We’ve all heard lots about how cereals are “part of a balanced breakfast.” But let’s be honest… how many kids actually eat the part that’s nutritious. You know… the other stuff pictured around the cereal bowl in all those ads: an egg, a piece of toast, some fruit, and juice. A lot of mornings, most of us are lucky if we get something (anything) into them before they run to catch the school bus.

When my kids were still in diapers, my cousin (who is a nutritionist) gave me a stern talking-to about the health benefits (or lack there of) in cereal. Since then, some of my friends have taken to calling me the “cereal nazi.” I wear that badge of honor with pride, and have trained my children to read the side of the cereal box before ever asking if it can grace our pantry shelves.

Yes, my kids are the ones running down the aisle feverishly trying to find cereals with at least 3 grams each of protein and fiber, but as few grams of sugar as possible (4 grams = 1 tsp. added sugar. Most nutritionists and doctors suggest you look for cereals with less than 5-10 grams.). If you’ve never tried it, you have no idea how difficult this little task actually is. Most cereals have barely 1 gram of protein! In fact, a bag of Doritos will do more to starve off your kids’ hunger than a whole box of some cereals. And with few schools allowing morning snacks, I need to get as much protein as possible into my kids each morning to keep their brains focused on learning (without being distracted by a rumbling tummy). It’s amazing how a bowl of cereal with 10 grams of protein will really keep you satisfied until lunch.

Thankfully, we’ve all grown to love the Kashi cereals, and the few made by Kelloggs and Post that pass the test. And every now and then I buy one of “the other cereals” (such as my guilty pleasure – pictured above). But we don’t eat those for breakfast… instead, we’ve found they make great desserts (after dinner) on those days when an extra special treat is needed. Isn’t that what a product like that is for?

Get the facts… to check out how your favorite cereal fares when it comes to nutrition. And if you’re looking for easy alternatives to cold-cereal in the morning, how about a cheesy breakfast bean dip with chips, or toast with sliced apples and peanut butter (one of my daughter’s favorites)? Need more? Here are 100 more quick and healthy breakfast ideas.

I love my iPhone, that’s a given. But this morning I wasn’t exactly “feelin’ the love” about that little contraption. I was walking along a peaceful road near my house, when a jarring voice cuts through the silence of my headphones and commands, “Run 2 Minutes.” My lungs screamed against this command, but I attempted the second of the two-minute runs in today’s program.

Why? Because last week I downloaded an app called Running Trainer 5k. I have had a couple of friends start training for a 5k, and I thought “sure, why not? it’ll be good for me, right?” Ummm… now I’m not so sure about that.

It starts out on day one with a couple of run/walk segments, each one minute long. Then it switches to two-minute segments, alternating between running and walking. I made it through two of those running segments (two minutes long) successfully. Then, when Ms. Trainer said “Run 3 Minutes”, I might have cursed at her in my head a bit, and kept right on walking. I am so out of shape!

Why am I sharing such a pathetic part of myself? Really it’s just to point out that there’s an app for that! The Running Trainer 5k app keeps track of how far you’ve run (with the GPS) and even marks it on a map. (See the screen capture for an example – although it is NOT from my session this morning!) As already mentioned, it tells you when to walk and when to run, and increases the difficulty each day, so you’re running 5k by the end of 10 weeks. Well, that’s the intention at least. We’ll see how well it does with me .

Now that I’m six weeks out, I can finally say “why didn’t I do this sooner?!”

Seriously, it was SOOO worth it! I had a physical last week and was told my left eye is 20/15!! and my right eye is 20/25!! I’m still healing, so my right eye will get a bit better before all is said and done.

I have no red eye or major dryness. And I’ve finally gotten to the point where I don’t try to take my contacts out every night (although I do stop and wonder a couple times each week). It is truly amazing.

So for anyone considering PRK surgery, I definitely recommend it. However, be sure to do your homework first, understand the lengthy recovery period, and plan accordingly. In the end, if your experience is anything like mine, you’ll LOVE your new eyes!

In case all the pink packaging on store shelves hasn’t clued you in, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last October, I had the priviledge of being involved in a breast cancer awareness project put on by one of my clients. Previously, I’d never been one to support medical causes. It’s not that I’m opposed to research and finding cures, it’s just that no particular disease had really impacted me enough to push me to learn more.

That changed when I read about Lisa Hardiman, Co-Owner of Let’s Dish! in MD and VA. It was Lisa’s experience with breast cancer that caused Let’s Dish! to start their Pink Dish! Campaign in 2007. This was the first time I actually knew someone affected by this disease… someone I could identify with.
While creating the marketing materials and web site for the Pink Dish! Campaign, I got to read countless stories contributed by Lisa and other people who were affected by this disease. For the first time, I got a *real* glimpse into the lives of breast cancer survivors. Reading about women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their 30s caused me to do some research on my own. What I found surprised me. Using an online breast cancer risk calculator, I found I currently have a 15.7% chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer during my lifetime. Most studies show the average woman has a 1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed.
What does this mean? Count up your mom, sister(s), and enough friends to equal 8 women… and figure at least one of them will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Scary, isn’t it?

So what can we do?

• Get educated about the risks and signs.
• Raise funds for research.
• Be proactive, especially if you have certain risk factors. (Read this story about a Gossip Girls producer who had a preventative mastectomy after her mom had breast cancer.)
• Support those affected. The Red Devils is a non-profit supporting Marylanders affected by breast cancer. Also, Let’s Dish! has continued the Pink Dish! Campaign for 2008.

Well, last week the doctor told me to give it two more weeks. At the time, that seemed like an eternity, but only seven days later I’m already seeing a major difference. In fact, last Wednesday (which was two weeks post-op), I noticed I kept my good morning vision until lunch time. Then, on Thursday I kept it until around 3pm. Since then, I’ve had mostly good vision (20/40 or so) with some occasional down time. I hesitated to blog about this sooner, because I was afraid it wouldn’t last… but it has!

So I go back to the eye doctor one week from today. At that point, I will be on week four. Back before I had my vision corrected, a 4-6 week recovery time sounded long, but totally doable. In hindsight, I had no idea what it’d be like living with less-than-perfect vision (and no way to correct it) for 4-6 weeks.

Now that I am *over the hump*, I can finally sit back and relish my new eyes. Almost three weeks without contacts or glasses is still not enough to stop me from thinking I have to take out my contacts at night. I still marvel at waking up and seeing the clock. For someone who was 20/200 for the past 30+ years, even seeing at 20/40 or 20/50 without glasses or contacts is a miracle. What more can I say – it’s absolutely amazing!