Important blood test coming soon

Soon, you might be adding another yearly screening to your checkup. Researchers have discovered that a simple blood test can indicate whether a woman as ovarian tumors which lead to ovarian cancer. The test screens for levels of a protein, CA-125. Women whose levels are above and below 35 are then given ultrasounds checking for ovarian tumors and ovarian cancer. This test is so important because often, ovarian cancer is not discovered until it has progressed significantly. This is a light of hope as the number of ovarian cancers deaths have stayed around the same levels for the past 30 years. 

I have seen the effects the invasive disease has had on a strong woman, her family, and her friends and am happy to see strides being made in ovarian cancer research which could save the lives of so many. Until this blood test becomes routine, however, you should know how to protect yourself. Abdominal pain and a change in bowel and bladder habits lasting for two weeks should cause you to call your doctor for an appointment. 

To learn more about the fight against ovarian cancer visit: The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

New lingo: “Naturally Grown”

While perusing my local farmer’s market this past weekend I could not help but notice that the majority of the food was labeled as “naturally grown” while there seemed to be a lack of organic labeled foods. Upon further research I discovered that these “naturally grown” foods were in fact organic just could not have the organic label due to the high price of being organically certified by the government. So what exactly does naturally grown mean? The term was started by a group of small farmers in New York state that could not afford the organic certification but still practiced organic farming techniques. These farmers coined the term “certified naturally grown” which ensures that their crops are not treated with any synthetic chemicals. The farms in this program are checked by other farmers in the community to ensure that the products are in fact naturally grown. More often than not, these crops are sold to the local community through small business and farmer’s markets. 

Supporting our local farmers is important and buying their naturally grown products is the same as buying an organically grown fruit or vegetable. Buying local is beneficial as the food does not have to travel as far and you can help the local community. You can also get some great deals on fresh, delicious food! 

Find your local farmer’s market here!

Workout Review: Victoria’s Secret Model Workout

The internet is full of great fitness and health ideas but it is hard to determine which tips are worth your time. Pinterest is usually my go to when I want to find a different workout to change up my routine. It can be overwhelming so my plan is to review the workouts I try and share my thoughts on each of them. 

The latest online workout I found was the Victoria’s Secret Model Workout: 10-Minute Fat-Blasting Circuit. The name pulled me in (who doesn’t want to be an angel?) and I was intrigued by the shortness of the workout because sometimes you only have 10 minutes. Overall, the workout was good. I was definitely sweating by the end of the 10 minutes but I still had a good amount of energy. I particularly likes this workout because the trainer leading it did the whole routine with you which I find to me a good source of motivation. You can make the workout more challenging by adding light dumbbells to the exercises or by doing the circuit more than once. It targets multiple parts of your body and gets your heart rate going. 

This workout is part of a series and there are other videos that target specific areas which is great if you want to work on a particular area.