jrobillard's blog

How would you feel about being attached to a machine every day of your life? I've been thinking about that question a lot lately in regards to getting an insulin pump. After being a diabetic for over a year, I finally made the decision to go on one. I've been talking to a rep from OmniPod for over 2 months and tomorrow my pump should be arriving in the mail. I don't personally know anyone who has used the OmniPod but I know other diabetics who have different pumps and I unanimously hear that pumps are 100 times better than doing shots. I'm ready to be done with shots too so all those positive reviews were encouraging to me.

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Summer kicks off next weekend and most of us will be hitting the road. Hitting the road these days, however, means hitting your wallet. Hard. There are some simple things you can do to optimize your gas mileage as you zip off to the beach, woods or lake. Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Don't push pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel. This allows carburetor to function at peak efficiency.

Avoid filling gas tank to top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank. Never fill gas tank past the first "click" of fuel nozzle, if nozzle is automatic. Exceeding 40 mph forces your auto to overcome tremendous wind resistance. Never exceed legal speed limit. Primarily they are set for your traveling safety, however better gas efficiency also occurs. Traveling at 55 mph give you up to 21% better mileage when compared to former legal speed limits of 65 mph and 70 mph.

It wasn’t long ago that cardiovascular disease was considered a “guy” thing, but how quickly times change. Women are now posed at a greater risk for heart disease than their male counterparts. Here’s the good news, by living here in Portland you are already making your heart healthier. Portland ranks number #7 in overall heart health for the nation according to Go Red for Women, a movement by the American Heart Association to unite women against heart disease. Go Red for Women examined 22 factors that contribute to heart disease, including heart risk, general health and heart disease statistics, in the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the country. And why did Portland make the list? Probably has something to do with the love of exercise and nutrition we have around here.

Vitamin D has long been known to prevent osteoporosis and build strong bones, but now research is linking vitamin D to lower heart disease, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis and even depression. How do you get a little more D in your life? Like this:

You may know that Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. Getting out in the sun a few times a week for 15 minutes can fill you up with the stuff. But not everyone wants or can get that much sun exposure. You can also consume your D through milk, tuna, soy foods, breakfast cereal and orange juice.

Okay let’s face it, as a mom you have to see a TON of these computer animated movies and even though you get a Finding Nemo now and then, you get a lot more Shrek the Third (we get it, you know pop culture references). That’s why when a movie like Kung Fu Panda comes about, it is such a refreshing break. A movie that takes it’s kung fu roots real serious-like, Kung Fu Panda is the story of a panda (obviously) who sounds and acts a lot like Jack Black, and yet you don’t want to strangle him. As Po, Jack Black’s character pines to be the one thing a panda can never be, a kung fu master. Kung Fu Panda won’t break any new ground in terms of plot, but as far as irony-free movies about discovering inner strength goes, its one movie that can appeal to kids and adults without feeling like it’s pandering to either. And the actions scenes are legitimately kick butt.

Jealously, it’s natural, comes easily and for some of us is a very powerful emotion. Jealousy isn’t wrong, in fact your partner might be worried if you didn’t exhibit just the teeny-tiniest bit of it now and then…you know, just to show you care. But jealousy can overwhelm us and be a relationship killer if left to grow unchecked. Constant jealousy in a relationship is like a slow acting poison. It’s not the greatest thing for your mental health, either. Jealousy is rooted in insecurity, so feel better about yourself and your love by using these tips.

Let’s face it, when you’re waking up in the morning there is not a lot going on in your mind except fighting that magnetic pull drawing you back to bed. As you get ready in the morning you probably don’t put a lot of thought into what you put on your body and face, but you might want to. There is a lot of funky chemicals and waste that go into your daily routine.