in fact, it's inching up higher a little bit at a time.  I don't go now until November to see my doctor.

I worry about the move we are contemplating to another state.  It took me forever to find a decent doctor.  I'm afraid it'll be very difficult to find a good doctor after we move. 

There's just so many things on the top of my "to do" list about moving - finding a good thyroid doctor, good pediatricians, a car insurance quote because I know our insurance will probably double, schools, etc.   I will definitely shop around for the best rate.  A good thyroid doctor is just one on a list of many things for me to do.

My little pom-chi mix gets low blood sugar though I'm not sure how to distinguish between low blood sugar and that trembling that Chihuahua's do.  Her vet told me to give corn syrup to both her and our tiny toy poodle when needed because it can come on them fast and be dangerous.  I am trying to find the best weight loss products for myself (wouldn't hurt for our daschund either) but swiping corn syrup on little dog's gums or putting it in their water. It seems bad for anybody (hope their teeth don't rot) but it does stop the trembling.