Mom and Busy are synonyms if you have young kids. We get stretched and pulled in all directions, juggling and multitasking. It helps to have great resources that lighten the load and make things easier, more manageable and even fun. What a concept!

I’m part of Family Alliance Network (FAN) and tomorrow night we’re having a complimentary Parent Information Night at Sonoma Chicken Coop in Campbell from 7-9 pm.

Join us for an educational evening with family services offered in our community.  You will learn:

• Five Tips to Get Organized and Save Your Sanity: Carrie Vawter-Yousfi, The Mommy’s Coach

• Five Simple Shopping Habits to Improve Your Health: Tamara Archer, Moms Health Zone

• Five Ways to Eat Healthier with a Busy Lifestyle: Ellen Hovey, Wildtree

• Five Strategies for Making the Most of Your Photos: Lenore Sanborn, Creative Memories

• Five Concerns in Today’s Real Estate Market: Kirsten Reilly, Sereno Group Real Estate

• Five Simple Steps to Creating Wellness in Your Home: Tina Blease, Simply Green & Healthy Home

• Five Tips for Family Friendly Interior Design: Thora Tam, Decorating Den Interiors

• Five Ways to Shift Those Tense Mom/Family Communications: Amber DeAnn, Family Communications & Harmony Coach

In 2 hours, you will come away with 40 tips toward a simpler and healthier lifestyle for your family. PLUS samples and demos provided from all our FAN members including: *Send Out Cards *Blue Dolphin Creations *Stork Stopped Here *Active Avenue *PACE

To learn more about our members and their services, please visit Family Alliance Network.

Or for questions, please call Carrie, Founder of Family Alliance Network aka FAN at 408-386-0803.

Your reservation enters you into our raffle drawings for gifts from our FAN members, value over $500. Event is free though registration is required so we can plan for seating and food.

Plus, bring a friend and you both earn an extra ticket for the raffle prizes!

Register today and see you there!

One of the best ways to stay healthy in any season is to incorporate fresh produce into your daily diet. Help your family eat healthier this fall by picking up some of fall’s best produce options. Use the resource link on our site to locate farmer’s markets or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) in your area.  http://momshealthzone.com/resources/ or check for local produce at your grocery store for these fresh fall fruits and vegetables.

The Best Fall Fruits

Apples: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is probably because apples are high in vitamin C and fiber, and are packed with antioxidants, which may help prevent chronic illness and slow aging. Apples come in a wonderful variety of flavors, textures and sizes, so this fall fruit is a great quick treat for anyone on-the-go. One of our favorites is the Honey Crisp; check it out!

Cranberries: A fall fruit most commonly found dried, juiced or canned, cranberries have a number of health benefits no matter how they are consumed. Fresh cranberries are at their best October through November. According to Kelly Fitzpatrick, “Research suggests cranberry concentrate can help prevent urinary tract infections and fresh cranberries can prevent oral diseases and slow the growth of breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancers.” We just found a delicious recipe using yams and we substituted dried cranberries for the golden raisins and it was absolutely delicious! We didn’t toast the pistachios either so the green color adds to a beautiful presentation. We eat first with our eyes so putting attention on presentation adds to the enjoyment factor at mealtime. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/10/roasted-yams-with-citrus-sauce?printable=true

Pears: These sweet fall fruits hail from either Europe or Asia, although the European varieties like Bosc and Bartlett are most common in the U.S. and grow on the west coast during fall. “Pears are high in soluble fiber, which helps lower ‘bad’ cholesterol, or LDL. To get that daily dose of fiber or to satisfy a sweet tooth, incorporate pears into anything from savory entrees to creative cocktail recipes,” says Fitzpatrick.

The Best Fall Vegetables

Beets: While beets may be available year-round, they are at their best in the fall. Look for firm, smooth bulbs and bright, crisp greens. Be sure to trim these right away though, since the green, leafy part can leech the beets’ nutrients including betaine, a compound that may help prevent heart and liver disease, and nitrate, which may increase blood flow to the brain and potentially reduce risk of dementia.

Brussels Sprouts & Cabbage: Both of these fall vegetables are packed with vitamins C and A. They’re also packed with a high concentration of cancer-fighting glucosinolates.

Pumpkin: Pumpkins aren’t just for decorating anymore. Their sweet flesh makes a wonderful soup and is also good in risotto. The pumpkin flesh is also high in vitamins A and C in addition to folate. Pumpkin also offers a wealth of alpha- and beta-carotene, which can be converted into retinol to promote healthy vision and cell growth.

At Moms Health Zone we’re dedicated to helping you keep you and your family healthy. Check out our other blog posts to see what we’re all about.

“Peace begins with a smile.” – Mother Teresa

Not only can smiling improve the lives of the people around you, it can also improve your life. Smiling is an incredibly easy way to make your life happier and healthier. At Moms Health Zone, we want you to be happy and healthy. We’ve put together this list of 5 health benefits of smiling.

1. Smiling lowers blood pressure

Take your blood pressure when you’re not smiling, then take it again with a smile on your face. The proof is in the pudding. You will notice your blood pressure is lower when you’re smiling, possibly because of the reduced stress. Read more →

Think you don’t have time to workout? Recent studies show that working out for less than 30 minutes can produce the same effects as working out for an hour, and it may be better for your body. These workout routines will help you get fit in just 15 minutes a day.

The Real Simple 15 Minute Workout – This workout routine uses a fitness ball to increase its impact. Just start with the Dynamic Push-Up; then roll into The Frog, ending in position for another dynamic push-up. Go slowly enough to maintain control. Do 15 repetitions. Then go into the Supported Side Crunch, 15 reps on each side, followed by the Rolling Reverse Plank, 15 reps. Repeat this four-move sequence two more times. Read more →

Busy moms know the importance of making time to workout, but stretching is just as important. Taking the time to stretch can improve your health in many ways. Stretching can improve your flexibility, which can improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. It is important to understand how stretching helps and how to stretch correctly.

Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles and is great for warming up and/or cooling down. However, stretching is often considered a supplement to a good workout. “Yoga is one of the only exercises to really give stretching its proper due, respecting the anti-gravity, anti-stress properties of stretching as front and center in our daily routines. We can lengthen, undo knots in our muscles, smooth out hurts, aches, and pains. We feel freer in our skin, more relaxed,” says EmpowHER.com. Read more →

The American food industry has been playing games of semantics when it comes to labeling genetically engineered foods for far too long. Products are labeled and marketed as “natural” or containing “natural flavors,” but consumers still don’t know whether or not the food they’re eating has been genetically engineered. This year’s election is giving Californians a chance to let their voice be heard on this issue. According to an article from LATimes.com, Proposition 37 would require “food manufacturers and retailers to label fresh produce and processed foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients.”

According to Dr. Mercola, “the greatest opportunity to give people the right to know if their food is genetically engineered will occur with the California ballot initiative – officially known as Proposition 37 – which is coming up for vote on November 6. Proposition 37 will require labeling of genetically engineered foods, and end the routine industry practice of labeling and marketing such foods as ‘natural.’” Read more →

Lactose intolerance is extremely common in people of all ages. According to MedlinePlus, approximately 30 million Americans have some degree of lactose intolerance by the time they reach 20. People with lactose intolerance do not produce enough lactase, a natural enzyme that helps the body digest lactose. The only way to prevent the symptoms of lactose intolerance is to live a dairy-free lifestyle. This means avoiding traditional pizza, ice cream and more, and for most teens this can be incredibly difficult. It’s very important to find foods that lactose intolerant teens will love to eat.

The symptoms of lactose intolerance, while not life-threatening, are very uncomfortable and easily preventable. “The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating and gas,” according to Livestrong.com. “The severity of symptoms may differ among individuals, based on sensitivity to lactose.” These symptoms usually begin within 30 minutes of consuming lactose. Luckily, substituting products containing dairy with lactose-free products easily prevents these symptoms. Read more →

It can be hard enough to encourage your kids to choose healthy food, and when they have a food allergy or intolerance, it can be even more difficult to find nutritious items that they’ll eat. Gluten-free eating is becoming a necessity for many because of Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. It’s very important to find foods that kids with gluten sensitivity will love to eat.

Gluten sensitivity can be due to Celiac disease or a wheat allergy. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. Children with Celiac disease are more sensitive to gluten exposure than those with wheat allergies, but regardless of what you child’s diagnosis is, it’s important for those with gluten sensitivity to eliminate exposure to gluten. Read more →

In the last ten years, portion sizes have gotten much bigger, which makes having a healthy diet even more difficult. This makes portion control even more important. One of the keys to a healthy diet is good portion control, and the key there is knowing how much of which foods you should be eating. My goal in creating Moms Health Zone was to provide other moms with easy ways to improve the health and well being of their families. A critical way to improve your family’s health is to encourage a healthy diet. These portion guidelines will help you do just that.

One great way to make sure you have the correct portion size is to change the size of your plate. Smaller plates lead to smaller servings. Medicine.net has put together a great set of guidelines to help guide. “A serving is a specific amount of food, and it might be smaller than you realize. Read more →

The fall is a great time to establish new routines that will last through the upcoming school year. One of the best exercise tips I can give you is the importance of making time for being active, even if it’s just a 15 minute workout. As a mom, I know time is always tight and you don’t have a lot of it; the good news is a short daily routine can be even more helpful than long, extensive sessions at a gym.

Here are a few of my favorite fall exercise tips:

1. Be sociable. One of the best ways to stay on track is to have someone hold you accountable, and spending time with a friend includes fantastic emotional benefits, so establish a 15 minute workout with them. Go for a weekly walk together or join the same class at a local gym. Incorporating friends into your daily routine will help keep you motivated, even on days you don’t feel like making time to keep your body active. Let’s face it, when you know someone’s meeting you at the corner, it helps you get going when the getting up and out is tough… Read more →