Aerosol Dining

An  Harvard professor, David Edwards, has invented inhaleable chocolate.  Le Whif’, as he calls it, made it’s debut at All Candy Expo, in Chicago.  Edwards also assisted in developing  inhaleable insulin and is working on an inhaleable TB vaccine.  He states that he believes that there will be a new way of eating in the future..by aerosol!

Now I am a believer in the health benefits of eating dark chocolate.  You know the benefits…antioxidants, improved mood, tastes good, but seriously…if I am going to inhale any particle of food, it is going to be in chunks, inserted into my mouth, not my nose!  My daughter, at age 2, tried to inhale a Sweet Tart.  It cost me $25 to get that removed from her nostril and now they encourage inhaling food? 

I can see where they are going with this radical idea of food inhalers.  There would be no need for dishes, silverware, pots or pans.  No stoves, ovens or microwaves.  We could just line up our inhalers and aerosol spray veggies, meat, bread, and desserts on shelves in the pantry.  We could pack our lunch in our pockets and purses, and in our child’s lunchbox. 

I wonder if they have done any research on the long-term effects of the sinuses and lining of the nostrils?  Twenty years from now, will we be blogging about how to keep your nose from falling off your face, due to constant irritants navigating their way through the tunnels of it?  What would this do to restaurants or grocery stores?  Can you imagine an aerosol drive through?

Surely they will save this inhaleable eating plan for astronauts, because the idea is over the moon.   Eating should be a pleasant and relaxed experience.  It should be down time, not down it time.  This is one convenience we can live without.  We are in too much of a hurry.  Stress fills our day already.  Meal time shouldn’t be squirting up on the subway.  That couldn’t be good for us.

Food inhalers and aerosol sprays?  For me, this idea stinks!

How to Avoid Work-at-Home Isolation

Working from ones home has many advantages.   I’ve been a work from my home entrepreneur for years, so I can speak from experience of both the pros and the cons of it.  Flexibility of schedule is the best!  I put in many hours per week, but I can elect to work by day or by night.  I can take the day off…any day, if I’m caught up. I don’t have to have a closet full of career clothing.  I can work in lounging clothes, and I can sans the make-up, if I so choose.  Fuel cost is not so much an issue, because I am not driving to work every day.

All these things are great, but being at home all day can make you feel isolated.  This can lead to mild depression.  Some of the ways that I have found to deal with this feeling of isolation, might also help you:

• Get out of the house!  Go outdoors and eat your lunch or snacks, instead of sitting at your desk.  That brief change of scenery can improve your mood, and give your brain a rest.  Plus, you won’t have all of those crumbs in your computer.
• Take a walk around your neighborhood.  Not only is this good for your physical well-being, but you can stop and say hello to another human being.
• Phone a friend.  Be selective about who you call.  Make sure they are a positive,  upbeat person that you can laugh and have meaningful conversation with, else you will be upset when you get off the phone.  This would defeat the purpose of the call.
• Have lunch with someone.  Make regular lunch appointments to get you out of the house, and around other people.
• Join your local Chamber of Commerce, BNI, or civic organization.  The interaction with other business people keeps you on your toes.  Being active in these groups gives you a chance to give back to the community as well.
• Get involved in Social Networking Web sites like Twitter, Linkedn, Naymz, Facebook, and many others, allow you the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and connect professionally.  You will build a network of people who will help you grow your business, and connect to those you need to meet.  I needed some vendor recommendations for the D.C. and Roanoke areas.  I posted it on Twitter, and within seconds had references for both markets!  Warning:  These sites can be addictive, so set your alarm so that you won’t let them rob your valuable work and family time.  One person on Twitter said that she was un-following Twitter in order to follow her family.

The next time you are feeling a little blue, try one or two of these suggestions and see if you don’t feel more motivated to get the job done.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness

My post today is written by a very dear friend, Debbie Stevens.  Debbie lost her mother to Ovarian Cancer.  Please read the post, take the test, and follow a freesia, to help raise awareness of this deadly disease.

 “The ovary is small, homely, and innocuous at first glance, but its tumors of gigantic proportion and exotic appearance continually widen the eye of the most jaded gynaecologist as they exert fascinating effects upon its patients. Such an organ deserves respect” wrote Kraus in his 1967 textbook of pathology.

The lifetime risk of ovarian cancer for Australian women to age 74 is one percent [1%], but the impact on society is far greater than this figure implies. Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death from gynaecological malignancy. For the majority of women who develop ovarian cancer, it will ultimately  be lethal.

Here in Australia, it is the 8^th most common cancer in women, affecting  around one in a hundred, every year! Sadly, someone is diagnosed approx. every ten hours, and most cases, are at advanced stages.

But ladies, unlike having a mammogram to screen for breast cancer, or the pap smear for our cervix, Ovarian cancer has no real screening method. What it does provide, are its symptoms. The only guide available, and one we need to be more aware of. Now this doesn’t mean you need to panic! It simply means you need to be alert, and pay closer attention to things your body may be trying to tell you.

So what are some of the symptoms? The list includes everything from lower back pain, swelling of the abdomen, indigestion to urinary changes…pretty common, right? But if your symptoms are persistent, or if there’s a family history of breast or bowel cancer, this could be a warning to you.

I urge all women to take back control of their bodies by being well informed! Ignorance is NOT bliss, but rather having knowledge, gives us power!

For myself, meeting this cancer face-to-face was nothing short of horrendous.

Even though my mother had already laid her bombshell diagnosis upon her loved ones, it had not completely registered. The time I set about researching, was precious time I should have been spending by her side, but the clock was already ticking.

April 2000-A trip to Europe, that both mum and dad were all packed for, cancelled, her bags re-packed for a trip into hospital.

A few ‘niggly’ pains in her back and legs, a bloated tummy, the only visible evidence this cancer had left as clues. We simply put down to the recent increased exercise from walking and perhaps a bit of ‘gas’??

But as the strange pain in her back became more prominent, so too the unusual swelling of her tummy. There was indeed more to this story, and today, it’s a story I continue sharing to all who will take the time to listen. Mum’s dream of celebrating her 63^rd birthday in London, replaced with a death sentence. An 80% chance of surviving 3-5 years.

June, 2000-Six weeks after her radical surgery, we were able to take mum home.

July 3^rd, 2000-Twenty days shy of my 40^th birthday, my dear mother lost the fight.

Now do you see the urgency? This is just one case, one story and sadly I know of way too many others. Without an early detection test, every woman and every young girl [Ovarian cancer knows no age-barrier!] are at risk. The aftermath of a late diagnosis is cruel, many are forced to undergo immediate full hysterectomies, never to bear a child, then, its their life they fight to hang onto! We owe it to the females in our lives; our family, friends & co-workers, to spread the awareness message!

I remain in hot pursuit of this pariah, even though I cannot control its existence, I most certainly can see all women/girls are armed with knowledge!

Are you aware?  Follow a freesia and help spread the message of Ovarian Cancer.

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 Awareness Test