BREAKFAST OR BUST?

I have developed a pretty typical morning routine that I prefer to stick to (read this as I get real cranky otherwise). I drink two cups of water, crack open a can of diet pop and then sit at my laptop to email my mom then check my favorite new sites (Fox news is always first, then CNN etc) but today all that came to a screeching halt when I read this article (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,473072,00.html) The headline grabbed my attention. Kid who eat breakfast lose their virginity later. No, not later in the day after their Wheaties have settled but rather an average of two years later. That is pretty significant. As a mother of a 16 year old boy this hit home. I try to encourage my son to eat breakfast because I know it is healthier. Now armed with this ammo that kid isn't getting out of here without an omelet or other healthy fare. I know it isn't just the partaking of a morning meal that delayed the teens in the study from having sex. It is more to do with the home environment. Kids who grow up with someone who cares enough to provide them with a nutritional breakfast is more likely to be providing them with other essentials such as role modeling, support, love etc. In my eyes I provide that to my son but perception always rules over reality so who knows what he really thinks. Making him breakfast in the morning won't ever change but the menu will. I am thinking that subliminal messaging might just affect the teenage mind so I am striking a few things from the breakfast menu. No more pop tarts or french toast, definitely no sticky buns and absolutely no hoe cakes ever.

PAMPERING MYSELF HEAD TO TOE

The economy is in the dumps, money is tight. Blah, blah,blah. That is nothing new but darn it I needed some ''ME'' time and some sprucing up. I decided to give myself an early Christmas present without blowing the budget so I went to the closest beauty school in Omaha. First thing I figured it out is they sure don't like being referred to as a beauty school. They are an aesthetic academy or some such thing. It looked like a professional spa. Very modern decor, super clean and crazy busy. They offer all the services of a day spa from haircuts to body wraps, facial peels to French manicures. Every service you can get at a spa but for a fraction of the cost.

I started with a pedicure and loved the leather spa chair with built in massager. Considering it is wintertime and no one is going to see my feet I opted for purple polish and rhinestones. I love having some bling on my toes! Next it was off to mow my unibrow. Ok, maybe it wasn't that bad but they did require some serious landscaping. The stylist to be was a bit nervous about cutting my hair since I wanted more than a trim but I reassured her that since hair does grow back and whatever she did was not as permanent as let say a tattoo that I would be just fine. Off she went like a less psychologically damaged Edward Scissorhands and relieved me of a good portion of my hair. I had checked into donating it but it fit neither Locks of Love or Wigs for Kids guidelines so there it lay in lumps and clumps on the floor around the chair seemingly dejected. It was over processed had split ends and now low self esteem since no one , including me, wanted it anymore.

Call it beauty school or aesthetic academy one thing to keep in mind is it takes longer for whatever you have having done. A lot longer. The students must have the director or their trainer check and sign off on all their work. I think the time is worth it though. Two and a half hours later I emerged refreshed and with a different look for quite a bit less than I would pay elsewhere.

FORGET PETA WE NEED PETP !

PETP is not nearly as catchy as PETA which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals but I thinking we need People for the Ethical Treatment of People.

PETA which is against wearing leather, fur, eating, zoos, animal experimentation and the circus. They vehemently claim animals have rights too and will go to extreme to voice their opinion. Sure they violate peoples rights in the name of standing up for animal rights but that just shows how important their cause is , right?

Throwing paint on people wearing fur coats, tossing flour on Lindsey Lohan for wearing fur doesn't do much for me in terms of seeing things their way.

I wonder if any of the protesters would refuse any medicine that was produced via animal testing if they or one of their loved ones would be stricken with a possibly fatal disease. Would they say no to a potentially life saving chemotherapy drug because the company manufacturing it used animal testing? PETA's latest advertising campaign is interesting to me , actually I find it obnoxious. If features Khloe Kardashian who is ''famous'' they way many young people in Hollywood are these days. Her father was one of OJ Simpsons lawyers in his murder trial, her sister has , as Joel McHale says , a big ass and a sex tape which in California leads to the inevitable reality show. ( Keeping up with the Kardashians) throw a DUI in there and now Khloe is famous! Famous enough to be exploited by PETA at least. Their ad features Khloe sans clothing stating ''I'd rather go naked than wear fur.'' Between their demeaning use of only beautiful , thin women in the ''go naked'' ads, intimidation ploys and sneak attacks I guess PETA saves all its ethical treatments for animals because they way they treat fellow humans is shameful.

MY BUTT NEEDS A BAILOUT

I don't get it. The autoworkers haven't run their business well and admit mistakes. They are floundering financially and are asking for a ton of cash from the government similar to the financial bailout that some banks and financial companies received. There are some Americans who will qualify for assistance to avoid foreclosure too thanks to recent developments in Washington. I was reading a University of Pennsylvania study that indicated participants fared better and lost more weight in employee wellness plans when there was financial incentives at stake. Now there is an idea. Obesity is becoming more prevalent and according to the Center of Disease Control it costs our country more than 117 billion dollars each year. The way I see it The Big Butt Bailout would benefit chubsters such as myself twofold. I would have added incentive to lose weight and the extra incentive money I would spend on purchasing smaller sized clothes therefore helping the economy.

I feel so patriotic coming up with this plan.

THE NOT SO SWEET TRUTH

Years ago I had read an article about High Fructose Corn Syrup and how its use is becoming more prevalent. No kidding! These days it is hard to pick up any prepackaged food without it being listed in the ingredients. Ketchup, bread, cereal, yogurt all may contain HFCS.
There is a bit of debate between nutritionists and the Corn Refiners Association (who make HFCS) about the risks of HFCS. Many scientists and nutritionist believe that HFCS contributes to the growing obesity epidemic in our country. The CRA even launched an advertising campaign to supposedly clear up the facts and enlighten consumers about HFCS. The commercials try to turn their bad rap into a silly urban myth with no basis in truth. The funny thing about facts is sometimes the more detail you go into the less ''factual'' the claim can be. For example the CRA states ''IT IS MADE FROM CORN'' that indeed is a fact. However, it is refined using artificial agents making it no where near as nutritional beneficial as an ear of corn.
''IT IS NATURAL'' . Whoa nelly, it starts out natural but the Food and Drug Administration's labeling guidelines let this one squeak by as nothing artificial is added to the final product but a bevy of artificial and/or synthetic agents are used to manufacture HFCS. Nice loophole! Another claim touted in the television commercial by the CRA is that ''LIKE SUGAR, OK IN MODERATION'' . There have been enough lab rats with organ abnormalities for this to give me pause but even without conclusive scientific evidence that HFCS is bad for you I would say that given that this is found in nearly 80% of prepackaged foods that it is very difficult to consume it in moderation if your diet consists of those types of foods. It is in foods you might not suspect such as :
Pepsi
Tropicana Smoothies
Wonderbread
Kellogs Corn Flakes
Powerbar
Miracle Whip
Nabisco Fig Newtons
Delsym Childrens Cough Syrup
Kraft Cheese Nips
Nabisco Wheat Thins
Cool Whip
Yoplait yogurt
Smuckers Grape Jelly
Wishbone Ranch Dressing
A1 Sauce
Bullseye BBQ Sauce
Stove Top Stuffing


This is by no means an inclusive list. It is just a tiny sample of where HFCS is. It is not limited to brand types or specific food groups. Now one can see how ''moderation'' would be difficult to achieve. Until the FDA tightens their guidelines and more conclusive research is done it is up to the consumer to diligently read labels and decide if that prepackaged food is worth the convenience or if there is another product on the shelf that doesn't list HFCS on its ingredients. Write to the manufacturer and tell them you won't buy their products with HFCS. I avoid it whenever I can and remember next time you push your cart down the aisle of the grocery store... CAVEAT EMPTOR (let the buyer beware)