SmartFem Phoenix, the Intelligent Guide for the Woman on the Go!

What is a Champion?

"Live Like a Champion" I meditated on those inspirational words by one day while running. It was one of those runs where I was consumed by thoughts of what I was wishing for, and reminded for the millionth time of my recent failed relationship. I ran with the Rocky mountains as my backdrop, thankful for the opportunity to begin fresh with new wisdom. I can’t change the past, I can’t change people, but I can change me. The words “live like a champion” rang out. I have worked closely with athletes since I was 14 years old. I have had a front row seat to the game, and also the locker room. What makes a champion? It occurred to me that all champions started out just like all the other athletes. They suffer injuries and losses. They have the same coaches as everyone else. Why do they rise? What element sets them apart? I smiled as I thought of the athletes that I most admired from high school, college, and adulthood. These were not just successful athletes, but good friends as well. I know them and their hearts. It is what is in a champion’s heart that makes him/her unique? We all know that you can win a championship and not become a champion. You can make a ton of money as a professional athlete and still be a loser. Champions don’t just win games, they win at LIFE, and in the end it’s the only game that matters. Champions give effort consistently, not just when they feel like it. Champions win with grace, and lose with class. Champions understand their power and influence and use it to make the world better. Champions understand teamwork, discipline, and focus. Champions inspire others. Most of all… Champions don’t make excuses! They aren’t satisfied with status quo. They ...

Children and Violent Video Games – How to Keep Control

When it comes to kids and video games, most parents cringe at the thought of what their children are playing and whom they’re playing with online. How does a parent know if the game their child is playing is age appropriate, or a violent, explicit, video game that would make Quentin Tarantino blush? The video game industry, to its credit, has voluntarily adopted a useful and informative rating system that should be followed when making a decision to allow your child to play. Known as the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), it can be broken down as follows: EC (Early Childhood) - Suitable for ages 3 and older. Games with this rating are marketed for toddlers who may not grasp most other video games. E (Everyone) - Suitable for ages 6 and older. There is an E10+ rating for games designed for ages 10 and older. Basically nothing to worry about. T (Teen) - Think PG movies. Games will have mild or non explicit violence and language, only mildly suggestive content, and contain strategies or plots that are understandable and appreciated by teenagers. M (Mature) - These games contain mature content such as language, graphic violence, and possibly sexual content that is inappropriate for children. Think R rated movies. Such games should be discouraged for children and never be played without direct adult supervision. There are some who blame the video game industry for the production and marketing of violent video games to children. There may be some truth to these allegations but the industry has made the ratings as clear as they can be and expect parents to do the job of raising their own children. There are plenty of adults who enjoy playing video games. There are some really well designed games out there that are not only appropriate for children but can offer enjoyment ...

Eating Healthy Foods – Preparation is key

Prepare your food for the week: Dinner We make our worst food choices when we are hungry (starving!) and unprepared. Add “rushed” and “stressed” to that, and you are asking for disaster. Preparation is the key to habitually eating healthy foods. If most of your food choices are done at the last minute with whatever you can find, chances are, you are overweight and malnourished. No time? Join the club. Ok, seriously, does anyone not have to face the challenge of feeding themselves (and their children) healthfully at the end of a long day? On a budget? Challenging is an understatement. Get in the habit of planning ahead. Being prepared is KEY! Suggestions for healthy eating for the whole family: Grill, bake, or broil all of your meat for the week in advance. Throw chicken on salads and leftover steak on sandwiches or in stir fry later on. If you prepare, cook, and store food on Sunday, you should be able to skate until Thursday. Chop up veggies and pre-make salads, so they are quick and easy for everyone to grab. Wash and cut fruit. Always have a veggie tray ready to go. Get the kids involved. Investing family time into food prep on the weekend ensures a healthy selection when hunger strikes and time is limited. Nothing is more important than teaching your kids how to eat well. Learn to grab and go. Store your lunch on the go in containers and have them stacked in the fridge ready and waiting. You will save a bundle on fast food and have a preselected serving size full of healthy stuff. Bag snacks and have with you at all times. Measure out nuts, fruit, veggies, trail mix, etc, and have them stored in your purse, briefcase, or desk. You should never go more than 3-4 hours without eating a little ...

How a small town in Texas saved the Internet from a Patent Troll

The Patent Troll of Tyler Tyler, Texas, a city with less than half the population of Scottsdale, was recently the unlikely location of a legal battle that had threatened the very foundation of the Internet as we know it. It was here that an obscure biologist from Chicago, Dr. Michael Doyle of Eolas Technologies, filed suit challenging ownership of what is termed the "interactive web," or the ability to interact with a web page allowing the user to play video, rotate a picture, and other interactive features we use online every day. The legal battle stems from what many consider to be obsolete and overly lax software patent laws in the United States that allow a patent on computer software. While software code is "written" and can be copyrighted to protect unlawful duplication, a patent can protect an idea or broadly defined functionality of software, even if the technology itself is obsolete. According to the Eolas website, in 1993 Dr. Doyle, working at the University of California - San Francisco, "led a research team that developed fundamental web technologies that resulted in the patent, which enabled Web browsers for the first time to act as platforms for fully-interactive embedded applications." The problem is that he never actually produced any commercially successful technology and instead created Eolas Technologies much later for the express purpose of engaging in litigation on this and other obscure patents they had collected. The popular term for a business established to engage in predatory litigation in this manner is patent troll. Typically, patent trolls engage smaller businesses that can't afford the resources to oppose litigation in court and are forced to settle for a more reasonable amount. Eolas, which moved its address from Chicago to Texas by maintaining a very small office in Tyler, presumably reasoned they had a better ...

Sunscreen, The Struggle With Kids, Sun Protection, and Skin Cancer

Images of children playing in the sun is often far removed from our concern for effective sunscreen protection, our fears of skin cancer, and our need to protect our children from the harmful effects of the sun. Each and every day society learns more about just how harmful the sun’s UV rays can be on your skin and your overall health. The sun increases the risk of skin cancer, and exposure can cause your skin to age beyond its years. Even being out in the sun for 5 to 10 minutes a day or having the window open during your drive to work can cause problems. While most people know that SunCare is important, applying sunscreen products to protect the skin can be a real pain. It’s not easy to remember to do it. Having to apply sunscreen several times a day seems more like work than a good health habit. The process becomes even more difficult when you are trying to protect young children. As a parent, you know that kids are a tough bunch to wrangle. School-aged children are absent minded, easily distracted and against doing anything that doesn’t feel fun. Getting your children ready for school and then reminding them about SunCare will probably elicit groans or sighs, along with a lot of wiggling. Parents might not feel motivated at all times to get their children to practice proper skin care, because it can be easier to skip the drama than to try to fight with a young’un who won’t sit still. But you need to try. Children are in just as much danger from the sun’s rays as you are. Just a little bit of prevention every day will make it less likely that they will one day be diagnosed with skin cancer. Keeping your kids in the habit of good sunscreen protection now will ...

The Truth About Belly Fat: Metabolic Syndrome – What you really need to know

One in three people in the United States is battling metabolic syndrome (syndrome X). It is costing this country over 1/7 of the Gross Domestic Product, or a trillion dollars annually. Not a million, not a billion, a trillion! What is metabolic syndrome? It is a cluster of individual, but related symptoms that point to a breakdown of the body’s ability to function at a healthy level. You are on the fast track to heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and even sudden death. At best, it makes you look paunchy, tired and old. At worst, it kills you. You have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the following: A disproportionate waist to hip ratio, or an abdominal girth of 35 inches or more (taken at the belly button) High trigyceride levels (175 mg/dL or more) Low HDL levels (below 40) This is the “good cholesterol.” High LDL levels (above 100) This is the “bad” cholesterol. Resting blood pressure of 130/85 or higher in consecutive readings. Fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dL or higher Syndrome X is a purely preventable disease. Getting your blood checked annually and knowing your genetic history for heart disease and stroke is a beginning. Making the appropriate lifestyle changes with a healthy diet of whole foods and daily exercise will reverse these symptoms. Medications are the last resort if all else fails. BEWARE of supplements that promise to burn belly fat. They don’t work and they are full of chemicals and caffeine. They do more damage than good in the long run. There is NO magic pill! Should you be worried about metabolic syndrome, “belly fat”? A resounding YES! It isn’t just ugly, it is deadly. Consult with a qualified and experienced health and fitness professional to set you up on a strategic and customized exercise and nutrition plan. Thank you, SmartFem, for reaching intelligent women who ...

Affordable, Low Cost Health Insurance

The search for affordable, low cost health insurance goes back a long way. Even Adam and Eve, as the story goes, were looking for more and better coverage. As medical costs go up it becomes more important than ever to make sure your coverage is all that you need it to be at a cost you can afford. When it comes to shopping for a new policy or determining how good your current coverage is there are some pertinent questions you need to ask yourself. Do you know what your exposure rate is? Do you know what your deductible is? What is the coinsurance amount for yourself and your family? Do you have that money set aside for when you need it? Are you getting the best bang for your buck? Are you utilizing the correct products that help keep your exposure rate to a minimum and maximize your tax deductions? Many of us don’t know the answers to these questions until something catastrophic occurs. That's not the time you want to find out and start learning about your coverage. Often families go online to shop for health insurance and compare a policy only by the deductible and monthly premium. That’s a start, but it’s only a very small portion of what you need to know to make an informed purchasing decision. Very few of us would go out and buy a house over the Internet without at least visiting the property and yet many of us will purchase a health insurance policy that could potentially put us at a great amount of personal risk. I urge you to sit down with a professional, ask questions, understand your purchase and have the peace of mind knowing you can pick up the phone and talk with an actual person without dealing with the frustration ...

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Articles from the SmartFem Experts

What is a Champion?

“Live Like a Champion” I meditated on those inspirational words by one day while running. It was one of those runs where I was consumed by thoughts of what I was wishing for, and reminded...

Children and Violent Video Games – How to Keep Control

Eating Healthy Foods – Preparation is key

How a small town in Texas saved the Internet from a Patent Troll

Sunscreen, The Struggle With Kids, Sun Protection, and Skin Cancer

Valentine’s Day gift ideas for a high tech world

Valentine’s Day gift decisions are hard enough but if you’re looking to buy something special for your high tech Valentine you may feel completely lost. Considering the fleeting nature of...

The Truth About Belly Fat: Metabolic Syndrome – What you really need to know

Affordable, Low Cost Health Insurance

Teach Your Children Techniques to Improve Reading & Make the Most of Learning

When it comes to education, the right techniques are critical to your child’s success. If you want to teach your children different techniques to improve reading, you have to understand which methods...

Sunscreen isn’t Just for Summer!

Sunscreen protection is vital to skin cancer protection all year long, not just when you head to the beach in the summer. The winter isn’t the best time to break out the board shorts and bikinis and...

Read More from our Experts