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Do you have an unwelcome reminder of the past holiday season?

A person’s average weight gain from the end of October through the New Year is 8 pounds. Because of this, many people want to start the year with new habits and new ways to look at controlling their weight.

While staying indoors and indulging in holiday goodies can result in a few extra pounds, for most people, weight gain occurs slowly and unknowingly. Gradual increases in daily calorie intake combined with decreases in exercise result in accumulation of weight and loss of muscle.

Losing weight does not have to mean following a drastic weight loss program or buying expensive diet products. Simple changes in diet habits and increased exercise can be a much more successful way to lose those extra pounds and make sure they don’t return.

The first step in making realistic weight loss goals is understanding your personal body makeup and diet habits. One way to assess your personal body shape is by calculating your waist-to-hip ratio, also called the Apple and Pear Method. To calculate this ratio, divide the measurement of your waist by that of your hips. Men with a ratio greater than 1 and women with a ratio greater than .8 should consider losing weight to benefit their health.

A good eating schedule should include times and portions that utilize the body’s metabolism. This means eating small meals and light snacks throughout the day instead of eating fewer, but larger, meals. In addition, a healthy diet pattern should fit recommended daily food requirements from the food guide pyramid. This includes 6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice or pasta; 3 to 5 of vegetables; 2 to 4 of fruit; 2 to 3 of milk, cheese or yogurt; and 2 to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs or nuts.

Important to following these requirements is understanding what constitutes a standard serving size. One ounce of cheese, for example, is equal in size to a matchbox. And a standard 3 oz. serving of poultry is approximately the size of a deck of cards. Reading food packages can help in determining serving sizes.

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The days are getting longer and that means two important things. One, summer is coming; and two, the rush is on to get that great body in time for bathing suit season.

But here’s the problem: Who’s got time to exercise? With our lives so busy these days work, school, kids, household chores there’s no time left for relaxation, much less exercise.

For many people, exercise means big time, money and commitment. It might mean joining a gym, buying special clothes, and signing up for classes that don’t quite work into the right schedule.

It might mean running for miles every morning. It might mean trying to play those sports on a regular basis that you’d much rather watch on TV.

If none of those definitions of exercise seem to quite fit your lifestyle, maybe you’ll like this definition better. Websters Dictionary defines exercise as “use of limbs for health.” Translation: MOVE! That is something we all do every day.

Now that you can feel good about “exercising” every day, you need to ask yourself a few questions, such as:

1. How much do I already move each day?
2. Is that amount enough for me to stay healthy and fit?
3. If I need to, how can I move a little more each day?

How much do I already move each day? How much movement, or exercise, you get each day is easy to measure. This can be done with the use of a simple tool called a pedometer. Pedometers are inexpensive and can be bought at any sporting goods store. They are easy to set and easy to use.

Pedometers measure both time and distance, so you’ll know how far you went and the amount of time you spent exercising. Just follow the directions for setting up your pedometer and you’ll be ready to measure how much you move, or exercise, each day.

Now, use your pedometer and take one 30-minute walk, or three 10-minute walks, one day. How far did you go? Once you have that number, then you’ll know how far you need to go each day, in distance, to equal the 30-minute goal.

Do you need to get in a little more exercise? Increasing the amount of movement you get each day isn’t hard, but it does take effort. Make yourself park a few more stalls away from the front of the mall each time you go. The next time you have to go up or down one floor, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. At home, walk upstairs each time you have something to put away instead of saving up your items for one trip. And lose that remote control. Walk to the TV to change channels, or take lots of steps searching the house for your remote. Don’t forget to wear your pedometer to measure activity when doing heavy gardening and housework, too.

Remember to be proud of yourself. You do exercise every day, and every extra step you take counts!

A runny nose, watery eyes and wheezing can be an unwelcome part of the spring season for some children due to seasonal allergies. While allergies can indeed be a nuisance, there are some simple things parents can do help alleviate their child’s allergy symptoms.

Seasonal allergies generally don’t pose a threat to a child’s health, but they can be miserable. It’s important for parents to step back and take a look at how they can best help their children deal with allergies.

People can develop allergies at any time in life. Common inhalant allergens include pollen from trees and plants, house dust and animal danders. Wright notes that allergies can be an inherited condition and children may develop inhaled allergies as early as one year of age.

The simplest, most effective way to reduce allergies is to reduce a child’s contact with what he or she is allergic to. Since children spend a majority of time in their bedroom, parents start there first.

Reducing dust, mold and other irritants in the bedroom can be done by removing plants, stuffed animals, shag carpet and other items where allergens may collect. Wright also suggests using foam pillows and covering mattresses with plastic, damp-mopping floors and washing clothes and bedding regularly in hot water.

Thorough cleaning of the entire home can also be helpful. Wright advises parents not to smoke in the home or allow guests to do so. Using air filters and air conditioners in the home can be very helpful to improve indoor air quality.

In addition to controlling the environment, parents can also treat a child’s allergy symptoms with the use of over-the-counter remedies. Antihistamines, available in nasal sprays, eye drops and inhalers, can block allergic responses. Newer antihistamines on the market may also be less likely to cause drowsiness or dry mouth. Cromolyn, a prescription medicine, is another option. Wright notes this product does not have side effects such as drowsiness and needs to be used a few months before allergy season arrives to be effective. Inhaled steroids may also be helpful to control inflammation.

In cases where a child’s allergies are severe, and environmental and other measures do not provide enough relief, allergy shots (immunotherapy) may be an option. This type of treatment requires careful testing by a qualified allergist to identify allergens. Patients then receive small, incremental doses of allergens to desensitize their bodies from future reactions. Wright notes allergy shots can be costly and may not be effective in many cases.

More than 60 percent of new mothers in the United States are choosing to breastfeed — up 10 percent from lows in the early 1970s. In the Pacific Northwest, numbers are even greater, with estimates at 77 percent.

It’s widely known that breastfeeding is a natural, nutritional way to contribute to a child’s development. Colostrum, the fluid secreted the first few days after delivery, and breast milk provide newborns with protection against bacteria and viruses and offer essential nutrients that can lessen problems such as ear infections and diarrhea.

What a new mother may not know, however, is that breastfeeding offers other benefits to both her baby and her body.

Some benefits of breastfeeding identified in medical research include:

- A decrease in the risk of breast cancer. This may be due to the lower levels of estrogen in a woman’s body while breastfeeding. Such benefits are related to the total amount of time a mother breastfeeds.

- Protection for the mother against osteoporosis in later life.

- A form of natural contraception if breastfeeding is frequent and prolonged. Wall adds that the use of other contraceptive devices is still recommended.

- The enhancement of psychomotor and mental development of children.

- Decreased instance of malocclusion (improper bite) in children when breastfed properly.

These are not the only positive aspects of breastfeeding. Adding it saves time and money when compared to preparing and buying bottled formulas. Losing weight gained during pregnancy can also be easier for mothers who breastfeed, since fat reserves created during that time aid in milk production. And the growing acceptance of breastfeeding by society has helped make things easier for working mothers, with some companies now offering private rooms with breast pumps for employees.