Today is Go Red For Women day.

Are you wearing red? More importantly, do you know what today means? Let me fill you in – the American Heart Association has designated today as a day to wear red to create awareness surrounding heart disease in women.

Though heart disease is often thought of as an ‘older man’s disease’, it is, in fact, heart disease is the LEADING killer in women, causing one out of three deaths each year.

Not only is Go Red For Women designed to raise awareness, it is also a day to take action – to understand your risk factors, to take steps toward living a heart healthy life.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Travis Stork of television’s ‘The Doctors’. Dr. Stork deals with patients in the ER with heart disease on a daily basis. He graciously took a few minutes out of his busy day to answer some questions and give some insight into our heart disease epidemic.

First of all, know your risk factors:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
•  High cholesterol
•  High triglycerides
•  Untreated diabetes
•  Obesity
• Stress
•  Lack of regular exercise

All of these risk factors are things you can control. Yes, it can be hard to give up smoking.  Or you may think that you’re too young to have your cholesterol or triglycerides tested. But knowledge is power. Visiting your doctor for a physical may be life saving.

Other than quitting smoking, Dr. Stork said that one lifestyle change can make a huge difference – walking thirty minutes a day. It can add three years to your life. It requires no equipment and no skill set. And another ‘heart-healthy’ side effect? If you make a habit of walking with loved ones, you get to spend quality time together – and make your heart happy.

In addition to the walking, Dr. Stork suggested standing more and sitting less. For instance, if you usually make phone calls at work sitting at your desk, try standing.  Be on your feet as much as possible, the less sedentary you are, the better.

Now that we’ve gone over lifestyle changes you can make to prevent heart disease, let’s get into what you need to know about heart attacks.

Typical Symptoms Include:

• Chest discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and returns
• Pain and discomfort in one or both arms or back
• Shortness of breath
•  Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea and/or lightheadedness

Overlooked Symptoms Include:

• Indigestion
• Pain and discomfort in the stomach, neck or jaw
•  Headaches
•  Fatigue

It should be noted that the warning signs can be harder to detect in women. Fifty percent of women don’t experience chest pain – the number one symptom is fatigue.

Dr. Stork stressed that we need to listen to our bodies. Really listen. Things like being tired for no obvious reason, generalized weakness, or simply that something just doesn’t feel “right.”  If you’re experiencing odd symptoms, different than anything you’ve experienced before, it can’t hurt to get it checked out.

Other than addressing the risk factors, there are further actions you can take to avoid heart disease.

Reduce risk by:

• Purchasing foods and beverages without added sugars and that are low in sodium
• Drinking alcohol in moderation (one drink/day for women; two drinks/day for men)
• Watching portion sizes of ALL foods and eating a balanced diet
• Cutting back on food high in cholesterol (goal of no more than 300 mg/day)
• Avoiding all tobacco products
• Exercising on a regular basis

Finally, realize there are NO EXCUSES. Under the Affordable Care Act, all new individual and group health plans must provide recommended preventative care and services (including blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and body mass index screenings as well as counseling on quitting smoking, losing weight and eating well) without a copayment, coinsurance or deductible.

So, go to your doctor. Get checked out.

And, one more piece of advice from Dr. Stork:

Eat well and be active.

Words to live by, ladies.

Make sure to wear red today and spread the word!

But I was sad. You guys, I really LIKE Paula Deen. I’ve always watched her shows, and drooled, and wished I could eat what she’s preparing. But I know butter better.

Really. Diabetes is no joke and it made me feel bad for Paula.

Then I started getting more information.

Such as:

1) She was diagnosed three years ago, but wanted to wait to reveal it to the public. This, on it’s own, is completely fine, because truly, it is her personal business.  No one, no matter how famous, owes the general public any disclosure regarding any health issues.

2) She has a deal with pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and is the spokesperson for their new site Diabetes in a New Light. It was also revealed she takes their drug, Victoza, to treat her diabetes. Okay. She waits three years to reveal her disease, and chooses to when it’s lucrative? Now I’m getting a little annoyed. But again, I can’t judge her for making some money. Well, I can judge her a little. Okay, I’m judging her.

3) Then I’m watching her on The Today Show and oh. my. gosh. Trainwreck. She’s avoiding any reference to the way she eats bringing on the Type 2 Diabetes. She points at race. She points at age. She points at genetics. And yes, all those things can factor in…BUUUUUUT. We all know that being overweight is a MAJOR factor. And Paula, honey, your butter eating ways have caught up with you.

4) It is also convenient that she chose to reveal within weeks of her son, Bobby, debuting his new show Not My Mama’s Meals, a show about lightening up Paula’s delicious artery nightmares recipes. I mean, she even got a plug in for him while being interviewed by Al Roker.

So while I have tremendous sympathy for Paula Deen, and I fully commend her on coming clean on her diagnosis, I wish it were under different circumstances.

With more honesty. With less skirting around the issues.

I sincerely hope that Paula’s health improves and her struggles touch others in a positive way.

And when and if she launches a show on healthy Southern cooking? Oh my gosh, girlfriend, you’ll be filling up my DVR.

What do you think of Paula Deen’s announcement and the resulting fallout? Tell us in the comments!

Photo credit: xtheowl/flickr

This new year, it was supposed to be a fresh start. Exercise, clean eating…reclaiming my body. Well, honestly, it hasn’t been happening. At all.

I could recount all my transgressions, but truthfully, it will just make me feel bad. And I kind of want to concentrate less on what I’ve done wrong and more on what I’m GOING TO DO RIGHT. Starting immediately.

So here I am. Starting my new years resolution a week or so late. But better late than never. Right?

I feel like I am FINALLY in the right mind frame to tackle this extra weight. I am tired of actually HURTING from the surplus pounds and aching from being out of shape. It sucks. Plain and simple. I’m tired to squeezing into the largest pair of jeans I own, sucking in my stomach and still barely being able to fasten the button. I’m tired of looking at my closet full of clothes and knowing I can’t wear but about five pieces comfortably. Most of all, I’m tired of looking in the mirror and not recognizing myself.

So, my confession this week is that I’m putting my foot down and taking charge.

What’s your confession? Lay it all out in the comments. We’re here for you!

Ladies and Gents, I present…our fitness challenge.

Dunn, dunn, dunnnnn.

Just kidding. Seriously, I’m kind of in love with this challenge. Why? It’s simple. Back to basics. We’re basing this challenge on recently released CDC guidelines on the amount and type of physical activity recommended for adults.

The Challenge

It’s simple. We’re asking you to do either 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three times weekly OR 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times weekly. We’re not asking you to log your info anywhere, you’re only accountable to yourself. However, feel free to log your time/exercise over at DailyMile.com, or wherever you’re comfortable. If you think Daily Mile is just for runners, think again…you can log all types of physical activity – plus, I love Daily Mile because you can link it up to Facebook and Twitter and get all kinds of encouragement.

What’s The Diff? Moderate vs. Vigorous Intensity

Choose your poison. Both moderate and vigorous intensity activity are beneficial. It just depends on your time limits (obviously vigorous intensity is more convenient for someone with little time to work out) and what kind of shape you’re in.

According to the CDC:

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you’re working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell is that you’ll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song. Here are some examples of activities that require moderate effort:

• Walking fast
• Doing water aerobics
• Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
• Playing doubles tennis
• Pushing a lawn mower

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you’re breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. If you’re working at this level, you won’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Here are some examples of activities that require vigorous effort:

• Jogging or running
• Swimming laps
• Riding a bike fast or on hills
• Playing singles tennis
• Playing basketball

The Break-Down

That’s it, y’all.

Moderate Activity: 30 mins x 5 times per week

OR

Vigorous Activity: 20 minutes x 3 times per week.

What are you planning on tackling? Let us know in the comments! Questions are also welcome. If you have any, ask away, and we’ll do our best to answer.

Happy exercising and here’s to a HEALTHY and ACTIVE 2012!

The prospect of reviewing anything yoga related made me pretty excited. I love yoga. I mean, I really LOVE yoga. Unfortunately, the crazy that surrounds my life doesn’t allow me to attend my beloved hot yoga classes.

I logged onto Gaiam TV expecting to find a library of streaming yoga videos.

What I found was much, much more. A library of more than 2000 wellness, fitness, health, uplifting and inspirational films, all a simple mouse click away. Pilates. Yoga videos. Even Jillian Michaels.

The more I dug into the website, the more excited I became. For someone who just can’t get to a gym, but really wants instruction and guidance, Gaiam TV is a wish come true.

There was only one problem. I wanted to view the videos on my iPad. But wait…THERE’S AN APP! Gaiam TV is also compatible with the iPhone and the iPod Touch and will also be compatible with Android, Roku and Samsung Smart TV in the very near future.

Members pay just $9.95 a month for unlimited access to over 2000 high quality videos AND there is a 10 day free trial. You’d be hard pressed to find a gym for $9.95 per month. Most drop in yoga or pilates classed in my area cost at least ten dollars PER CLASS.

With Gaiam TV, you basically have your own private yoga studio. Or conditioning class. Or screening of wellness videos from the Mayo Clinic. All the time. When it is convenient for you.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much to explore and learn on this site, it’s kind of mind boggling. In a good way.

If you’re looking for a way to mix up your workout routine, I highly recommend you check out Gaiam TV. I mean, there’s a 10 day free trial. What do you have to lose?

Gaiam TV also has gift subscriptions. So, if you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift…well, you’re welcome. Personally, I would be pretty thrilled to receive this in my stocking!

Wait. There’s more. The lovely people at Gaiam are offering up a free three month subscription to one of our lucky readers!

There are two ways to enter:

1. Go check out Gaiam TV, then come back and tell us (in the comments, below) which video you’d try first!

2. Tweet about this giveaway, then leave a comment with the link. Don’t forget to mention @shrinkingjeans in your tweet.

This giveaway will end at midnight PST on Thursday, December 29. Please make sure to leave your email with your comments so we can contact you…if you win, we need to be able to get in touch!

Good luck! And namaste.

Disclouse: This is a sponsored post for which The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC received monetary compensation. As always, all opinions expressed are our own.

But this week, I want to try something different. I want to talk about giving back. Reaching out. Helping someone less fortunate.

This time of year, it is SO easy to get caught up in STUFF. It starts on Black Friday, or even earlier. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally not judging. I’ve been stalking the Amazon Flash Sales like a psycho. In my breaks from manic Internet shopping, I’ve been trying to catch up on blogs.

And I ran across the most amazing post called Operation WANA: We Are Not A**holes in my Facebook feed. It stopped me dead in my tracks. An invitation to those in need to post their story in the comments, in the hopes someone could help. I sat, reading through the comments, crying.

I’ve read Martinis or Diaper Genies  (MODG) for a few years now, and usually am laughing out loud. Amanda is hilarious. But this thing she’s started, this outpouring of kindness, honestly leaves me without words.

Today, in the spirit of the season, I wanted to bring some attention to some great ways to spread some cheer, to make a difference. And I’ll bullet point them, cause Lord knows I love bullet points. Also, it makes your life easier. See? I’m giving back already.

• Our Lissa’s a-freaking-dorable eight-year-old twin boys, Bridger and Ashton, are each raising money for Charity: Water. These two kiddos are incredible. Seriously. They have each already raised over $1000 each to bring clean water to people in Ethiopia. Clean water…a basic human necessity. These boys are doing great things, and kudos to their parents for raising such empathetic young dudes! Go check out their fundraising pages. Truly inspiring.
• Even if you are short on cash money, you can still make a difference. My friend, Andrea, has a great tradition with her children: Twenty-Five Days of Giving. She’s got a great list of inexpensive ways to brighten someone’s day. Plus, it’s a great way to encourage younger children to develop a love of giving.
• Food banks are being used more than ever. There’s SO much need. Consider making a donation to your local food bank or giving the gift of your time.
• The holidays can be a very lonely time for some. Remember that some people’s foul moods have deep roots – and maybe, just maybe, a kind word or a smile will make a difference to them. So my last suggestion, to all of you, is absolutely free and so very necessary. Be gentle with each other.

I know there are so many other ways to give back. What cause do you absolutely love? Give it a shout out in the comments.

Okay, go forth and spread the love. You’ll help someone, and you’ll help yourself. Win-win.

I can’t even get my head around how dumb it was for me to schedule myself to write the True Confessions post the week after Thanksgiving.

That said, at least you’ll be entertained. Here we go:

Confession 1: I hosted Thanksgiving this year. I could have chosen healthful recipes. I could have made better decisions. But did I? No. I went all out. It was a total Pioneer Woman Thanksgiving. Lots of butter. Half and half. Sugar. And the only green vegetable was in the green bean casserole.

Confession 2: I made two pies. Only one was brought out because one of my guests unexpectedly brought the same pie and I didn’t want to upstage with my awesome baking skills. So guess who ate pumpkin pie for breakfast three days in a row. THIS GIRL. Oh my lord. I can’t believe I’m even admitting this. Eeep!

Confession 3 (Oh yes, it keeps getting better): The day after Thanksgiving, I mixed up a bunch of the leftovers (turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, gravy) and baked it in leftover pie crust. Delicious? Yes. Healthy. Not by a long shot.

Confesssion 4: I can’t remember the last time I exercised.

Confession 5: This confession is positive. In a roundabout way. I’ll start out by saying that I have a treadmill in the garage. I used it a lot when I was training for my half marathon. Then, during my pregnancy, it became a place to hang up clothes to dry. Well, this week, I uncovered it. I picked up and organized all around it and now I feel that I can use it without being driven mad by the clutter. I have no excuse. I may be getting my exercise in late at night after the children FINALLY fall asleep, but it’s doable.

Those are my confessions. I DARE you to beat my food transgressions. Confess all below, or link up.

Here’s to a fresh start and a new week!

And then?  The stuffing, the gravy, the mashed potatoes – they form a coalition to completely wreck my willpower. Cranberry sauce joins the party and I’m defenseless.

I wake up the next morning in a shroud of regret, doing the food walk of shame. Of course, I try to burn as much as I can hitting up the Black Friday sales, but I can’t go in on an empty stomach.

That’s where my Super Duper Smoothie comes into play. Packed with vitamin c, fiber, antioxidants and protien, it’s just the right mix to help battle the maniacs in the mall. Even if you don’t brave the Black Friday sales, whip up this smoothie for a little detox, and to help avoid eating a turkey sandwich and a slice of pie for breakfast!

Super Duper Smoothie

Combine the following in a blender:

1/2 cup plain, fat-free greek yogurt or kefir (I love kefir – it’s a like a mix between milk and yogurt)

1 cup frozen fruit – I like blueberries and mangos.

1/2 banana

2 T psyllium husks – you can find this at Trader Joe’s or a health food store

1 serving vitamin c crystals – I also find these at Trader Joe’s or the health food store

honey or agave to taste

Blend until the smoothie is your desired consistency, adding water as needed. Serves one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMBbKzEfIvg

P.S. If this video is showing up sideways for you, switch from viewing in 360p to 240p. Or turn your computer sideways. (I tried to fix it, I swear, but between Quicktime and YouTube…well, they’re both out to get me.)

The tribes list will be updated later this evening. Be sure to check back later for the updated list!

As you heard in the vlog, all finalists need to email support@shrinkingjeans.net with photos of their starting weight and their weight as of yesterday’s weigh-in by noon tomorrow (11/11). If you fail to contact us, you’ll be replaced! We’re harsh like that!

Once the finalists send their photos, we will send them an instructional email with questions to answer in a vlog post. The vlogs will be linked to the Sisterhood and voting will open on Saturday, 11/12.

Good luck to all our finalists!

Also, remember that if you are on Exile Island, you still have the chance to win the title of Exiled Shrinkvivor!

Finally, a big shout out to our sponsor, Body Glide.

The winner of this week’s gift pack is…

Shelley Z. from Team Lean Jean! Please contact us at support@shrinkingjeans.net to claim your prize.

Okay, that’s all from me. Have a great week and don’t forget to check back on Saturday to vote for your favorite finalist!

Dogs out. Make coffee. Kids breakfast. My breakfast.  Make husband’s lunch. Playtime for kiddos while I organize/clean garage. Nap for the babe. Five loads of laundry (three year old had an accident last night), washed, dried, folded, put away. Beds made. Load the kids in the car. Haircut for the boy. Lunch. Groceries. Home. Groceries away. Nap number two for the babe. Play outside (Okay, the kiddo played, I scooped dog poop. Yay.) Make dinner. Feed children and myself. Bath time. Kids in jammies. Read same book to the boy…five times.  Reheat dinner for husband. Put the babe to bed. Put the boy to bed. Do the dinner dishes. Put the babe to bed AGAIN.

And here I am. This is the first time I’ve sat down for more than 10 minutes. It’s almost 10:30 pm.

Whew. To say I’m scattered and exhausted is most definitely an understatement.

I’m sure days like this are the norm for many of you. Am I right? Days where you go go GO and when you finally stop, you can’t remember what you’ve done.

As I sit here, pounding away at my keyboard, I feel my lower back aching. I know why it’s hurting – I have zero core strength. I used to do pilates to keep my core, thus my back, in check.

I used to run. I used to spend hours immersed in books. There are so many things I USED to do. I can hardly remember what free time is like. In fact, I wonder what the hell I did with myself before I had children.

Scratch that. I SLEPT.

The lack of ‘me’ time in my life is reaching critical mass. I have a mile long to do list. My personal blog is stagnant. My DVR is bursting at the seams with unwatched shows. I’m living vicariously through Pinterest.

I know I must carve out some time to take care of myself. My body is telling me. It’s hurting. It’s breaking down.

I need exercise. Sleep. Showers that last longer than 2 minutes. Maybe exercise is going to have to be a quick circuit of planks, crunches and push ups while the kiddo is at preschool and the babe (hopefully) naps, with a walk thrown in here and there. Sleep? Go to bed earlier, I suppose. But that means forfeiting the shower.

Ummm.

Seriously, can someone give me a few more hours in the day?

And also? If you have this time juggle figured out, clue a girl in, okay?