Health Care and Breast Cancer

I am taking a stand here and wanting everyone to sign a petition. I don't agree with the new standards that have come out concerning our health. I belong to Illinois Federation of Business and Professional Women and I have seen to many of those women die from cancer.

I received an email wanting us to sign a petition. Here what was in that email:

"The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's recommendations could significantly change breast cancer screening approaches. And while these recommendations are not binding, they are often consulted by health care providers and insurance companies.

Most breast cancer experts agree far more than they disagree. One thing that the evidence clearly shows is that mammography reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® continues to recommend annual mammography beginning at age 40 for women of average risk and earlier for women with known risks for breast cancer
Mammography is not perfect, but until we can develop more precise screening methods and can more accurately predict which women are at risk for breast cancer it is still our best tool for early detection.

Please sign our petition and help make sure there are no barriers for women to get the mammograms they need.

While controversies like this one make for good headlines, we must not lose sight of the fact that one third of all women who should get a mammogram don't, because they lack access, education or awareness.

This is an issue that needs our focus and attention. If we make progress with screening in vulnerable populations, we will continue to make progress in the fight against breast cancer.
The Komen Advocacy Alliance will continue to advocate for women in this country and will push to ensure that all women have access to mammography."

I urge you to click on the link and electronically sign that petition.

Encouraging Stories

Going through my daily routine, I found an article on MSNBCNews about a guy who lost 250 pounds. After clicking on the link I discovered that the story actually a group of stories about how people have lost a lot of weight.

There is 42 pages of inspiring stories to help you get through any issue.

Today.com

Interval Training

Tired of doing the same workout everyday. Try interval training. MSNBC's article says it is a new way to workout, but it isn't. People have been doing interval training since the early 90's. But back then the intervals were between cardio and weight training.

In fact I did this work out just yesterday with Susan Powder. Work 3 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of weight or strength training. But this new way is to go all out in an activity for 15, 30, or 60 minutes then slow down or stop completely for 30 seconds and start again. You see this on The Biggest Loser when Jillian or Bob have the contestants run on the treadmill as fast as they can for one minute and then stop.

Interval training is a great way to mix up your routine and still get great results. According to the article you can actually speed up the process and become more tone and fit with short periods of exercise. Workout out with short bursts of very high intensity for 1.5 hours is the same as exercising 4.5 hours at a normal pace.

This kind of training is not recommended for those who are just starting an exercise routine. Start out slow with walking or bike riding. Then as you progress step it up for short intervals. With all exercise programs, make sure you get the green light from your doctor before you start.

I had done this in the past with on the treadmill, bike, and elliptical with good results. I think that I will add that to my exercise schedule again. Especially since I am stuck again and need to make a change to progress. So far I have lost 25 pounds and have 15 more to go. It has taken almost 2 years to lose those 25 pounds, but it is definitely worth it.