With all that they do, moms rarely get a moment to take a break and enjoy a bit of time for themselves.

Dr. Wendy Walsh, busy single mom, TV personality and college professor, understands what it’s like to be busy. Here are her tips for helping other moms sneak a little “me time.”

•    All moms should take a guilt-free break during their busy day. Try arriving at school carpool early. Turn off the car engine, tune into a favorite radio station and reach into your bag for a favorite snack – like a Keebler Granola Fudge Bar. The granola bars are 150 calories and contain 3 grams of fiber*.

•    Watching kids read can remind moms how relaxing it is to escape in the pages of a riveting novel. Get mom-friends together and form a book club, so there’s always an excuse to take a break. Tell kids you’re doing Mommy-homework, because the book club is meeting soon.

•    As the sun sets, parents want to wind down, but sometimes kids, especially colicky babies, wind up. A nice walk is a great way to calm a child down. When the kids get older, keep walking at sunset. It’s a great way to take a break from the chaos of the house and soothe yourself.

From taking a peaceful break to enjoying a favorite snack, the importance of a little break in a very hectic day is key for moms. For more wholesome snack ideas like granola bars, that can be enjoyed by mom and the entire family, visit www.keebler.com.

* contain 5-6g total fat per serving

Moms, Grab Some “Me Time” With These Tips was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

Understanding how treatment may affect your fertility is the first step in assessing your options for fertility preservation. Chemotherapy can damage eggs, the sacs holding the eggs and the production of sex hormones. Radiation therapy has similar effects, sometimes causing irregular periods or halting them altogether.

Both treatments can cause infertility immediately or years down the road by inducing early menopause. Premature menopause occurs when a woman’s menstrual cycles end before she turns 40. Surgical treatments removing both ovaries will cause menopause right away. Cancer treatment can also affect a woman’s pregnancy. For example, high-dose radiation to the pelvic area can increase the danger of miscarriages and premature births.

Regardless of the treatment they receive, women diagnosed with cancer have options to protect their fertility. Standard fertility preservation methods include embryo banking, shielding the pelvic region during radiation, and ovarian transposition – when surgeons secure the ovaries in a position away from the radiation field.

The standard treatment for uterine or ovarian cancer is the removal of both ovaries and the uterus, but some women with early-stage cancer that has a low risk of spreading may be able to keep their ovaries. Women with early-stage cervical cancer may choose to have only their cervix removed and keep their uterus and ovaries.

In the future, more options will be available. Researchers are exploring experimental fertility preservation methods such as egg banking and ovarian tissue banking.

Women who undergo cancer treatment can often have a child in the future, but it’s important to know the risks ahead of time. Consult your doctor or oncologist about your chances of success. Or ask your doctor to recommend a reproductive endocrinologist, a fertility specialist. Learn more at savemyfertility.org.

Women and Cancer: Safeguard Your Future Fertility was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

That is, until now. Launched in 2009, Ohio-based designer Debbie Kuhn is bursting onto the market with a comfortable new concept that will have you gearing to go this summer: girltrunks. Kuhn designed the two-piece suits because the traditional swimsuit market offered nothing that covered the legs. After accepting an invitation to tube down the Madison River in Montana, she remembers futilely searching the racks at Nordstrom when she had a novel idea.

“Why don’t I pair a tankini top with men’s swim trunks?” said Kuhn. She did just that and wore her newly created swimwear in Montana. “It was a day in time I remember vividly. I felt so liberated, in swimwear of all things, and I wanted to share that feeling with other women.”

We’re glad she did. The trunks fit like Bermuda shorts and are made of a quick-drying polyamide material with mesh lining that dries almost instantly, unlike many traditional women’s bathing suits. They are available at www.mygirltrunks.com in sizes 4-24 and come in two leg-covering lengths. Pair the trunks with a halter or tank top that has a flattering fit, and you have more than a swimsuit. You have an outfit – no cover-up needed.

Like their slogan, “Reinventing swimwear for women,” girltrunks deliver a sense of confidence women so desperately lack during bathing suit season. But the suits don’t just flatter – they’re versatile, too. Swimming, hiking, volleyball, waterparks and building sand castles on the beach; women’s swim trunks lend themselves to any activity. Short to tall, skinny to plus-sized, apple to pear, teenager to grandmother; women no longer must remain prisoners to their beach towels. They now have the freedom to choose.

Women’s Swimwear Has Been Reinvented This Beach Season was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

Whether you would like to make a good impression at work or at a job interview or look professional and successful for an important business meeting, your work attire affects how others perceive you.

Luckily, Nygard’s designer women’s clothing pieces makes it easy to look stylish and sensible in the workplace, no matter what your shape or size. The Nygard Moderate lines, ALIA and Tan Jay, offer great staple wardrobe pieces that are comfortable and versatile. Products found at Nygard can easily be mixed and matched with each other. The colorful printed tops work well layered under a sleek boyfriend jacket as well as on their own with a chunky necklace for added oomph. Plain-colored blouses with ruffled or beaded accents around the collar area can be paired with almost anything.

For those watching their bottom line, Nygard’s recommends this rule of thumb: All you need are four tops, three bottoms and two jackets to mix and match 23 different outfits. For instance, three blouses, a pair of pants, two skirts, two vests and a tweed jacket can be seamlessly mixed together for an entire month’s worth of outfits, without breaking the bank!

Log on to www.nygard.com for jackets, skirts, dresses, pants, tops and more to mix and match! Become a fan on Facebook.

Dress for Success on a Shoestring Budget was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

Knowing your body type and choosing the right clothes that complement your body are the next steps to this process. Instead of classifying women as “apples” or “curvy,” the Canadian women’s clothing line – Nygard – looks beyond these rudimentary labels and strives to treat women like unique jewels. Peter Nygard, the company’s founder and chairman, strives to design affordable, high-quality fashions for today’s real women: the emeralds, diamonds, opals and pears. Follow these fashion tips based on your unique body jewel:

Emerald: A boyish shape with shoulders the same width as the hips and an undefined waist, Nygard recommends that emerald’s get curvy — wear clothing that simulates an hourglass shape by emphasizing your shoulders and hips. Look for jackets that have strong or wide shoulders that make your waist appear smaller, or a peasant blouse that creates shape and interest on top. Rely on belts to pull the eye inward — wide, skinny or anywhere in between.

Diamond: Naturally well-proportioned shoulders and hips with a small and defined waist. Diamonds should seek out clothes that follow that basic frame and keep the shoulders and hips balanced. For instance, V-necks, sweetheart and scoop necklines that square off the shoulders will flatter a diamond’s collarbone and neck. Opt for fitted blazers instead of boxy, as well as full, pleated, A-line or pencil skirts with a wide waistband.

Opal: A swimmer’s body; broad shoulders and narrow hips. Nygard’s advice is to wear clothes that de-emphasize your shoulders and add contour to your bottom half to balance your figure. Jackets that cinch at the waist, and then flare out, create the illusion of curvy hips. Choose darker colors on top to narrow your silhouette, paired with low-rise pants with side pocket detailing or full, printed skirts.

Pear: Like it’s name, a pear-shaped body with narrow shoulders, a defined waist and a fuller bottom and hips. Add balance by creating wider shoulders, highlighting your waist and playing down your bottom half. Wear texture on top to create volume and interest, along with dark colors below the waistline. Boot-cut pants make hips look slender by balancing hip width to hem width. Most importantly, think vertical: Knee-length pencil skirts will hold curves in.

For more styles and tips for your body jewel, visit www.nygard.com. Become a fan on Facebook.

Fashion Guide for Your Body Type was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

The fashion show wasn’t the first time breast cancer has graced Nygård’s runway. Last year, Nygård held a special fall fashion premiere to debut gowns designed for women undergoing mammograms. Nygård International designed and donated 1,500 gowns worth $90,000 to CancerCare Manitoba. “We get many positive letters from women who have gone through the clinic and are thankful to use the gowns,” said Sharon Clarke, a Nygård spokeswoman.

Nygård’s commitment to finding a breast cancer cure stems from his mother, Hilkka Nygård, a breast cancer survivor who passed away just last year. Hilkka personified the hard work, determination and drive that became the cornerstones of Nygård’s success.

Over the years, Nygård has donated millions of dollars to the cause. In 2004, they announced the opening of two state-of-the-art Breast Cancer Research Units — the Nygård International Molecular Biology Breast Cancer Research Unit and the Breast Cancer Tumour Bank. From 2001-2008, Nygård was also a National Champion-level sponsor of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure and has created an endowment fund at CancerCare Manitoba to fund ongoing research.

“Breast cancer awareness and research continues to be top of mind for our associations, 12 months of the year,” said Nygård.

To become a fan on Facebook, visit Facebook.

Nygård’s Commitment to a Breast Cancer Cure Continues was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

Women are the family health managers, and they often put themselves last. “Fear prevents a lot of women from making the necessary appointments for medical tests to stay healthy,” explained Jenny Sucov, editor, EverydayHealth.com. “We wanted to focus on five major conditions affecting women’s health—from fibroids to breast cancer to osteoporosis—and dispel some old beliefs about what’s involved in certain procedures. Ultimately, we want to educate women and encourage them to take charge of their own health.”

Here’s a glimpse at some of the findings:

•    Heart Disease. Researchers are working on better ways to evaluate heart disease in women, even routine assessment of risk factors like high cholesterol. For example, a recent study showed that a woman’s menstrual cycle can impact her cholesterol levels: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels peak around ovulation, when estrogen levels are highest, and total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels decline a couple of days after ovulation. “Until recently, we have not had scientific information to help us understand better how to predict, diagnose, prevent or treat heart disease in women,” says Dr. Vivian Pinn, director of the Federal Government’s Office of Research on Women’s Health. “This type of research is not only needed, but will be extremely beneficial in helping to improve the health of women.”

•    Breast Cancer. Promising screening techniques and drug therapies are stirring new optimism. A new Computed Tomography (CT) scanner, custom designed for the breast, eliminates the need to compress breast tissue and produces a 3D image in as little as 10 seconds. The CT scanner can also detect tumors as small as 3 mm that are difficult to see on a mammogram.

•    Fibroids. About one in five women develops uterine fibroids during her child-bearing years. Some fibroids don’t need treatment, or can be managed by taking birth-control pills or other drugs. But others do require surgery, in some cases a hysterectomy. In the past, a hysterectomy would require many weeks of painful recovery, leaving large scars. Thanks in part to newer robotic surgery techniques, called da Vinci Surgery, hysterectomy patients can leave the hospital the next morning with only a few tiny (1/2 to 1 inch) incisions to heal, reaching full recovery within days.

•    Osteoporosis & Osteoarthritis. Advances are being made in the treatment of osteoporosis, namely drugs to increase bone mass rather than just prevent bone loss.

“Major new developments are expected in drugs that increase bone mass, rather than just inhibiting bone loss,” says Dr. Sundeep Khosla, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and the president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. One existing osteoporosis drug—Forteo—works in this way, but it’s expensive ($12,000 to $16,000 a year), requires daily injections, and has been shown to cause cancer in animals, so physicians usually limit its duration of use to a couple of years. “It was important for being the first in its class,” says Dr. Khosla, “but the pharmaceutical industry is busy developing new drugs to stimulate bone growth that aren’t as expensive and are easier to administer.”

•    Gestational Diabetes. About 135,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with gestational diabetes each year, or 4 percent of all pregnant women. The number of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes may double under new testing standards announced in March, according to the American Diabetes Association. That would mean more women affected by the condition would have the chance to alter their diets or take medication to reduce their blood-sugar levels, keeping themselves—and their babies—safe. Left untreated, gestational diabetes can lead to overweight babies, complications during delivery and a higher risk for both mother and child of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

“If we can identify these women and intervene to make sure they’re taking preventative measures for themselves and their children, that would make a dent in the overall diabetes epidemic,” says Carol Homco, an ADA spokeswoman and associate professor of nursing at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Women are encouraged to put their health first, so they can better take care of their families today and every day. To read more about the exciting progress being made for women’s health and to find a free, educational event near you, log on to EverydayHealth.com.

Innovations In Women’s Health Shine Brightly This May was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

Migraine headaches – those chronic, severe headaches that typically cause intense, crippling pain that is often accompanied by nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound – have triggers, or factors and events that make them more likely to occur. Not every migraine sufferer has the same triggers, and the same migraine sufferer might not react to her triggers the same way every time. Sometimes, it’s not a single trigger, but a series of triggers that cause the migraine. For example, a woman might not get a migraine from skipping a meal, but might get a migraine from skipping a meal on a day in which she’s had inadequate sleep or too much caffeine.

Women are three times as likely to have migraines as men, and their triggers may be slightly different. According to the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Library of Medicine, many women with migraines experience the following triggers:

• Too much or too little sleep
• Skipped meals
• Hormone changes during the menstrual cycle
• Stress
• Weather changes
• Alcohol (often red wine)
• Caffeine
• Foods that contain nitrates, MSG, tyramine or aspartame
• Bright lights
• Strong odors

The good news? Identifying your migraine triggers can help you avoid migraines. Start keeping a migraine diary. Every time you have a headache, write down where you were and what you were doing when the migraine started, what you ate in the 24 hours before the attack, and what day of your period you were on when the headache started. This can help you identify patterns. For example, if you get migraines whenever you have a hot dog with Diet Coke, your migraines might be triggered by nitrates, aspartame and caffeine.

Of course, you can’t always avoid migraine triggers like weather changes or lights, so it’s a good idea to keep a migraine treatment on hand. One all-natural migraine remedy, Lipigesic M, uses feverfew and ginger to reduce the inflammation that causes migraine headaches.

To learn more, visit www.lipigesic.com.

Women: Simple Tips to Identify Migraine Triggers was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

Migraine is the most common form of disabling headache, affecting about 50 million Americans. About 75 percent of the Americans suffering migraines are women. Doctors believe that fluctuations in hormone levels, which women undergo until menopause, may be responsible.

Migraines cause such severe pain that most sufferers find themselves debilitated, and women juggling professional and domestic responsibilities can ill afford to put their lives on hold. Luckily, faster and more effective treatments are becoming available. The makers of LipiGesic-M, a non-prescription migraine medication, offer the following tips:

•    Start a migraine journal. Most migraines are caused by specific triggers. Learn what triggers cause your migraines, and you learn how to prevent them. Start a journal in which you record waking time, bedtime, temperature, meals eaten and whether or not you are having a period. When you do have migraines, you can look into your journal for trends. Common triggers include lack of or too much sleep, skipped meals, loud noises, wine, caffeine, stress, weather changes and foods containing aspartame, MSG or nitrates.

•    Try all-natural solutions. Certain herbs, such as peppermint and ginger, may help ease headaches. Feverfew, a plant related to daisies, may be especially effective in treating migraines. LipiGesic-M uses a revolutionary sublingual delivery method to speed its migraine-fighting ingredients into the bloodstream, resulting in quick pain relief. You can get on with your life within minutes.

•    Reduce stress. Everyday stresses, such as an upcoming deadline or worries about a child’s grades, cause most headaches. Help eliminate stress by exercising, eating healthily, getting enough rest and practicing relaxation techniques, like meditation.

For more information, visit www.lipigesic.com.

Women: Don’t Let Migraines Take Over Your Life was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

Empire Beauty Schools, one of the nation’s largest systems of cosmetology schools, has created an educational assistance program to help these women. The Empire Gives Back Endowment Program allots money for clients of domestic violence relief organizations across the country. The endowment will provide up to $3,000 towards attending any Empire Education Group beauty school. The goal of the fund is to help abuse victims afford a cosmetology education, which can mean a path to financial independence.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of cosmetology is projected to grow 20 percent between 2008 and 2018. And aside from its healthy job outlook, cosmetology has proven to be an answer for mothers who need a flexible job schedule that will allow for their childcare needs.

“Domestic violence affects one out of every four women, and that includes our clients and even our Empire family,” says Franklin K. Schoeneman, CEO and Chairman of Empire Education Group. “Thanks to our endowment program, students have come to us from many of the women’s shelters we support around the country, and we have witnessed first-hand how the opportunity for a cosmetology career can change a life.”

Empire is not the only organization to embrace the concept that cosmetology can be a solution for women who desperately need a lifeline. Beyoncé Knowles just opened the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at Phoenix House, a drug and alcohol addiction-recovery center in New York. Knowles, whose mother once ran her own salon, said that she felt like the program needed something that was geared towards women.

Career assistance is only one way the salon industry helps in the fight against domestic violence. Hairstylists often share intimate client relationships, allowing them to notice signs of abuse that others may miss. Women usually see their hairdressers regularly, building trust over time, and sometimes feel more comfortable confiding in their hairdresser than family members or friends. Empire educates students on how to inform abused clients about where to get help.

“We’ve worked with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office on Violence Against Women to launch our Empire Gives Back awareness and fundraising program, and we are hopeful that our new endowment program will be a path to a new career and, hopefully, a new life for women in need,” said Schoeneman.

To learn more, visit www.empiregivesback.com.

Cosmetology Offers Domestic Violence Victims New Path was posted at Copyright Free Content. | http://www.copyrightfreecontent.com