New Survey Shows 90 Percent of Women Do Not Fully Understand the Calories They Eat

4 Mar 2008 11:08 Africa/Lagos


New Survey Shows 90 Percent of Women Do Not Fully Understand the Calories They Eat

Americans in need of a calorie and nutrient education

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 4 /PRNewswire/ --

Despite efforts to keep weight in check, women seem to be willing to take drastic measures to lose weight, with one third saying they would even give up sex for one month just to lose a few pounds, a recent survey found.


Although more than half of American women actively manage their weight most of the time or more often, many do not fully understand the calories they eat, according to Dannon(TM) Light & Fit(TM)'s recent Calorie IQ survey.


"I have clients come to me every day who seem to understand the basics of weight management but do not fully understand what makes up the foods they are eating," explained Oz Garcia, PhD, nutritionist to the stars and member of the Dannon Light & Fit Weight Management Council.


Common snack foods seem to be one culprit for calorie confusion, with nearly half of Americans surveyed believing that one and a half ounces of pretzel sticks contains 100 calories or less compared to the 160 calories they contain, as measured by NutritionData.com, and nearly one in five believing that pretzel sticks are a nutrient-rich snack.


To help women make smart decisions about weight management, Dannon is introducing Light & Fit 0% Plus, a new nonfat yogurt that contains 60 calories and 0 percent fat per four-ounce cup with essential nutrients like calcium, protein and Vitamin D, plus 50 percent more fruit than regular Light & Fit six-ounce cups.


"It's important to realize that when trying to limit the calories we eat each day, we need to make sure we're getting all the nutrients the body needs to keep it well-fueled; that doesn't have to mean compromising on taste," Dr. Garcia says.


Many are misinformed about the loss of essential nutrients as they manage their weight. According to the survey, 63 percent of women believe they get enough calcium and 73 percent believe they get enough Vitamin D. However, research from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that in reality, fewer than half of women are getting enough Vitamin D and eight out of 10 are lacking calcium.


While women are actively trying to keep their eyes on their waist line, many are not honest with themselves about the calories they consume. In fact, four in 10 women admit to lying to themselves about what they eat during the day, with more than half of women reporting that they are likely to tell themselves calories "don't count" during birthdays or other celebrations.


Dannon Light & Fit 0% Plus is the first national nonfat yogurt offered in transparent packaging, which allows women to see what they are consuming and to take a step toward self-honesty in weight management.


"Incorporating healthy, nutrient-dense snacks into a balanced diet makes it easier to overcome common dieting pitfalls," explained Dr. Garcia.


Among the survey's other findings:
-- More than a third of women report skipping meals several times a week
or more often.
-- A quarter of women report that they have eaten something else in
replace of a meal, with 10 percent opting for dessert, nine percent
gulping down a diet soft drink and six percent considering potato chips
or French fries a sufficient meal replacement.



Despite their not-so-diet-friendly eating habits, women do report that portion control and calorie content are some of the key factors they consider when looking for foods to keep them on track with weight management. In fact, 81 percent of women who manage their weight consider portion size the most important strategy.


While many women reported that consuming nutrient-rich foods is an important way to manage their weight, a full 42 percent showed that they had a difficult time identifying these types of foods that also have reduced calories and fat.


"It's great to be able to point my clients to foods that are both healthy and nourishing," said Dr. Garcia. "It is possible to manage one's weight and continue to take in all of the essential nutrients a healthy body needs, and snacking on healthy, nutrient-rich items such as Light & Fit 0% Plus is an easier way to do so."


For more information, visit www.lightnfit.com.

Media Contact:
Allison Goldstein
Edelman, for Dannon
212.704.4511
allison.goldstein@edelman.com


Source: Dannon

CONTACT: Allison Goldstein of Edelman for Dannon,
+1-212-704-4511, allison.goldstein@edelman.com


Web site: http://www.lightnfit.com/
http://nutritiondata.com/


NOTE TO EDITORS: StrategyOne conducted a nationally representative phone survey among 2,041 American adults from August 16th through August 21st, 2007.

Photo: Sweet Dreams From Turkey

Mar 2008 11:07 Africa/Lagos


Photo: Sweet Dreams From Turkey

Discovery in Turkey leads to pajamas offering a solution to troublesome night sweats

SAN DIEGO, March 4 /PRNewswire/ --

What do night sweats and a summer in Turkey have in common? For 49-year-old mompreneur Anita Mahaffey, the connection goes deep and years later catapulted her into a business manufacturing and designing a line of night sweat sleepwear called Cool-jams.


To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/cooljams/31798/


"As I boarded my flight in 1976, to spend the summer as a Turkish exchange student, I would have laughed my way off the plane if someone told me that in 30 years, I would be back in Turkey manufacturing hot flash pajamas. I had no idea that my past would come back to tap me on the shoulder in such a big way."


Fast forward to the birth of Mahaffey's second child in 1987. To spend more time with her growing family she left corporate marketing to pursue her dream of entrepreneurship.


"While researching different business ideas, I discovered that Turkey had grown into one of the biggest textile producers in the world," Mahaffey explains. "It was natural for me to think of establishing some kind of import/export business there. I understood the culture and loved the people."


Mahaffey took another trip to Turkey and re-established relationships with acquaintances from her exchange student days who were now successful business owners. By collaborating with a Turkish friend, she soon began developing sleepwear programs for many of the largest US retailers and catalogs.


While making a routine design visit to her factory in 2005, she discovered a new micro-fiber fabric. Mahaffey, an avid hiker and runner, was accustomed to wearing micro-fiber apparel while exercising because it wicked away perspiration and dried quickly.


"As soon as I felt this new fabric, I knew I had a winner. The hand-feel was incredible ... very silky, soft and lightweight ... nothing like the rough textured micro-fiber sports apparel I had at home. Part of my motivation was to develop a pajama to provide relief for my own menopausal related night sweats, a problem thousands of women could relate to. "


Mahaffey quickly became fixated with the idea of creating a line of pajamas that would help to remedy night sweats. An independent laboratory tested and confirmed the fabric's wicking and quick drying properties. It rapidly absorbed and evaporated moisture and dried twice as fast as cotton or poly/cotton blend.


This was the start of Cool-jams.


"Customers can find other sleepwear lines for night sweats, but many of the products that we found were expensive," explains Mahaffey. "We decided to create a collection of high quality, stylish products priced 25-40% lower than competitor's products. We hope to make a difference in people's lives by making night sweat pajamas more affordable."


Reasons for night sweats include menopause, chemotherapy, obesity, certain medications, and thyroid dysfunction. Sometimes an individual's internal thermostat just runs warm. This problem can affect men and women alike. With this in mind Cool-jams offers a line of women's sleepwear in sizes ranging from small to 3X. Mahaffey also plans to add a Cool-jams men's sleepwear collection in spring 2008.


Cool-jams, Inc. was founded by Anita Mahaffey in September 2006. At this time, Cool-jams sleepwear can be found online at http://www.cool-jams.com/. The website offers a variety of moisture wicking sleepwear for women as well as tips to help combat night sweats.


If you would like more information about this topic, or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Anita Mahaffey at (858) 566-6165 or email anitam@cool-jams.com


Contact Information
Anita Mahaffey
Tel: 858-566-6165
Cell: 858-354-1966
anitam@cool-jams.com


Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/cooljams/31798
Source: Cool-jams

CONTACT: Anita Mahaffey of Cool-jams, +1-858-566-6165, cell,
+1-858-354-1966, anitam@cool-jams.com


Web site: http://www.cool-jams.com/

The Strength of Single Mothers Shines Through History

IRE THOMAS NELSON PUBLISHERS SINGLE MOTHER THOMAS NELSON PUBLISHERS SINGLE MOTHER: Best known for her role as 'Maggie O'Connell' in the CBS series, "Northern Exposure", actress Janine Turner now considers her role as mother to daughter, Juliette, as her most-important work. Her new book, Holding Her Head High, explores the historical significance of single mothers throughout history. (PRNewsFoto/Thomas Nelson Publishers) NASHVILLE, TN UNITED STATES 03/03/2008




4 Mar 2008 11:06 Africa/Lagos


The Strength of Single Mothers Shines Through History

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- There is no job more satisfying, demanding, and redeeming than that of mother. Life presents all types of mothers who may differ by circumstance, but ultimately share a collective goal: to provide the best life possible for their children.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080304/NYFNSR01)


History is peppered with stories of women who have persevered for the sake of their families, not for fanfare. What many do not know is that every day remarkable women take on the challenges of life alone -- raising their children and making history -- as single mothers.


"If you are a single mother, you're not alone," says author Janine Turner. "History provides the warmth and comfort of women who have done it successfully before you."


Turner is perhaps best known as an accomplished actress who has starred in hit television series, such as "Northern Exposure" and "Strong Medicine," as well as box-office and television movies.


Turner is also a director, singer, and now an author. Her book Holding Her Head High: 12 Single Mothers Who Championed Their Children and Changed History (Thomas Nelson Publishers), chronicles the lives of 12 women in history and brings to light how they advocated for their children to make a difference.


Take, for example, Abigail Adams, whose husband John became the second U.S. president. She helped change the course of history by helping to birth democracy with her valiant wartime single motherhood during the American Revolution. Adams had to clothe, feed, educate and nurture her children as she managed the family farm and her husband's business.


Adams endured bitter winters and wartime fears and famine. Her devotion helped shape the character of her son -- John Quincy -- who would go on to further the family's political legacy by becoming the sixth U.S. president.


Turner, herself a single mother, pored through thousands of historical documents to bring alive the stories of women she says not only provided strength and inspiration, but changed the course of history as well.


Stories span generations and pinpoint women from the Roman Empire, such as Christian pioneer and saint Helena Augusta, to medieval times when Christine de Pizan became the first female professional writer. She may have been the antecedent, of sorts, for Elizabeth Timothy, the first female editor in colonial America.


"These women turned tribulations into triumphs, championed their children and changed history," offers Turner. "I find their voices to be amazingly modern, no matter the era."


Find Holding Her Head High: 12 Single Mothers Who Championed Their Children and Changed History at your local bookseller or by visiting www.thomasnelson.com.


Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080304/NYFNSR01
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Thomas Nelson Publishers

CONTACT: Beth Hood of Thomas Nelson Publishers, +1-615-902-2742,
BHood@ThomasNelson.com


Web site: http://www.thomasnelson.com/

Painful Sex in Women: Studies Show High Prevalence, but New Hope

4 Mar 2008 11:10 Africa/Lagos


Painful Sex in Women: Studies Show High Prevalence, but New Hope

GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 4 /PRNewswire/ --

Painful sex has afflicted half the women in the US, but recent scientific studies show relief may be in sight for many women.


Two recent published studies show that a manual physical therapy that feels like a deep massage, the Wurn Technique(R), reduced or eliminated intercourse pain in up to 96% of the women. See www.clearpassage.com


The treatment uses neither drugs nor surgery. Physical therapists Belinda Wurn says, "We believe tiny adhesions form on the vaginal walls, or deep within the urogenital organs. This therapy appears to detach those adhesions strand by strand, decreasing pain and increasing function."


"American Family Physician" and "Obstetrics and Gynecology" indicated that 46% to 60% of sexually active US women suffer, or have suffered, from painful intercourse. However, very few medical approaches address the condition.


"Until now, our medical toolbox has been extremely limited in treating intercourse pain," said research gynecologist Richard King, MD. "Pain relievers and desensitizing agents offer a poor solution for this common and debilitating condition."


Citations in "Fertility and Sterility" and "Medscape General Medicine" showed significantly decreased or eliminated intercourse pain for women with endometriosis and for those in the general population after they received the new therapy.


Two related studies showed that the therapy increased sexual function in several areas, including desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm in most study participants. In other studies, the therapy increased pregnancies in women diagnosed infertile.


Belinda and her husband, massage therapist Larry Wurn, developed the patent-protected therapy, called the Wurn Technique(R) over the last 20 years. Initially developed to address pain Belinda experienced after pelvic cancer and surgery, the therapy can be completed in three to five days at Clear Passage Therapies(R) clinics in several US locations. See www.clearpassage.com


Source: Clear Passage Therapies

CONTACT: Larry Wurn, Clear Passage Therapies, +1-352-336-1433,
cptherapy@aol.com


Web site: http://www.clearpassage.com/


NOTE TO EDITORS: Physician, therapists, patients available for interview

Sing a Song for Mee

Sing a Song for Mee
In memory of May Ellen Ezekiel (MEE)

I have waited for so long
To hear you sing a song
For Mee with glee
For all to see
The cheerful smiles on your brown faces
As you chorus with classic grimaces
And I hear your melodic voices
Bouncing off the walls in echo
Frightening off the wall gecko
In the climax of your deafening crescendo.

Then I felt it
My eyes were wet
Even Jesus wept.
After he said, Lazarus was only asleep
But Jesus Christ had to weep
When he saw that Lazarus was indeed dead
Yet, Lazarus was raised at the command of our Lord
By the infinite power of his Word
And so, I have the hope
That the same voice will wake us up.
So, I smile through the vistas of the reveries
Of our most treasured memories
Because dreams die last
When all other things are cast into the past.


By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Friday, November 26, 2004.
9.45 a.m

Make a $25 Donation To Support Code Amber

A Message From the Founder - March 2008.

Hello,

When I started Code Amber five and a half years ago I had a vision. That vision was to expand the reach of Amber Alerts by utilizing the Internet and also to educate people about the Amber Plan. At the time (August 2002) only 14 states had AMBER Plans in place. Now all 50 states and Puerto Rico and Guam plus all of the Canadian provinces have AMBER Plans in place. But we're not finished yet. As you probably have seen we now have a new web site design and wealso have some new faces behind the scenes to help us take Code Amber to the next level.

As of today there are more than 400,000 web and desktop tickers deployed and displaying Amber Alerts in the US and Canada. This past December we surpassed 1.5 Billion Tickers displayed. That is notenough. We want to double those numbers in the next year. Ourultimate goal is to make the AMBER Alert system so pervasive that anytime someone even thinks about abducting a child that they will fear the power of Amber Alerts enough that they just DON'T DO IT!

During this transition we need your help, and we need it now. Up to this point I have personally financed 90% of the cost of operating Code Amber. I can no longer afford to do that. Many of you have been faithful supporters and made small donations to the cause and I cannot tell you how appreciative I am of that generosity. Now, I need your support more than ever to continue our mission. If you want to make a difference we all know that it needs to start with you. If each of you would make a $25 donation to Code Amber today we will be able to continue our quest to double the reach of Code Amber in the next year.

We also know that expecting you alone to donate and keep this program growing is not all it will take to make this successful, so we would like to challenge you to also contact at least5 of your friends that would be willing to match your donation and contribute to the future of Code Amber and our children.
Donations can be made at Code Amber.

Please do it today. We will also be announcing Code Amber's Angels later this month to provide a community where you can participate and collaborate with other members to bring awareness and education about Amber Alerts to your local area. We are very excited about the potential of this powerful initiative. So please help us take Code Amber to the next level by contributing what ever you are able by visiting Code Amber.

Without you, what we have accomplished thus far would not have been possible.

Sincerely,
Bryant Harper
Founder
CodeAmber.org

Body of Missing Super Model, Katoucha Niane, the "Black Princess" Found

Katoucha Niane, the "Black Princess"

Paris police yesterday, found a body in the River Seine suspected to be the missing Guinean super model Katoucha Niane, the former beloved muse of fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent. The 47-year-old Katoucha Niane, known as the "Black Princess" had been missing from her home on a central stretch of the river on the night of February 1.



Fashion model model Katoucha Niane, from Guinea, embraces French couturier Yves Saint Laurent at the end of his show for the 1989 Fall ready-to-wear fashion show in Paris, in this March 22, 1989 file photo. Katoucha was found dead in the Seine River Feb. 28, 2008 in Paris. Katoucha, who lived on a barge, was missing since Jan. 31, 2008.
(AP Photo/Michel Euler)



The police said, the mother-of-three disappeared after being dropped off from a party and her handbag was later recovered near her houseboat.