The Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment

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Published: 04/01/2013

The Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment

A Resource for Moms in Prince William County

Children are routinely exposed to environmental toxins in their homes, schools, water and diets. Where can moms, parents, and caregivers in Prince William County find reliable information on environmental toxins and their effects on children?

At the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment, we provide consultations on children’s environmental health issues, at no cost.

The Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment is a Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit established to assist healthcare professionals, public health officials, parents and others who live or work in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Our Center is affiliated with Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The Mid-Atlantic Center responds to concern about a variety of environmental health topics including:

· School related hazards.

· Indoor air contamination at home.

· Hazards of living near toxic waste sites.

· Daycare and preschool hazards.

· Inquires about potential toxins, such as residential pesticides, lead, well water contamination.

· Bisphenol A (BPA) and Phthalates.

If you would like consultation on some aspect of children’s environmental health please call toll free at 1 (866) 622-2431 or via email at macche@cnmc.org. More information is available at: www.childrensnational.org/macche.

This is a sponsored post provided by the MAACHE Center at Children's National. This does not constitute an endorsement or medical advice.

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May Day 5K- Run It!

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Published: 03/29/2013

The Lake Ridge RidgeRunners are a great group, and I've mentioned them before. Whether you're an experienced runner (they've got some Ultra Marathon Runners!) or you need to walk your 5k, they've got peers, positive reinforcement, and encouragement for you! I never ever ever could've run the Cherry Blossom without starting with the RidgeRunners.

One of the great events the RidgeRunners host is the Ma y Day 5K. This is a great event, especially because it's so kid-friendly! If your Prince William County (or wherever) elementary school has a running club, this is a fantastic event to run with the kids!

Here are the details:

This event is an annual community 5K run and walk through Lake Ridge neighborhoods. We encourage participants of all ages and fitness levels. Enjoy a fun-filled day of friendly competition, music, great post-race food, an award ceremony prize raffle, face painting for children, and much more!

May Day 5K Fees and Registration Schedule:

$12 Early Bird Youth Fee (until March 31, 2013 for ages 18 and younger)
$15 Regular Youth Registration Fee (April 1 to April 27, 2013)
$20 Early Bird Adult Fee (until March 31, 2013)
$25 Regular Registration Fee (April 1 to 27, 2013)
$30 Race Weekend Registration (May 3, 4, 5, 2013 NO SHIRT)

Packet Pickup:

Friday, May 3, 2013, at the Woodbridge VA RUNNER store from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 4, 2013 during the LRPRA Annual Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to noon
Sunday, May 5, 2012, from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m.
Please pick up your packets early
Race will start promptly at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 5.

Award Ceremony:

The award ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and include a raffle for prizes.
Top three finishers in these age divisions will receive a medal: 10 and younger, 11-14, 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 and older.
Top three male and female finishers will receive a trophy
Top male and female RidgeRunners Club members will receive a trophy
The elementary school and the adult team with the most participants will be named “Fittest School” and "Fittest Team" and receive a trophy
The elementary school and the adult team with the fastest average times for its top five finishers will be named “Fastest School” and "Fastest Team" and receive a trophy

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Guest Post: Switch Up Your Winter Workout

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Published: 02/20/2013

It's about this time that I hear many students say , "I'm bored with my workout and don't have many options". Here is some of what I tell them to beat winter workout boredom and spice up that cardio routine:

-Make a cardio medley by picking three different cardio machines, or circuits, and workout on each for 10 minutes or so. This is a great alternative to just getting on the same machine for a certain length of time.

-Break up your workout by separating them into segments, each with a different focus-speed, incline, resistance, steady state, etc. By changing your workout every five minutes, you get variety and, because you're focusing on just a few minutes at a time, the workout will fly by.

-Try something new.! We all have our favorite machines & routines but winter is a great time to experiment with something completely different. Challenge yourself to do something new. When was the last time you tried the rowing machine or the stationary bike at the gym? What about an at home workout? Moving your body in a different way can rejuvenate your workouts.

-Try group fitness. Even if you're not into group fitness classes, giving one a try can give you new enthusiasm for your workouts. Pick up a schedule at your club and make a deal to try one new class every two weeks. You get a lot of energy from working out in a group, so take advantage of it!

I have to say, I’ve tried all of these and yet not one is perfect for me. One day I may feel like taking a class or,in my case, teach a class. Another day, I may turn on some music and create my own “cardio medley” at home or at the gym. Other times, I may pop in Insanity or Turbo Fire to check working out off of my to do list.

I challenge you to try something different over the next two weeks. Be sure to share your experiences with someone. They may want to give it a try too!

Adrienne Vose is a Certified Fitness Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, dedicated wife & mother of 3. She likes to workout & motivate others to "MOVE IT" and believes that without exercise, people are inhibited from achieving and maintaining their health goals.
No matter what your fitness goals may be or how hectic life becomes, there is a way to accomplish those goals. As a trainer, her number one priority is to create a routine that works towards your needs and gives you the results that are best for you. "Eat Healthy, Move More & Stress Less" is her motto and she fully believes this is the KEY to a healthy lifestyle.

This guest blog is presented as an opinion. Health changes should always be discussed with a doctor.

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Guest Post: Are Health Foods Hurting You?

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Published: 02/07/2013

As a fitness professional, it is my goal to help others learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. By doing so, I like to lead by example & practice what I preach. With one living such a healty lifestyle, you might assume that they are healthy, with no issues what so ever, right? WRONG!

I recently discovered that the fruits and veggies I thought were good for me are actually hurting me. Who knew that my love for broccoli, beans, apples and brussel sprouts (yes even those) could make me so sick? I thought these types of foods were essential for living a healthy lifestyle. While for some people, this may be true but not for me.

After an interesting discussion with my GI doctor, she handed me a paper which listed foods I should eliminate. Of course listed was the "normal" stuff like high fructose corn syrup , dairy, certain sweeteners etc ....all things I avoid anyway. But then in other catagories I noticed all of my yummy veggies, fruits and beans!! YIKES!

Seriously? I'm not getting it. Why in the world shouldn't I eat an apple ? It contains fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins & minerals.

I realized I had been consuming a high "FODMOPs" ( Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols ) diet. FODMAPs are carbohydrates that are found in foods.

I need to limit daily intake of anything containing Lactose, Fructose, Fructans, Galactans, Sugar alcohols (polyols), otherwise I'd keep having severe GI issues. Some of my favorite fruits and veggies contain these types of carbohydrates which can make me sick in the gut. Moving forward, I will try this approach and see if it has any impact on my body. My hope for you all is that you will listen to your body and know that just because products are supposedly healthy, they may not be good for you!

For more information regarding FODMAP, please check out these sources:

http://ibs.about.com/od/ibsfood/a/The-FODMAP-Diet.htm

http://stanfordhospital.org/digestivehealth/nutrition/DH-Low-FODMAP-Diet-Handout.pdf

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5K Hustle 2 Health and Wellness Fair

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Published: 09/25/2012

The Northern Virginia Community College's Woodbridge Campus will be the site for the October 7, 2012 "5K Hustle 2 Health" Run/walk and Wellness Expo. This family-friendly event begins at 8am and runs until noon. For more details, visit http://www.racepacket.com/calendar/frace.php?fid=103 where you can sign up before race day and save $10. Runners are $25 early registration and children under age 11 are $10.

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Urban Evolution

Published: 09/20/2012

You need to shake up your child's monotonous perspective on staying fit with some exercise, but you don't want to make them feel like a hamster in a wheel on a treadmill or pass the ball around for 3 hours at a stretch! Check out Parkour classes at Urban Evolution for PwcMoms fans! Pay $100 for 10 visits to the gym (a 10-visit "punchcard"), and change how they look at the world forever! (This is a special savings for PwcMoms.com readers.)

Classes are available for kids ages 6 to 14, with dedicated "homeschool only" classes for kids ages 9-11 on Wednesdays at 1pm, and more classes for other age groups to come as we grow the program! Here's a schedule for all the kid classes that are currently being offered at Urban Evolution Manassas.

Urban Evolution (or "Urban Evo" for short) has locations in Alexandria and Manassas and different age and skill level options each week, allowing boys and girls throughout Northern Virginia to learn Parkour. Cross off the food pellets and wood chips from your grocery list, because thanks to Urban Evolution, you can graduate your child from hamster to hall of famer. It's the perfect activity to grab the interest of kids who might not gravitate to team sports or whose idea of fitness is a PlayStation controller thumb workout...but it can be demanding enough for professional football players! It's a great way to help kids change their ideas about fitness while helping them build self-esteem and encouraging them to work hard.

So you’ve heard of parkour before, and maybe you’ve even seen some pictures or videos labeled as parkour, but what exactly is parkour?

It's not strictly defined by any particular workout or conditioning regiment. It’s more about finding the way to keep improving and eventually reach your greatest physical potential. And that’s what makes it so great! Your only opponent here is yourself. Your competition is you (at least officially speaking). So it does have its philosophical side, but here at Urban Evolution, we’ve come up a variety of ways to challenge your kids and hone their skills in a safe and fun environment!

Urban Evolution offers many other classes as well. After some training, you'll be able to check out more advanced training in parkour. We bring discipline and conditioning together with creative obstacle courses to challenge your mental and physical abilities. Generally, our high teacher-to-student ratio allows us to address questions and work through challenges for kids of all types on an individual basis.

This is a sponsored post from Urban Evolution. As with any physical activity, please note you participate at your own discretion. PwcMoms is not responsible for children's participation in any activity listed.

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Max Muscle Update

Published: 09/19/2012

So as part of this process with Max Muscle, a large part of my work has been cleaning up my act where eating is concerned, which means making changes in how frequently I eat and what I choose to chomp on.

There've been some winners and some losers in this process. I thought I'd share and see if you all have any input as to what works for you when it comes to eating healthy.

Suggested Food: Egg Whites
Losing: Plain Egg Whites

Winning!: Egg whites are actually not that bad! However, I need my food to taste like something, and I've found that 1 tablespoon of hot salsa, a few shakes of Tabasco Sauce, or 1 tablespoon of feta cheese and some spinach if you're trying to be fancy, makes them amazing. I usually go for the Tabasco. Buying them pre-separated makes using them a lot easier, too.

Suggested Food: Protein Bars
Losing: Luna Protein Bars in Peanut Butter. Y'all. I am a fat girl. I love food, and I love peanut butter. I couldn't get one bite of this sucker down. Not One. I think that's funny because the Luna White Chocolate Macadamia ~~Cookies~~ Bars are amazing.

Winning!: 1/2 of a Cliff Builder Bar in Chocolate is amazing, as is any variety of Kind Bar I've ever had. They sell the Kind Bars in Max Muscle, too, although they're not really high in protein but they have a lot of healthy fats. Max Muscle also has Power Crunch bars, if you can get them- they're frequently gone because they're so popular. They taste like wafer cookies, if you used to eat those as a kid. Yum :)

Suggested Food: Max Muscle Protein Shakes

Winning: Chocolate IsoMax Powder. It tastes like coconut to me when mixed with almond milk (not like chocolate), but it's pleasant.

Winning!: Max Muscle Triple Whey in Chocolate. I like Chocolate, don't judge me. This stuff seriously does not taste like protein powder. It tastes like Nestle Quick. The only reason I didn't buy this was because I'm slightly dairy sensitive and I wanted the isolate. I've come to love this as a quick breakfast. Before starting this process I always skipped breakfast and now I'm actually hungry in the morning if I do that, but with kids and commitments speed is king. When you go in to Max Muscle, they'll actually do a tasting for you, just like a winery but proteiny-er. Which is totally a word.

Suggested Food: Meat.

Losing: I don't really love meat. I eat it, but I don't love it. When I eat it, at least in the past, I've typically used it as a conduit for getting more sauce. Bread works equally as well. I do not love meat without sauce. No sauce is a fail.

Winning!: I also love Middle Eastern food, though, and they've got the solution. Greek Yogurt is a happy food on my plan, and if you put three crushed garlic cloves into a large container of low fat or fat free Greek Yogurt overnight, you have made sauce! Delicious, creamy, garlic sauce! Win. Garlic, cilantro, parsley, jalepeno and red wine vinegar pureed in the food processor also works. (Do you see a theme here with spicy things?)

What helps you keep your diet healthy? Do you need some tips, too? (Or maybe you already have the fitness thing down? That's cool, too!) Come out and join me for our next Mommies Night Out at Max Muscle! Corry, who as I've mentioned a few times has been amazing, is promising that cupcakes and wine go with losing weight, and I'm willing to buy what she's selling ;)

We'll have vendors and raffles (if you're interested in coming, let me know) and some great time together! If you're planning to join us, please RSVP to my email so we know who to expect. Newbies to fitness, new moms (especially new moms!) and fitness divas are all welcome!

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Max Muscle Week 2

Published: 09/06/2012

This post is a little late, which is fitting seeing as most things in my life are a little late the last few ~~months~~ days. Getting back to school is tough, no matter how your children go!

So. Week 2 wasn't my greatest results wise. I gained a pound of muscle and dropped just ever so slightly in BMI. It could have been a lot better, but that was completely my fault because I didn't follow the program (it wasn't even in the way you think! I didn't eat because I was so busy!)

However, the oddest thing happened this past week. Instead of being frustrated by a lack of results (especially since I skipped meals!) I was really encouraged by how good I'm feeling with the higher protein, and I've been pleased with my lack of desire to have carbs at dinner. I feel less tired and while I might not be seeing a numerical change, I've had lots of friends comment that I look like I'm making progress. My jeans feel happy, too, which is a nice feeling.

Anyway, this week has been much better and I'm trying to adhere to the "plan" so that I see some bigger changes, but I have to say that while I initially said that I didn't really want to be healthy I just want to be skinny, I'm actually feeling healthier and more energized, and honestly, I'll take it. I'm hoping that a change of heart means that a change in the rest of me will come a little easier.

Anyhow, don't forget that you can join me to jog at a moderate pace (and please read that in your head using Milton's voice from Office Space) in the upcoming Max Muscle 5K. Heck, if it's your first race out and you need someone to walk with you, I'm your girl. I'm willing to make that sacrifice so someone else can start on their fitness journey. It reminds me of this post from FlintLand, which starts out:

Hey Fat Girl,

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.

You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

You are awesome.

(You can read the rest by clicking here.)

We've all gotta start somewhere, and I'm still feeling like my start is pretty good.

I'll check in with you all again on Sunday, when I go back to see my boy Stephen and get my measurements checked again. If you're on a fitness journey, too, I'd love to hear from you- so leave a note at the end of this post. Comments are better than chocolate cake, which I'm not eating right now, so help a sister out. :)

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Max Muscle- Week 1

Published: 08/19/2012

I mentioned on Facebook the other day that I went to meet with the very awesome Corry Matthews of Max Muscle. Corry is someone that really intimidated me on paper. She's a former fitness model, co-author of a book (a real book!), and owner of a business, namely Max Muscle.

I really want to dislike people that look this awesome pregnant.

If there is ever a store that I didn't contemplate ever entering for even a second, y'all, it had to be Max Muscle.

Just the name was enough to scare me. I am not now, nor do I ever have aspirations of being a bodybuilder. Heck, as I openly admit I don't even really care to be fit, I just want to be skinny. So, when Corry contacted me about coming out to the store and talking about some ways she could help out my readers, I sat in my car staring at the storefront for a few minutes trying to decide what I was walking into. Then I manned up and went in. They're located at 12849 Galveston Court Manassas, right across from Confections, so I figured if it went really bad, I'd just head across the street. ;)

Guys, this might be the best-kept secret in Prince William County, but Max Muscle is not necessarily just for people who currently possess "Max Muscle". Corry explained to me that one of her passions, and part of the reason that she wrote her book, is post-natal wellness in mothers. We see all these women in the media who pop out a baby and leave the hospital in size zero jeans and then we beat ourselves up. So, while she does work with competitive athletes, and even people who are really fit and want to take their fitness next-level, she's also here to help regular people who are just looking for a quality of life change. She can help you up your energy level or drop a few pounds post-baby. Her store stocks energy and protein bars and shakes as well as supplements, and she's even set it up so that if you're new to fitness, you don't have to go past the first 2 feet of the store.

Oh, also- if you've got a student-athlete, Corry has great information on nutrition and even diet plans for them, too! She's helped high-school wrestlers and football players add lean muscle mass rather than bulking up with fat, and she can also help parents who are looking to help their multi-sport players (hello my family!) stay well-fed and fit.

We talked for a few minutes, and then Corry invited me to try out their Max Formation program, which involves assessing your current body fat, measurements, physical activity, and calorie needs and tailoring a system of eating to help you meet your fitness goals.

Listen, she's good you guys. I let her take my measurements in the first 10 minutes of knowing me and my husband doesn't even know how much I weigh. When she asked about my eating habits, I didn't feel judged or embarrassed at all, and she was very gentle about making corrections to how I currently do things, but also firm with the fact that they needed to happen. For example, I openly admitted I frequently don't have my first food of the day until around lunchtime or later. Corry said that was a very common mistake that a lot of women make, but then told me that I was going to have to suck it up and eat breakfast. That's a perfect balance for me. Don't make me feel stupid, tell me you get that it's hard, tell me to do it anyway. It works!

This is my magic spreadsheet. It's pretty amazing.

This post is getting really long, so let me cut to the chase. over the next 3 months I'll be using the customized Excel Spreadsheet that I was provided with. It's got a pull-down menu for each meal so I can keep making my family meals as I usually do and it will provide me with portion sizes. I spent $64 on protein powder mix (um, yeah, that almost made me drop dead, but then I realized it's just over $1 per serving and I spend a lot more than that on iced tea at Starbucks). I've gotten a lot of feedback from friends that think that too much protein makes you big, or that you need to totally cut out carbs, or that you need to eat only egg whites, but I'm going to try this for 3 months, and I'll share with you guys how it's going. It seems like a really reasonable plan, and I'm kind of at the point where I'll try anything.

I didn't have an ideal weight in mind, but Corry's measurements helped me set a super-embarrasing 40 pound goal. It's been 1 week, and I'm -2. I'm also on vacation this week, and with the exception of driving to South Carolina alone in the car and using Diet Coke and snacks as a crutch to stay awake (I drove from 7pm to 3am), I've had no problems following the plan as directed, and I even really like the protein shakes, which aren't required, but I bought because they're really fast and easy for breakfast, rather than cooking for myself every day.

If you've got questions or comments you'd like answered as we go along, I'd be happy to answer them, or to get answers for them from Corry.

Also, Max Muscle Manassas will be having their 5th Anniversary in September, and they're holding a 5K to benefit the Semper Fi Fund in celebration. I'm planning to ~~run~~ jog it at a moderate pace, and if you'd like to join me, I'd be happy to put together a team of us!

Aaaaannnnddd.....other than that just cross your fingers for me because failing in front of an entire audience of people would be mortifyingly embarrassing.

Oh, aaaannnnddd (since I'm apparently typing things out the way I hear them in my head right now) if you go in to Max Muscle Manassas and tell them you're a PwcMoms reader, they'd be happy to give you 10% off this week. Just show them this post on your smart phone (or if you don't have a smart phone, just tell them, it's random enough that you should be good).

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