Actually, for me the title should be how NOT to look BIG in photos. UGH. For Father’s Day, my husband received a beautifully framed large family picture from my lovely stepdaughter. Everyone in the picture looks great, except me. And believe me, this is not false modesty. What a nice gift though, but I wish I could photo shop another me in the picture.
While thinking about this and looking through the beinggirl.com website, I found an article titled, How to Look Good in Pictures. I hadn’t seen it before, but wish I had read it previously so I could have applied some of the suggestions to recent family photo taking.
The beinggirl.com article includes tips on how to stand and what to wear. For example, avoid bright white clothing, as it will wash you out. The article also advised on how to hold your chin, to avoid circles under your eyes.
My very favorite tip is about how to look slimmer: “For those who want to look thinner in photos, position yourself at a 45-degree angle to the camera. Don’t press your arms against your sides. Keep them slightly away from your body to make them look svelter. Angling one hip toward the camera can make you shed pounds visually. To make your waist appear smaller, put your hands on your hips with thumbs pointed down in and you’ll always look good in pictures!”
Would you believe that I have been practicing the “how to look slimmer when being photographed” tip for those moments of spontaneous picture taking. This is the pose that I see celebrities taking when being shot on the red-carpet during awards shows, movie premiers and while shopping in the grocery and being caught by the paparazzi. While I don’t have people following me to take my picture, it is just as important to me to look good in family and friend pictures that will be visible to me, and others, for decades. Since I am uncoordinated and can’t even repeat Pilate’s exercises that I have done for years without looking at the instructor, it is important that I practice, practice and practice posing when ever I think about it. I posed recently in a department store parking lot and people nearby (that I hadn’t noticed before beginning) looked around to see who I was smiling at, then looked at me funny and walked further to the entrance to avoid me. Oh well!
While I am focusing on how to pose (since I am somewhat vain and controlling) the article also advises that you should try to “look natural”. The reason for that is you don’t want to loose the emotion that is present in spontaneous picture taking. I am all for that too. But believe me, emotion is something that I don’t have to practice! While I say that I would rather look bland than big, I do like the natural looks of joy in others that sometimes is evident when photos are taken. In fact, I agree with beinggirl, emotion can be the true essence of the photo when there are people present.
I posted a link below to the article. I would love to hear other suggestions anyone may have on how to look great when pictures are being taken. Hopefully they won’t require rehearsing!
http://www.beinggirl.com/article/look-good-in-pictures/?utm_source=247moms.blogspot&utm_medium=NurseElaine&utm_content=link20110628&utm_campaign=comm_mgr
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Getting the Right Bra Fit – A Life Changing Moment!!
I was totally surprised, yet pleased about the new Bra Guide on beinggirl.com to help readers obtain the perfect fit of their foundation garment. It is so great that teens have access to information that will be useful to them all of their bra-wearing lives. No doubt that the Bra Guide will also be valuable to their moms and grandmothers too. Hopefully beinggirl readers will share the information with them, as I believe that a well-fitting bra provides comfort, confidence and a better look regardless of age.
MY BRA STORY: Before I continue, I am going to take a step back to my history and share my early teen bra measurement story. When my mother determined that my breastals were of a size to be ensconced in a bra, she took me to the local bra shop to be measured and fitted. It was really rather embarrassing and a somewhat dysfunctional experience, since it was MR. Goldman who did the measuring. (I’ve changed his name for the sake of this story, since the store is still around and I don’t want any of his family thinking that I think their now deceased dad’s behavior was odd even though I do think that and it was!) In any case, picture a serious looking older man (though all men over the age of 18 looked old to me at that time) with wire-rimmed glasses, a balding head and a tape measure draped around his neck. To my horror at the time, Mr. Goldman pulled off the tape measure and put it around my chest. To his credit, he did exactly as directed by beinggirl.com. Fortunately though, Mr. Goldman didn’t come into the dressing room to see if he was accurate. In any case, a few bras of the correct size were sent back to me to try on. My mom made me bend over so I could “plop’ into the cups. Though you have to know, at my age and size, there was no plopping. Then, and this may even be worse than Mr. Goldman’s measurement taking, one of his female sales clerks came into the room, adjusted the bra straps, pulled on the cups and then snapped the back. NO KIDDING!
At that time, or at least it seemed to me, all the bras were white. Some of the cups had the bullet look that Madonna made famous and some had a more natural looking rounded cup. They were all cotton and looked like orthopedic devises in the back because of the snaps, hooks and metal contraptions. With all that, I actually was totally glad to have my first bra and thought I looked so much better in my t-shirts, blouses and dresses. I think I even walked taller. Yep, despite Mr. Goldman, the bra changed my life for the better as I began to think of myself as an attractive and shapely young woman.
At least the Mr. Goldman’s Bra Shop experience made me far more sensitive to my daughter when she was ready for her first bra. We went to a department store together. On the way up to lingerie, my daughter informed me that I wasn’t to tell anyone in the department what we were doing there. It was up to me to find the correct size in different colors; she would try the bras on in private and report back to me from inside the closed dressing room. I said, of course.
BACK TO TODAY: Take a look at the information on beinggirl. I posted the link below. Also, I would love to hear your first bra stories!
http://www.beinggirl.com/article/bra-guide/?utm_source=247moms.blogspot&utm_medium=NurseElaine&utm_content=link20110621&utm_campaign=comm_mgr
MY BRA STORY: Before I continue, I am going to take a step back to my history and share my early teen bra measurement story. When my mother determined that my breastals were of a size to be ensconced in a bra, she took me to the local bra shop to be measured and fitted. It was really rather embarrassing and a somewhat dysfunctional experience, since it was MR. Goldman who did the measuring. (I’ve changed his name for the sake of this story, since the store is still around and I don’t want any of his family thinking that I think their now deceased dad’s behavior was odd even though I do think that and it was!) In any case, picture a serious looking older man (though all men over the age of 18 looked old to me at that time) with wire-rimmed glasses, a balding head and a tape measure draped around his neck. To my horror at the time, Mr. Goldman pulled off the tape measure and put it around my chest. To his credit, he did exactly as directed by beinggirl.com. Fortunately though, Mr. Goldman didn’t come into the dressing room to see if he was accurate. In any case, a few bras of the correct size were sent back to me to try on. My mom made me bend over so I could “plop’ into the cups. Though you have to know, at my age and size, there was no plopping. Then, and this may even be worse than Mr. Goldman’s measurement taking, one of his female sales clerks came into the room, adjusted the bra straps, pulled on the cups and then snapped the back. NO KIDDING!
At that time, or at least it seemed to me, all the bras were white. Some of the cups had the bullet look that Madonna made famous and some had a more natural looking rounded cup. They were all cotton and looked like orthopedic devises in the back because of the snaps, hooks and metal contraptions. With all that, I actually was totally glad to have my first bra and thought I looked so much better in my t-shirts, blouses and dresses. I think I even walked taller. Yep, despite Mr. Goldman, the bra changed my life for the better as I began to think of myself as an attractive and shapely young woman.
At least the Mr. Goldman’s Bra Shop experience made me far more sensitive to my daughter when she was ready for her first bra. We went to a department store together. On the way up to lingerie, my daughter informed me that I wasn’t to tell anyone in the department what we were doing there. It was up to me to find the correct size in different colors; she would try the bras on in private and report back to me from inside the closed dressing room. I said, of course.
BACK TO TODAY: Take a look at the information on beinggirl. I posted the link below. Also, I would love to hear your first bra stories!
http://www.beinggirl.com/article/bra-guide/?utm_source=247moms.blogspot&utm_medium=NurseElaine&utm_content=link20110621&utm_campaign=comm_mgr
Sunday, June 12, 2011
HEALTH MYTHS THAT KEEP US FROM HEALTH - UTIs, Yeast Infections, STDs, TSS
Recently a friend told me her back was hurting and she couldn’t get comfortable. Along with that, she said she just wasn’t feeling that well. She told another friend who suggested that she see a chiropractor that happened to be very helpful to her when she hurt her back. STOP!! When asking her about her symptoms, I found that her back pain was in her flank area (mid or side back over the kidneys) and with a history of bladder infections, it sounded to me like it had evolved into a kidney infection. I strongly recommended that she see her health care professional (HCP), which she did. It was a kidney infection. The doctor found blood in her urine that she couldn’t see and diagnosed her. The kidney infection was in its early stages, but none-the-less it took her several days after antibiotics were started to begin to feel better. The reason I am starting with this story is to illustrate that with our health, even though some conclusions seem logical, if one doesn’t have all the facts, care may be delayed and the outcome may not be good or the treatment appropriate.
One of the most aggravating aspects of health for me is when people share commonly held beliefs that are not true or only partially true. I always assume they mean well, but when others believe them it could lead to some delays in really doing the right thing for their well being or worse yet, could lead to serious illness. That is why I am writing about myths that could harm us. I will start with bladder infections and will also write about yeast infections, older women and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), and TSS (toxic shock syndrome).
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and cranberry juice for prevention: The myth is believing that cranberry juice ALONE can prevent UTIs. Many experts include cranberry juice as a dietary way to help prevent UTIs. However, staying hydrated with water is an excellent way prevent to UTIs. There are many other things that can be done too, depending on the cause and the health of the person. Below is a link to the National Institutes of Health’s Medline Plus health information on urinary tract infections. There you can find thorough and easy to read information about UTIs, lifestyle changes to prevent recurrence. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000521.htm
Vaginal itching is not always a yeast infection: I truly thought it was a great success for women when yeast infection medications went over-the-counter, rather then have them only available by prescription. It showed that the FDA, along with the physicians that treat us mostly believed that we are familiar enough with our bodies to know when we had a yeast infection and could easily treat ourselves. However, for those of you (and me in my past) who diagnose and treat yourselves, not all vaginal itching is a yeast infection. In other words, bacteria, as well as yeast can cause vaginitis, a vaginal infection. Even if you are one of those women who are prone to having yeast infections and treating yourself successfully with OTC medication, if it doesn’t go away on the first round of treatment see your HCP to determine what is actually causing the problem. There is some information about yeast vaginitis on MedicineNet, com, which is part of WebMD that you might find helpful: http://www.medicinenet.com/yeast_vaginitis/article.htm
Sexually Transmitted Diseases only happens to promiscuous young adults: NO, NO, NO!! There is a medically reviewed article on MSN titled, Even Grandmas Get STDs. The article states that women over the age of 50 still may “rock at night”. I can tell you that most of my older than 50 friends certainly do!! The issue comes in when they don’t consider the need to use condoms if the romantic interlude with a new partner progresses beyond just eye gazing and handholding. It is suggested that a lot of the education about HIV and STDs target our youth and not older adults. Also, with some women, their younger taboos make them uncomfortable to ask their partner about their health history. That and the physical changes of aging, makes older women more susceptible to getting STDS. Check out the MSN article, as it provides some helpful information and guidance on prevention. You may want to share it with grandma!
http://health.msn.com/womens-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100172026
Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome only happens with certain kinds of tampons: WRONG!! TSS can occur with any kind of vaginally inserted menstrual protection product. For those of you who aren’t familiar with TSS, it is a rare and serious disease that involves fever, shock and problems with the function of several body organs. Although the earliest cases of TSS involved women who were using tampons during their periods (menstruation), today less than half of current cases are associated with such events. Toxic shock syndrome can also occur with skin infections, burns, and after surgery. The condition can also affect children, postmenopausal women, and men. It is critically important to know the signs and symptoms of TSS, if you use any vaginally inserted menstrual product, such as tampons or menstrual cups. All are labeled with information about TSS when you buy them. For a good reason! The part of this that truly is dangerous is when someone believes that only tampons made of a certain material can cause TSS. They may then ignore the symptoms if they have a false sense of safety. The symptoms are flu-like. If someone suspects that they have TSS, remove whatever product they are using vaginally and see their HCP immediately. Let them know they are menstruating. Since it is so rare, many HCPs have never seen a case of TSS and may not suspect it immediately thus delaying treatment.
Just so you know, I strongly support a woman's choice to use whatever menstrual product she wants to use. The point I am making is that no mater whether it is an all cotton tampon or a menstrual cup, they all pose a risk of TSS. More information about TSS can be found at: http://www.toxicshock.com/ or at the FDA site: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PatientAlerts/ucm070003.htm
One of the most aggravating aspects of health for me is when people share commonly held beliefs that are not true or only partially true. I always assume they mean well, but when others believe them it could lead to some delays in really doing the right thing for their well being or worse yet, could lead to serious illness. That is why I am writing about myths that could harm us. I will start with bladder infections and will also write about yeast infections, older women and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), and TSS (toxic shock syndrome).
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and cranberry juice for prevention: The myth is believing that cranberry juice ALONE can prevent UTIs. Many experts include cranberry juice as a dietary way to help prevent UTIs. However, staying hydrated with water is an excellent way prevent to UTIs. There are many other things that can be done too, depending on the cause and the health of the person. Below is a link to the National Institutes of Health’s Medline Plus health information on urinary tract infections. There you can find thorough and easy to read information about UTIs, lifestyle changes to prevent recurrence. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000521.htm
Vaginal itching is not always a yeast infection: I truly thought it was a great success for women when yeast infection medications went over-the-counter, rather then have them only available by prescription. It showed that the FDA, along with the physicians that treat us mostly believed that we are familiar enough with our bodies to know when we had a yeast infection and could easily treat ourselves. However, for those of you (and me in my past) who diagnose and treat yourselves, not all vaginal itching is a yeast infection. In other words, bacteria, as well as yeast can cause vaginitis, a vaginal infection. Even if you are one of those women who are prone to having yeast infections and treating yourself successfully with OTC medication, if it doesn’t go away on the first round of treatment see your HCP to determine what is actually causing the problem. There is some information about yeast vaginitis on MedicineNet, com, which is part of WebMD that you might find helpful: http://www.medicinenet.com/yeast_vaginitis/article.htm
Sexually Transmitted Diseases only happens to promiscuous young adults: NO, NO, NO!! There is a medically reviewed article on MSN titled, Even Grandmas Get STDs. The article states that women over the age of 50 still may “rock at night”. I can tell you that most of my older than 50 friends certainly do!! The issue comes in when they don’t consider the need to use condoms if the romantic interlude with a new partner progresses beyond just eye gazing and handholding. It is suggested that a lot of the education about HIV and STDs target our youth and not older adults. Also, with some women, their younger taboos make them uncomfortable to ask their partner about their health history. That and the physical changes of aging, makes older women more susceptible to getting STDS. Check out the MSN article, as it provides some helpful information and guidance on prevention. You may want to share it with grandma!
http://health.msn.com/womens-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100172026
Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome only happens with certain kinds of tampons: WRONG!! TSS can occur with any kind of vaginally inserted menstrual protection product. For those of you who aren’t familiar with TSS, it is a rare and serious disease that involves fever, shock and problems with the function of several body organs. Although the earliest cases of TSS involved women who were using tampons during their periods (menstruation), today less than half of current cases are associated with such events. Toxic shock syndrome can also occur with skin infections, burns, and after surgery. The condition can also affect children, postmenopausal women, and men. It is critically important to know the signs and symptoms of TSS, if you use any vaginally inserted menstrual product, such as tampons or menstrual cups. All are labeled with information about TSS when you buy them. For a good reason! The part of this that truly is dangerous is when someone believes that only tampons made of a certain material can cause TSS. They may then ignore the symptoms if they have a false sense of safety. The symptoms are flu-like. If someone suspects that they have TSS, remove whatever product they are using vaginally and see their HCP immediately. Let them know they are menstruating. Since it is so rare, many HCPs have never seen a case of TSS and may not suspect it immediately thus delaying treatment.
Just so you know, I strongly support a woman's choice to use whatever menstrual product she wants to use. The point I am making is that no mater whether it is an all cotton tampon or a menstrual cup, they all pose a risk of TSS. More information about TSS can be found at: http://www.toxicshock.com/ or at the FDA site: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PatientAlerts/ucm070003.htm
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